The Quote Review Checklist

1. Open-ended support

   Red flag: "Includes ongoing support" with no end date or hour limit.

   Fix: Name a specific support period or number of hours, then price anything beyond it separately.

2. No acceptance criteria

   Red flag: The quote says what you'll deliver but never says what "done" looks like.

   Fix: Spell out the acceptance criteria and the review window in writing before work starts.

3. Verbal or email-only changes

   Red flag: Scope changes get agreed on a phone call or in a quick email, and nothing is written up formally.

   Fix: Require every scope change to go through a signed change order before work begins.

4. No cancellation terms

   Red flag: The client can walk away mid-project after you've already committed time and materials.

   Fix: Decide your cancellation terms before work starts and state them in the quote. Have them reviewed for your business and location.

5. Long payment terms for a first-time client

   Red flag: Extending Net-90 (or longer) to someone with no payment history with you.

   Fix: Start first-time business clients on shorter terms, and extend longer terms only once there's a track record.

6. "Or equivalent" materials with no approval step

   Red flag: A spec that allows "or equivalent" substitutions without defining them.

   Fix: Use "or approved equal, subject to prior written approval," so substitutions need your sign-off first.

7. Unlimited revisions

   Red flag: "Revisions included" with no cap. That's scope creep dressed up as customer service.

   Fix: Cap revisions at a stated number of rounds, and bill additional rounds separately.

8. Undefined ownership transfer

   Red flag: The quote never says when ownership of the design, code or work product passes to the client.

   Fix: State the exact trigger in writing, for example on receipt of final payment rather than on deposit or a draft.

9. Untracked change requests

   Red flag: Small requests pile up in email threads, and nobody tracks whether they add up to real cost.

   Fix: Keep a running log of every request that comes in after work starts, even the small ones.

10. No validity window

    Red flag: A quote with no expiration can be accepted months later at prices that no longer cover your costs.

    Fix: Put a validity window on every quote, for example 30 days from the quote date.

This checklist is general business information, not legal advice. Adjust every example to your own pricing, terms and risk tolerance.