customer says your quote is too high
Exactly What to Say When a Client Says 'Your Quote is Too High'
You send a fair quote, you're proud of it, and back comes the dreaded line: "That's a bit steep" or "someone else is cheaper." Gut reaction? Drop the price to win the job. Don't. When a customer says your quote is too high, the answer is almost never to discount - it's to explain the value they're getting. Knee-jerk price cuts say your first number was made up, and you'll spend the whole job feeling underpaid. Here's how to hold your ground without losing the client.
Why 'too high' usually isn't about price
Nine times out of ten, "too high" means "I don't yet understand what I'm paying for." When a customer says your quote is too high, they're comparing your number to a cheaper one with no idea what's missing from it.
What's often hiding behind the objection
- They're comparing you to a cash-in-hand chancer with no insurance, no guarantee and no VAT.
- Your quote didn't spell out what's included, so it looks like a big number for vague work.
- They genuinely can't stretch - in which case you reduce scope, not rate.
- They're testing you to see if you'll cave (and wondering what else you'll fold on).
How to respond, in order
- Stay calm and don't apologise for the price.
- Ask what they're comparing it to - flush out the cheaper quote.
- Restate the value: quality, guarantee, insurance, cleanliness, timescale.
- If they truly can't afford it, offer to reduce scope, never your rate.
The copy/paste reply that holds your price
Save this and send it whenever the objection lands. Polite, confident, no grovelling.
Thanks for coming back to me, and I understand price matters. My quote reflects fully insured work, a [12-month] workmanship guarantee, quality materials, and the job done properly and tidied up after. Cheaper quotes often leave out one or more of those - it's worth checking exactly what's included before you compare. I'd rather give you an honest price for work that lasts than cut corners to win on number alone. If budget is the issue, I'm happy to look at adjusting the scope to bring the cost down - just let me know what's most important to you. Happy to talk it through whenever suits.
Where new tradies get this wrong
- Caving instantly. Drop your price the second they push and you've told them every future number is negotiable - and that you were overcharging to start with.
- Getting defensive or arsey. "That's just what it costs" loses the job. Explain the value calmly; don't pick a fight.
- Competing on price with cowboys. You'll never beat the uninsured bloke quoting cash. Don't try - sell the things he can't offer.
Let the quote do the selling for you
Half this battle is won before they ever object. A scruffy text quote looks expensive; a professional digital quote builds value over price before the client even reads the number. With Quotato, your quotes land branded, itemised and clear - every inclusion, your guarantee, your insurance, all laid out so the price makes obvious sense. When the value's visible, "too high" comes up far less often.
Hold your price, sell your worth, and let the presentation do the heavy lifting.
Send quotes that justify the price before they're read.
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