From One-Time Project to Lifetime Client: How Smart Pricing Wins You Repeat Construction Work

Learn how to price construction work for profit and trust—turning one-time jobs into lifetime clients who keep your schedule full.

The Problem: You’re Great on Site but Clients Disappear After

You smash a kitchen refurb or extension. The client’s thrilled.
Then silence.

No call back. No referral. Just another one-off job.

That’s the trap most £500k–£5m construction firms fall into. They think client loyalty comes from being “nice” or “doing a good job.” It doesn’t. It comes from how you price construction work and what that price says about your professionalism, reliability, and long-term value.

Let’s be honest: if your pricing is vague, slow, or reactive, you’re teaching clients that working with you is risky. But price with clarity and consistency, and you’ll not only win the first job, you’ll be invited back for years.

Story: The London Loft That Sparked a 10-Year Relationship

In 2015, I priced a £160k loft conversion in Wandsworth. The client had three quotes – mine was £8k higher.
I almost dropped it just to “get in.” But instead, I broke down the quote in detail: stage payments, provisional sums, fixed rates for extras, even the contingency policy.

They chose me.

Why? Because I looked like someone who knew the numbers.

Fast-forward ten years: we’ve done four more projects for them, plus referrals to their architect and neighbour. One clear, confident quote turned into over £800k of lifetime revenue.

That’s the power of pricing done right.

Step 1: Stop Guessing. Know Your Real Costs

If you’re still using “what feels about right” numbers, you’re gambling.

Start with a costed schedule:
– Labour rates by role (including your own time at a true hourly cost).
– Material mark-ups.
– Overheads as a % of turnover (include insurance, vehicles, software, admin).
– Contingency for delays or variations (5–10% depending on complexity).

When you know these, every quote becomes a formula, not a finger in the air.

Metric: Net profit per job ≥12%. Anything below that is life support.

Step 2: Price with Transparency, Not Mystery

Most homeowners or developers don’t understand why one quote is £20k more than another. So, they assume you’re expensive or hiding margin.

Be the opposite. Present your pricing with simple logic: – Summary Page: project total + VAT, clear inclusions/exclusions.
– Stage Payments: align them with deliverables, not dates.
– Optional Upgrades: give clients control, not pressure.
– Variation Policy: written and signed before day one.

When you do this, you’re educating your client and building trust – the foundation for repeat business.

Asset idea: include a screenshot of a sample estimate layout from your QS template.

Step 3: Price for Value, Not Survival

You’re not the cheapest. You don’t need to be.

Cheap wins one job. Value wins five.

That Wandsworth client? They told me they’d seen a cheaper quote but didn’t believe it would be delivered to programme. “You looked organised,” they said. That’s what they were really paying for.

If your proposal includes: – A clear Gantt showing timelines,
– A communication plan (weekly client update calls),
– A reference project with photos and testimonial—

Then you’re selling certainty, not square metres.

That’s why pricing high, with proof, builds loyalty.

Trade-off: You’ll lose a few bargain hunters. But those weren’t lifetime clients anyway.

Step 4: Follow Up Like a Pro

Most builders price, send, and pray. Then complain when clients “ghost.”

Follow-up is part of pricing. It shows reliability before the contract even starts.

Set a rule:
– Call or email 24 hours after quote delivery.
– Ask: “Did everything make sense in the proposal?”
– Log responses in a simple CRM (HubSpot, Pipedrive, or a spreadsheet).

You’ll be shocked how many jobs you win simply because you asked.

Metric: 3 follow-ups = 30% more conversions

Step 5: Build a “Maintenance Mindset” into Every Quote

The best firms sell a future, not a finish.

Add maintenance or upgrade clauses right into your proposal. Example:
> “After completion, we offer a 12-month check-in to inspect finishes and recommend any upgrades. Typical cost: £350 + VAT.”

Now you’ve set up the next conversation before you’ve even started the first.

For commercial clients, go further offer annual dilapidation reviews or small works retainers.

You’re not being pushy. You’re being proactive. And it keeps your pipeline steady even when the economy wobbles.

Step 6: Turn Handover into Marketing

When the snag list is done and you hand over keys, most builders disappear.

Instead: – Book a 3-month review immediately.
– Ask for a testimonial while the client’s still smiling.
– Photograph the site properly (hire a pro).
– Package it into a case study with costs, timeline, and results.

That one project becomes your lead magnet for the next.

Action Point Checklist

• Audit your pricing template this week: are you factoring full overhead and contingency?
• Standardise your quote layout – no surprises, just clarity.
• Document a 3-step follow-up process for every tender.
• Add a maintenance clause to all proposals.
• Review profit per project monthly—target ≥12% net.
• Collect testimonials within 2 weeks of handover.
• Build repeat work offers into your CRM reminders.
• Train your estimator or QS on value-based selling, not cost-cutting.

The Payoff: From Chasing Jobs to Choosing Clients

When you price construction work properly, you’re not just covering costs. You’re sending a message: this is a professional outfit worth trusting.

And trust is what turns that one-time kitchen refurb into a lifetime of work.

Get this right and you’ll stop competing on price. You’ll compete on reputation.

Margin, not ego. Programme, not hope.

By Greg Wilkes, Founder of Develop Coaching, author of Building Your Future, and host of the Develop Your Construction Business podcast.

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