Six messages for turning down work: a new job with no reason given, a job outside your trade, an out-of-hours call-out, more work from a client who already has all of your time, and closing an arrangement down — with notice, and without an unpaid invoice left behind.
Turning down work is one of the hardest messages to send, because it feels like closing a door that might not reopen. It is also one of the clearest signs of a business that knows its own limits. A polite, direct decline protects your time and your rate far better than a vague answer that leaves the job half-open.
These six scripts cover the whole range: a new job with no reason given, a job outside your trade with a referral attached, an out-of-hours call-out, telling a long-standing client you cannot take on more of their work, ending a regular arrangement with proper notice, and declining further work until an unpaid invoice is settled. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script below updates to match.
Your name and business are shared with the invoice and quote generators and the printables, too; the client, invoice #, amount, and due date stay only here, since they’re specific to this one message. Nothing here is ever sent to us. Anything still in brackets after you fill these in is a per-message blank — fill it in as you send. See or clear all your saved details on the free tools page.
Subject: Re: your job
Hi [Client name], Thanks for thinking of [Your business] for this one. I won't be able to take it on, so I'd hate for it to sit and wait on me — I'd suggest reaching out to another provider who can fit it in sooner. Thanks again for asking, [Your name]
Why it works A short, clean decline with no reason attached closes the door without inviting a negotiation over why.
Subject: Not quite my trade, but here is a name
Hi [Client name], This one sits outside what [Your business] covers, so I'd rather point you to someone who does this work every day than take a guess at it myself. [Referral name and contact] does this kind of job well — mention my name when you reach out. Happy to help with anything in my own trade in future, [Your name]
Why it works Naming a specific referral turns a decline into a favor, and keeps the door open for work that actually fits your trade later.
Hi [Client name], I'm not taking out-of-hours call-outs tonight. The soonest I can get to this is [next available slot] — let me know if that works, or I can point you to an emergency provider who's on call now.
Why it works Stating your own hours plainly, with a real next slot attached, reads as a boundary rather than a refusal to help at all.
Subject: Where things stand with new work from you
Hi [Client name], I've valued working with you, and I want to be upfront rather than let this drag on: I'm not able to take on more work from you beyond [what's already booked] right now. My diary is full, and I'd rather tell you clearly than keep saying yes and running behind. I'm happy to keep [existing arrangement] going as it is, [Your name]
Why it works Naming exactly what you can still do, alongside what you cannot, stops the message reading as a full rejection of the relationship.
Subject: Notice on our regular arrangement
Hi [Client name], I'm writing to give you notice that I'll be stepping back from our regular arrangement, with [notice period] to find a replacement. This isn't about anything you've done — it's a change on my side. I'll settle invoice [Invoice #] for [Amount] before the last visit, so there's nothing left open between us. Thanks for the work over the time we've worked together, [Your name]
Why it works Naming a notice period and clearing the last invoice up front turns an ending into a clean handover, not a dispute waiting to happen.
Subject: Re: new work — invoice [Invoice #] first
Hi [Client name], I'd like to help with this, but invoice [Invoice #] for [Amount], due [Due date], is still outstanding. Once that's settled I can look at booking the new job in — let me know when it's on its way. [Your name]
Why it works Tying the new job directly to the unpaid invoice, without a lecture attached, gives the client a clear and fair reason for the delay.
You still decide which jobs to take and which client to step back from — nothing here decides that for you. What BizBinder actually does is merge one client’s jobs, invoices, and notes into a single timeline, so the pattern behind a decision like this is visible in one place, not scattered across old messages.
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