Quoted in spring, lost in autumn
A builder asks for a scaffold price for an extension. You price it and send it. He says thanks, the job is not confirmed yet, he is waiting on the homeowner. Months pass. Then one week the job goes ahead, and the builder, in a hurry, rings the first scaffolder who comes to mind. It is not you.
Your quote is still in the sent folder, valid or not, with nothing to prompt anyone that it might be about to turn into work.
Why scaffold quotes go cold
Scaffold work depends on other people's projects starting. Most quotes are not won or lost at the time; they wait. Follow-up, if it happens, is a general 'any news?' at a random time, not when the builder is actually deciding.
- The expected start date is not recorded with the quote.
- Quotes are followed up at random, or never.
- Quote validity lapses without anyone noticing.
- Repeat builders' pending quotes are not visible together.
- Lost quotes are not recorded with a reason.
What it costs
Jobs you priced and would have won, going to competitors at the last minute. Estimator time spent on quotes that never convert. And no idea of your real win rate, or which builders tend to follow through.
Pending quotes also hold useful information for planning. A list of jobs expected to start in the next couple of months tells you roughly how much kit and how many gangs you will need, but only if someone keeps the list current.
The quote pipeline we build
- When a quote is sent, the estimator records the builder's expected start, even if rough, and what the job is waiting on.
- Quotes are shown in a pipeline by expected start month, so the office sees what should be coming.
- Ahead of the expected start, the builder gets a short message asking whether the job is still going ahead and offering to book a date, in your words.
- Replies update the quote: confirmed, delayed with a new date, or lost with a reason.
- Quotes approaching the end of their validity are flagged, so prices can be reviewed and reissued if needed.
- Each builder's pending quotes are shown together, which helps when talking to them.
- Reports show win rates by builder and job type, and why quotes were lost.
| Quote status | Next action |
|---|---|
| Sent, awaiting start | Check in before expected start |
| Delayed | New date recorded, check in again |
| Confirmed | Book into the transport plan |
| Validity ending | Review and reissue |
| Lost | Reason recorded |
You choose when and how builders are contacted. The pipeline makes sure it happens at the right time.
What it gives you
Builders hear from you just as their job is firming up. Pending work is visible for planning gangs and kit. Validity is managed rather than forgotten. And you learn which builders convert, which helps you decide where to put estimating time.
It also takes the awkwardness out of follow-up. The message has a reason, the builder's expected start, so it reads as helpful rather than pushy, and the builder is more likely to reply.
Are your quotes going cold?
- Most quotes are 'waiting on the customer'.
- You do not record expected start dates.
- Jobs you quoted go to other scaffolders at the last minute.
- You do not know your win rate.