Create my accountPhase 1 · Before the quote
The visit before the quote, you do it for free.And it earns you nothing, nor protects you.
You travel out, take the measurements, explain, note it from memory. Yet this moment decides the job: it's where the client forms a view of you, and where, later, whose-fault-is-it gets settled. It might as well work for you.
What you live
The call-out "that commits to nothing".
You're asked to come for a quote. The visit is free, it "commits to nothing". You price it, you leave, and everything you saw (the crack already there, the damp wall, the dubious substrate) stays in your head or on the corner of a notepad.
Two times out of three, it has no consequence. The third, the client tells you the crack "is your doing", or picks the competitor who "looked more serious". You have nothing to say otherwise.
The relationship doesn't start at the quote. It starts here.
This visit isn't "before" the contract. It's the first phase of the contract. Everything said and seen there, the state of things, the real need, what you commit to do, will be the reference for all that follows.
Quoting software ignores this moment: for it, nothing exists before the pricing line. That's precisely where you lose jobs, and where you expose yourself without knowing it.
A visit report that protects, and wins the signature.
On site, from your phone, you build a visit report: the measurements, the before-state in dated photos, the points of caution, what you recommend. The state of things is kept as it was: the day a pre-existing defect is pinned on you, you open the report.
And that same report sells for you. The client leaves with a clear, expert document: they see you as methodical, modern, serious, where the competitor scribbled a price on a pad. Then it turns into a quote in one gesture, no re-entry. The rigour that covers you is the one that wins the signature.
What we get asked
The visit before the quote, in plain terms.
Is the technical visit before a quote free?
Most often yes, and it's a commercial choice: many tradespeople offer it to win the job. But free doesn't mean without value. A visit report, even for a free visit, keeps the before-state of the works and sets out your expert framing: it protects you from a later accusation and sets you apart from the competitor. You can also charge for the call-out or the study, provided you tell the client clearly beforehand.
Do you need a contract before starting the works?
A verbal agreement can bind you, but it's very hard to prove, and starting without writing exposes you (non-payment, scope dispute). The right reflex isn't a heavy "contract": it's to keep a record of what was seen and agreed at the visit, then get the quote accepted before starting. The accepted quote then counts as a contract.
How do I protect myself from the existing state before works?
By keeping the before-state, dated, at the time of the visit: photos, measurements, points of caution noted in a report. Without it, a pre-existing defect (crack, damp, fragile substrate) risks being pinned on you once the job is done. The entry state is the tradesperson's best insurance, and it costs only a few minutes if done at the source.
What is a technical visit report for?
For two things at once. It protects you: it fixes the before-state and what you commit to do. And it sells for you: the client leaves with an expert document, clear and reassuring, that sets you apart. Then it turns into a quote without re-entering everything. It's the first phase of the contract, held properly.
Make your next visit an asset, not a gift.
Create your PRO account and turn every visit into a report that protects and wins the signature.
€29.99/month, no commitment.