Kelpie articles
Articles for Australian tradies
Practical, plain-English articles for running a trade business — quoting jobs accurately, staying compliant, winning more work and getting paid faster.
- CarpentersHow to Quote a Deck Build in AustraliaA deck looks like a simple rectangle of timber — until you're pricing footings, stairs and a balustrade. Here's how to quote a deck build so nothing's missed and your margin survives the job.
- BuildersHow to Quote a Bathroom Renovation in AustraliaA bathroom is a small room hiding a lot of trades. Here's how to quote a bathroom renovation so waterproofing, plumbing and the hidden nasties are all priced before you commit to a number.
- BuildersHow to Price a Kitchen Renovation in AustraliaA kitchen is the priciest room in the house and the easiest to underquote. Here's how to price a kitchen renovation across cabinetry, stone, appliances and labour so the number holds and your margin's in there.
- BuildersHow to Quote a Granny Flat Build in AustraliaA granny flat is a full house build in miniature — slab, frame, lock-up, fit-out and every service connection. Here's how to quote one by stage so nothing's missed and the progress payments protect you.
- BuildersHow to Quote a Laundry Renovation in AustraliaA laundry is a wet area with cabinetry, plumbing and tiling packed into a tiny footprint. Here's how to quote a laundry renovation so the scope is tight, the trades are covered and your margin survives.
- BuildersHow to Quote a Patio Extension in AustraliaA patio looks like posts and a roof — until you're pricing footings, a wind rating and a council permit. Here's how to quote a patio extension so the materials, labour and approvals are all in the number.
- BuildersHow to Quote a Shed Build in AustraliaA shed kit looks like a fixed price on a supplier's website — until you add the slab, the site prep and the council paperwork. Here's how to quote a shed build so the whole job is covered and your margin holds.
- BuildersHow to Quote Bathroom Waterproofing ComplianceWaterproofing is a small part of a bathroom reno by area and a huge part by risk. Here's how to quote it to AS 3740 so the job passes inspection, holds for years, and never comes back as a callback.
- BuildersHow to Quote Insulation Installation in AustraliaInsulation looks like a simple per-metre job until the roof space shrinks, the old batts need removing and the client wants the wrong R-value. Here's how to quote insulation installation so access, materials and labour are all priced in.
- BuildersHow to Quote an Outdoor Kitchen Build in AustraliaAn outdoor kitchen is a full build hiding behind a benchtop — cabinetry, appliances, and gas, water and power run out to an exposed spot. Here's how to quote one so the services and site work don't sink your margin.
- CarpentersHow to Quote a Carport Build in AustraliaA carport looks like four posts and a roof — until you price footings, wind ratings and a council form. Here's how to quote a carport build so the site conditions don't swallow your margin.
- CarpentersHow to Quote a Pergola Build in AustraliaA pergola can be a weekend of open timber or a full outdoor room with a solid roof and lighting. Here's how to quote a pergola so the roofing choice, footings and council rules all land in the price.
- CarpentersHow to Quote a Staircase Build in AustraliaA staircase is a run of joinery that has to carry people and meet the code. Here's how to quote a staircase build so the balustrade, the compliance and the fiddly site work all land in your price.
- ElectriciansHow to Quote Electrical Work in AustraliaFrom a single power point to a full rewire, no two electrical jobs quote the same. Here's how to itemise electrical work so the switchboard, the certificate and the cable runs are all covered before you send a price.
- ElectriciansHow to Quote a Solar Panel Installation in AustraliaA solar quote is really several quotes in one — panels, inverter, mounting, a switchboard that might need upgrading, and increasingly a battery. Here's how to itemise a solar install so a tricky roof doesn't wipe your margin.
- ElectriciansHow to Quote LED Downlight Installation in AustraliaDownlights look like the easiest quote a sparky writes — until a retrofit hits brittle wiring, a concrete ceiling and old halogen cans. Here's how to price downlight work so new builds and retrofits both stack up.
- ElectriciansHow to Quote Smoke Alarm Installation in AustraliaSmoke alarms are a small job with big stakes — get the compliance wrong and it's not just your margin on the line. Here's how to price smoke alarm work so it's profitable and meets AS3786.
- PlumbersHow to Quote Plumbing Work in AustraliaPlumbing quotes go wrong when the small stuff — call-out fees, compliance certificates, rough-in and fit-off — disappears into a round number. Here's how to quote plumbing work so every job holds its margin.
- PlumbersHow to Quote a Hot Water System ReplacementA hot water swap looks like a like-for-like job until you're up a roof cavity converting electric to gas. Here's how to quote a hot water system replacement so access, valves and disposal don't eat your margin.
- PlumbersAfter-Hours Plumber Call-Out Rates in AustraliaWhen a toilet overflows at 2am the customer wants you fast — and they want a clear price. Here's how to set after-hours plumber call-out rates so premium hours, travel and emergency parts are all paid for.
- HVACHow to Quote a Split System Installation in AustraliaA split system quote lives or dies on the parts you can't see from the driveway — the pipe run, the circuit, the bracket. Here's an install checklist so nothing's missed and the price holds.
- HVACHow to Quote Ducted Air Conditioning in AustraliaDucted jobs punish optimism — an undersized system or a tight roof space can swallow a day of labour you never quoted. Here's how to price ducted air conditioning so the whole install is covered.
- HVACHow to Quote Split System Air ConditioningTwo installers can quote the same split system and land $1,500 apart — the gap is in the materials, the labour hours and the site factors nobody costed. Here's how to build a split system price that holds.
