Proposals · How it works

How long should a quote be valid?

Most quotes and proposals stay valid for 14 to 30 days. Choose a shorter period when your costs move quickly, such as materials or freight, and a longer one when the buyer has a slow approval process. State the end date on the document so the price cannot be accepted after your costs have changed.

A validity period protects you from accepting an old price after your costs have risen, and it gives the buyer a reason to decide. Too short feels pushy, too long hands the buyer a free option on your time.

Nuwan Madhusanka · Co-founder

4 min read · Published 13 October 2026

1
List the costs that can move
Write down materials, subcontractors, freight, exchange rates and your own availability, and note how quickly each has changed in the past year.
2
Match the period to the fastest cost
If timber prices changed within weeks last year, a 14 day validity is reasonable. If your costs are mostly your own time, 30 days is common.
3
Check the buyer's decision cycle
Ask how approval works. A council or a corporate buyer may need 45 to 60 days, and a too short period simply forces a reissue.
4
Print a date, not a duration
Write valid until 14 November rather than valid for 30 days, so nobody has to work out when the clock started.
5
Decide what happens after expiry
Say whether you will re-quote, honour the price at your discretion, or apply a set increase, and tell the buyer before the date passes.

Why a quote needs an end date

A quote is an offer, and an offer without a time limit is generally open for a reasonable time, which is a phrase nobody wants to argue about. Printing an end date makes the offer lapse on a known day. NSW Fair Trading advises customers to check how long a quote is valid for, which tells you buyers are expected to look for it. For the business, the end date caps the risk that materials, wages or a subcontractor's rates rise between the quote and the work.

Typical periods by type of work

Service businesses such as consultants, designers and bookkeepers usually choose 30 days because their main cost is their own time. Trades that buy materials often choose 14 to 30 days, and some quote materials separately with a shorter period. Event suppliers quoting a date months ahead may hold the price for 30 days but the date only once a deposit is paid. Large public sector tenders often ask for a fixed offer period of 60 to 120 days, set in the tender documents, so read the request carefully before applying your usual default.

Validity is also a sales tool

A clear end date gives the buyer a natural moment to decide, and it gives you a polite reason to follow up: the quote is due to expire on Friday, would you like me to hold it? Used honestly, this is not pressure, it is information. Used dishonestly, such as an artificial deadline that is extended every time, it erodes trust. The Australian Consumer Law prohibits misleading claims about price, so do not suggest a price will rise if it will not.

Common mistakes

The classic mistake is no validity at all, followed by a customer accepting a year old quote. Others write valid for 30 days without a start date, or set 7 days on a large job that needs board approval. Some businesses let quotes lapse silently and lose work that would have been accepted with a reminder. And some honour expired quotes so routinely that the date means nothing. Pick a period you will actually enforce.

Where it shows up in the product

The generator's brief has a validity days field that defaults to 30, and a proposal created from it gets a valid until date. The date can be changed in the Pricing panel, and the AI chat can set validity as one of its seven pricing operations. A daily sweep moves sent or viewed proposals past their valid until date to expired, and an expired proposal cannot be accepted by the client, who sees that it was valid until that date.

Questions people ask

Is 30 days a legal requirement for quotes?

No. There is no general Australian rule setting how long a quote must stay open. Thirty days is a common business convention, not a statute. Some industries have their own rules, and tenders set their own offer periods, but for most small businesses the validity period is whatever you write on the quote, as long as it is clear and you honour it.

Can I withdraw a quote before the validity date?

Generally an offer can be withdrawn before it is accepted, even if it states a validity period, unless the buyer paid for the offer to stay open. Withdrawing early can damage the relationship, though, so do it only for good reason, tell the buyer in writing, and send a revised quote if you still want the work.

What if the client accepts a day late?

The quote has lapsed, so you choose. Many businesses honour a quote a day or two late as goodwill, but you are entitled to reprice if costs have changed. Reply in writing either confirming the old price or sending a new quote, so there is no doubt which figure applies to the job.

Should the validity period be shorter for materials?

Often yes. If one part of the quote is volatile, such as steel, timber or imported equipment, you can hold your labour price for 30 days and the materials price for 14, or include a clause that passes on documented supplier increases. Be specific about how any increase will be calculated so the buyer can check it.

Does the validity period affect when work starts?

No, they are separate. The validity period is how long the buyer has to accept. The start date is when work begins after acceptance. State both if the timing matters, for example valid until 30 November with work scheduled for February, and say whether the start date is guaranteed or subject to availability when they accept.

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Sources

Written and checked by the OneCraft team. Last checked 13 October 2026.