# 14.4, Why you should never be the cheapest quote
Being the cheapest isn't a clever strategy, it's how you end up knackered, broke and dealing with the worst customers. You want to be good value, not the bargain bin.
What happens if you're always the cheapest?
If you consistently price at the bottom, a few things happen over time:
You attract the wrong customers People who pick purely on the lowest quote are often the quickest to complain, the slowest to pay, and the most likely to argue over extras. Research shows nearly 58% of UK consumers say they've had a bad experience with a tradesperson – poor workmanship, incomplete jobs, or not meeting the spec. The "cheapest wins" crowd lives in that world.
Your margins get squeezed to nothing Trade surveys show day rates sitting around \u00a3150–\u00a3249/day for many trades, but with material and tool costs climbing, annual incomes are staying flat or falling. If you're below even that, you simply don't have enough left after fuel, merchants and insurance.
You can't invest in doing the job properly When you're cheap, you cut corners because you have to. You skimp on prep, rush jobs, buy the absolute cheapest materials and delay replacing worn tools. That feeds straight into more snags, more call\u2011backs, more stress.
Burn\u2011out and cashflow problems You have to work more days and take on more jobs just to stand still. In a 2025 trades survey, two\u2011thirds of trades reported payment issues or withheld payments over 12 months. If you're undercharging on top of that, there's no cushion when someone pays late or not at all.
Bottom of the market = hard graft, thin margins, higher risk and very little upside.
What "cheapest quote" signals to customers
Most decent customers don't see "cheapest" as a compliment. It raises red flags.
Typical things that go through their heads:
"What are they missing?" A quote that's way below the others often means something has been left out – waste removal, making good, VAT, a proper guarantee, or just enough time to do the job properly.
"Will they cut corners?" Consumers have learned that low price often means cheap materials or rushed work. In one large UK survey, the most common complaints were poor workmanship (38%), incomplete jobs (24%), and substandard materials (20%). Those all go hand\u2011in\u2011hand with lowball quotes.
"Are they even legit?" People are wary of "man in a van" disappearing mid\u2011job. A very low price can shout: no insurance, cash only, no paperwork, no comeback if it goes wrong.
"Will they disappear if there's a problem?" If a customer thinks your price doesn't leave room for you to stand behind the work, they quietly worry you'll vanish if there's a callback.
A lot of homeowners now assume that a mid\u2011range price with clear detail is safer than the rock\u2011bottom one with a vague description.
What the research says about price and trust
There isn't one magic UK study just on "cheap trades", but the pattern from trade and consumer research is consistent:
Trust in trades is already shaky A Checkatrade "State of Trust in Trades" report found nearly three in five (58%) consumers said they'd suffered at the hands of a rogue trade, with common complaints being poor workmanship, incomplete jobs, and substandard materials. That makes people suspicious of anything that looks too cheap.
Documentation and clarity matter as much as price The same report noted only 37% of customers received an itemised written quote; about a quarter accepted a price without any detailed breakdown. Lack of proper quotes erodes trust. A clear, mid\u2011range quote usually feels safer than a cheap, vague one.
Service sectors generally show "too cheap = low quality" Wider service\u2011industry research on price perception finds that customers are most satisfied when they see price as fair, not the lowest. When something is well below the going rate, most people assume corners are being cut.
In short: being fairly priced and clearly explained builds trust; being suspiciously cheap makes people wonder what's wrong.
Price, complaints and grief
Low pricing and high complaint rates aren't a coincidence:
Thin margins = more cutting corners Surveys about consumer experiences with trades show the top complaints are exactly what you'd expect when someone has underpriced the job: poor workmanship, not finishing, and not delivering what was agreed. If you haven't charged enough time or money to do it right, you're far more likely to fall into those traps.
Cheaper jobs attract more disputes Where there's no clear written quote or the quote is very basic, disputes are more common. Cheap operators are often the ones skipping proper paperwork because "I haven't got time" – and then getting bitten later.
Underpricing + payment issues = a mess With two\u2011thirds of trades saying they had payment withheld or disputed in a year, you do not want to be undercharging on top of that. It only takes one or two nightmare jobs to wipe out months of already\u2011thin profit.
Think of it this way: slightly higher prices with the right customers usually means fewer jobs, less hassle, and fewer complaints, not more.
What to do instead of racing to the bottom
You don't need to be the most expensive, but you should get out of the bargain bucket:
- Aim for middle or upper\u2011middle of the local price range, with clear written quotes and scope.
- Make sure your price actually covers a proper job – prep, decent materials, waste removal, and realistic time.
- Use your quote to show what's included and excluded so customers can see where the value is, not just the number.
If someone says, "You're more expensive than the other quote", your line is:
"I know I'm not the cheapest. I'm pricing this to do it properly, with decent materials, and to still be here if you need me in a year."
That's how you end up with better customers, fewer headaches and more money left at the end of the month.
What to do next
- Read: 14.5 – How to explain your price when they've had a cheaper quote (the practical conversation guide)
- Read: 14.2 – How to price your first job without underselling yourself (make sure your rate is right before you worry about where it sits)
- Read: 14.3 – When to raise your prices (if you've been at the bottom and need to climb out)
- Download: Payment schedule and deposit terms template (so you're not funding cheap jobs from your own pocket)
- Read: S16 – Writing your first quote (a clear quote is your best defence against being compared purely on price)
Sources (UK)
- Checkatrade "State of Trust in Trades" report – 58% of consumers reported bad experiences with trades; only 37% received an itemised written quote.
- IronmongeryDirect / Electrical Direct Trades Survey 2025 – two\u2011thirds of trades reported payment issues or withheld payments; day\u2011rate and income data for UK trades.
- Jackson Woodturners / State of the Trades 2025–26 survey – 81% planning price increases in 2026, average 9.5% rise.
- ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) – earnings data for construction and building trades.
Know someone who needs this?
Just starting out? Read Section 15: After Your Apprenticeship - from 'now what?' to your first paying job.
We've also written this from the customer's side - How to hire a tradesperson and not get burned →
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