Your quote was accepted late. Prices moved. What now?

An accepted quote is not a blank cheque

When a client accepts a quote six months after you sent it, the job can feel live before the numbers still make sense. Material and labour prices may have moved, but the quote may already have a built-in expiry date, and accepted quotes can become binding contracts. That is why the first question is not can you absorb it, but what exactly was agreed. ([business.gov.au](https://business.gov.au/people/contractors/prepare-quotes?utm_source=openai))

A quote should set out the work, the price, payment terms, and a quote expiry date, and it should note any variations or revisions discussed. If the accepted work has shifted since then, the later change may need to be treated as a variation. Good paperwork helps stop an old price from being treated as the whole deal. ([business.gov.au](https://business.gov.au/people/contractors/prepare-quotes?utm_source=openai))

Check the expiry date before you swing into action

Pull out the original quote and look for the expiry date, any notes about price review, and the acceptance method. If the client signed late, the date they accepted matters. If the quote expired, that is a strong reason to reopen the numbers before work begins. If it did not expire, you need to be careful about how you handle the conversation. ([business.gov.au](https://business.gov.au/people/contractors/prepare-quotes?utm_source=openai))

Do not rely on memory or a quick phone call. Check the quote, the email trail, and any attached terms in one place. That record tells you whether the accepted offer was still open, whether the client accepted changes, and whether you need to treat this as a variation rather than a simple continuation of the old price. ([business.gov.au](https://business.gov.au/people/contractors/prepare-quotes?utm_source=openai))

Source: Official guidance

Put the price change in writing

Once you know where the quote stands, tell the client in writing that your costs have changed. Keep the tone factual. Say what has moved, when you noticed it, and that the original figure no longer reflects your current supply cost or labour cost. Writing it down avoids the blur that usually follows a rushed phone conversation. ([business.gov.au](https://business.gov.au/people/contractors/prepare-a-contract?utm_source=openai))

Business.gov.au advises that contract changes are best put in writing and signed by both parties, and that a variation should explain what is changing, the new date of effect, and the impact on scope, cost, or timing. That approach gives the client something clear to approve instead of arguing later about what was said. ([business.gov.au](https://business.gov.au/people/contractors/prepare-a-contract?utm_source=openai))

Offer a revised price, not a verbal shrug

Then offer a revised price, not an apology. Break out the parts that changed, such as materials, freight, subcontract labour, or long lead-time items, so the increase makes sense. If the project is still worth doing, a revised quote can protect the margin without turning the whole job into a dispute. ([business.gov.au](https://business.gov.au/people/contractors/prepare-quotes?utm_source=openai))

Keep the revised price practical. If you need a deposit, a shorter validity period, or staged payment before ordering materials, say so plainly. The aim is to reset the commercial terms before the job starts, not after you have committed stock, labour, and cash. ([business.gov.au](https://business.gov.au/people/contractors/prepare-quotes?utm_source=openai))

Do not start until the new terms are agreed

Do not start until the change is agreed in writing. Starting early can leave you carrying the extra cost while the client still thinks the old price applies. If the client will not agree, pause and decide whether to walk away, renegotiate, or seek help with the dispute before any more money goes out. ([business.gov.au](https://business.gov.au/people/contractors/prepare-a-contract?utm_source=openai))

That is the point where a calm, written trail matters most. Keep the old quote, the revised figure, and every reply together so there is no argument about the path you took. If you need help working through the disagreement, call CRP today about dispute resolution. This article is general information only and not legal advice. ([business.gov.au](https://business.gov.au/people/contractors/prepare-a-contract?utm_source=openai))