The quote is finished. Now check what the job really cost.
A quote can look profitable before the work and still miss its target when the real hours, travel or supplies are higher than expected. A five-minute review gives you evidence for the next similar job.
Illustrative business-planning guidance only—not accounting or tax advice. Use your own fully loaded costs and VAT treatment.
Compare like with like
- Start with the quoted price before VAT. VAT collected is not business revenue.
- Rebuild the estimate. Multiply estimated labour hours by the labour cost per hour, then add travel, supplies and allocated overhead.
- Enter what actually happened. Count every worker’s hours, including your own, using the same cost basis as the estimate.
- Calculate the realised margin. Money after actual entered costs ÷ price before VAT.
- Write one useful note. Record the reason for the variance, not just the number.
Post-job review scratchpad
These figures stay in this browser page and are not submitted or saved.
A useful review note: “Internal windows took one hour longer because furniture had to be moved. Ask about access and allow that time on similar quotes.” Avoid changing future prices from one unusual job without recording why it differed.
What the margin can—and cannot—tell you
This scratchpad only compares the selling price with the costs you enter. If your labour rate omits holiday pay, employer costs, your own working time or overhead, the result will look better than the business reality. It also does not calculate tax, cash flow or accounting profit.
Review similar jobs together over time. Repeated overruns may mean the scope, time estimate, labour cost or exclusions need attention; one difficult property may simply need a better note.
Carry the review into the next quote.
CleanQuote Kit keeps the calculator, customer quote, local enquiry record, follow-up wording and post-job review in one offline browser file.
See the £49 offline kit →