A client replies two months after you quoted, when materials were cheaper. Or they accept today but want work to start in six months. To handle this, clarify two separate things: how long those terms are offered and when the work can take place.
Operationally, validity is the period stated in the proposal. There is no single commercial duration suitable for every job. The effects of an offer and its acceptance depend on the wording, relationship and applicable rules: a software expiry date does not resolve these issues by itself.
Choose a realistic period
Start with what may change. A service with stable costs and predictable capacity differs from a supply whose wholesaler price lasts only a few days. Consider the client's decision process too: a B2B purchase needing several approvals rarely moves as quickly as a small job.
You might choose 15 or 30 days if consistent with supplier prices and your process. These are examples, not universal legal deadlines. If your supplier holds an offer for seven days, do not promise two months of fixed pricing without deciding who carries that risk.
A number of days or a specific date?
An explicit date helps the client decide and reduces ambiguity. “Offer valid until 20 October” is clearer than “short validity”. If using a number of days, specify when the count starts. Creation, sending and revision dates may differ.
One operational wording is: “These prices and terms are offered until 20 October. For later confirmation, contact us to check availability, scheduling and current prices.” This describes the process; it does not replace an assessment of contractual terms already agreed.
Quote expiry and scheduling are separate
The decision period is not a promise to complete the job by that date. Separately state estimated duration, any delivery window and the steps needed to confirm it. Equipment availability may depend on ordering, while installers have their own schedule.
If ordering follows acceptance, explain when you will check stock. Call an indicative date indicative. Clarifying a real uncertainty before ordering is better than correcting a promise already understood as final.
When the client replies after expiry
Retrieve the version they received and check what remains unchanged: quantities, materials, site conditions, supplier prices and availability. If you confirm everything, do so in writing. If something changes, prepare a recognisable new proposal and explain the difference.
Do not silently change a PDF already sent. “Only component X has changed, from €400 to €440 in this example; the rest is as shown in the new version” lets the client compare documents. Before starting, clarify which version is being confirmed.
If prices change before or after acceptance
Even before acceptance, check the existing proposal's terms, especially if you gave a deadline or specific commitments. After acceptance, do not assume you can increase the total unilaterally. Check agreements, clauses and circumstances; seek qualified advice when the financial or legal consequences matter.
Distinguish a replacement requested by the client from a supplier price increase. One changes scope; the other changes the cost of already described work. Recording the reason prevents every revision being called a generic “price update”.
Using validity in PreventivOk
PreventivOk lets you set validity days and calculates expiry from the creation date. It also manages an expired status for awaiting quotes beyond that deadline. Check the starting date when returning to an old draft: the days do not automatically run from your latest email.
Status helps organisation. It is not a legal assessment of the offer and does not prove the client received or read it. For renewed terms, keep the previous PDF and clearly identify the updated document.
Before completing a revision
- Retrieve the document and terms actually sent.
- Check which prices and availability you can still confirm.
- State the new validity period and differences.
- Clarify which version the client's reply concerns.
- Keep confirmation and documents in the job file.
A clear expiry date helps manage open offers, especially alongside regular reviews of awaiting quotes and messages explaining the next step.
With PreventivOk you can set validity days and follow quote statuses. Always check the written terms match the configured expiry. Create your next quote with PreventivOk.