- PaintersHow to Quote Painting a House in AustraliaInterior and exterior painting price very differently, and most of the margin lives in the prep. Here's how to quote a house repaint so the coats, the access and the surface work are all covered.
- PaintersHow to Quote Interior House Painting in AustraliaInterior painting lives or dies on measuring up and prep. Here's how to quote a house interior accurately — wall areas, paint and primer, cutting-in labour and the finish details clients argue about.
- LandscapersHow to Quote a Landscaping Job in AustraliaLandscaping quotes span earthworks, hardscaping, planting and irrigation — miss a slice and the margin's gone. Here's how to quote a landscaping job so every stage is costed and the customer can budget.
- LandscapersHow to Quote Paving Installation in AustraliaPaving looks like a simple per-metre rate until the base prep, access and drainage come into it. Here's how to quote paving installation so the foundation's costed and your margin holds.
- LandscapersHow to Quote Retaining Wall Installation in AustraliaRetaining walls hold back tonnes of soil and water, so the excavation, drainage and approvals matter as much as the sleepers. Here's how to quote a retaining wall so nothing structural gets missed.
- ConcretersHow to Quote a Concrete Slab in AustraliaA slab is never just the concrete — it's the dig, the base, the formwork, the steel and the finish. Here's how to quote a concrete slab so the site prep and ground conditions don't sink your margin.
- ConcretersHow to Quote a Concrete Driveway in AustraliaA driveway is more than a slab of grey — it's the dig, the base, the drainage, the joints and the finish. Here's how to quote a concrete driveway so the prep and the finish choice both land in your price.
- FencersHow to Quote a Fence Installation in AustraliaA fence looks like a straight run of posts and panels — until the ground slopes, the old fence has to go, and the gate takes longer than 4 metres of boundary. Here's how to scope a fencing quote so nothing gets missed.
- FencersHow to Price a Fence Installation for ProfitScoping the job is one thing — building a number that actually leaves you with a margin is another. Here's how to price a fence installation so materials, labour, overheads and a contingency all get their share.
- FencersHow to Quote a Colorbond Fence in AustraliaColorbond is the default suburban fence — quick to install and easy to quote, right up until the gates and the sloping back corner. Here's how to price a Colorbond fence so the bay count, colour and gates all line up.
- FencersHow to Quote a Driveway Gate Installation in AustraliaA driveway gate is part fencing, part fabrication and — once it's automated — part electrical. Here's how to quote one so the motor, the finish and the licensed sparky are all in the number, not the variations.
- FencersHow to Quote Pool Fencing Installation in AustraliaPool fencing is the one job where a wrong quote can also be an unsafe one. Here's how to price glass and aluminium pool fencing so the materials, the labour and — above all — AS 1926.1 compliance are all covered.
- RoofersHow to Quote a Roof Restoration in AustraliaA roof restoration is more than a wash and a coat of paint — it's cleaning, repointing, repairs and safety gear, all on a roof you have to get onto safely. Here's how to quote one so the repairs don't come out of your pocket.
- RoofersHow to Quote a Roof Replacement in AustraliaReplacing a roof is a big-ticket job with a long list of costs behind the sheets — removal, disposal, scaffold and the surprises under the old roof. Here's how to quote roof replacement so your margin survives the tear-off.
- RoofersHow to Quote a Gutter Replacement in AustraliaGutter replacement looks like a quick run of Colorbond, until the fascia's rotten and the house is two storeys. Here's how to quote gutter replacement so downpipes, access and hidden rot don't come out of your margin.
- TilersHow to Quote a Tiling Job in AustraliaA tiling quote lives and dies on two numbers most tradies rush: the waste factor and the labour rate. Here's how to quote floor and wall tiling so the cuts, the consumables and the prep don't come out of your pocket.
- TilersHow to Quote Bathroom Tiling in AustraliaA bathroom is the trade's trickiest tile job — small, full of cuts, and legally waterproofed. Here's how to quote bathroom tiling so the demolition, screeding and waterproofing don't eat the margin the tiles left you.
- TilersHow to Quote Tile and Slate Work in AustraliaTile and slate jobs lose money in the same place — the costs that never made it onto the quote. Here's how to price laying, prep, waterproofing and the extra handling slate demands so your margin's locked in from the start.
- FlooringHow to Quote Flooring Installation in AustraliaTimber, vinyl, laminate or carpet — a flooring quote lives or dies on the subfloor and the waste factor. Here's how to price a flooring install so the numbers hold from measure to handover.
- FlooringHow to Quote Epoxy Floor Coating in AustraliaThe money in an epoxy floor is made or lost on the prep. Here's how to quote a coating job — grinding, moisture, multiple coats and all — so the number you send is the number you finish on.
- FlooringHow to Quote Timber Floor Sanding in AustraliaA tired timber floor can hide a day of repairs under the old finish. Here's how to quote a sand-and-coat job so prep, species and drying times are priced in — not discovered on site.
- GlaziersHow to Quote Window Replacement in AustraliaA window swap sounds like a two-hour job until the old frame is set in brickwork and the flashing's shot. Here's how to quote window replacement so removal, glass and the extras are all priced in.
- GlaziersHow to Quote a Shower Screen Installation in AustraliaFramed, semi-frameless or frameless — a shower screen quote is really a quote on measurements and wall condition. Here's how to price the install so tolerances and packing don't cost you.
- RenderersHow to Quote Rendering a House in AustraliaRendering looks like a simple rate per square metre — until the prep, the scaffolding and the substrate repairs land on your side of the ledger. Here's how to quote rendering a house without eroding your margin.
- SolarHow to Quote a Solar Installation in AustraliaSolar is a competitive quote — your customer is almost certainly holding three others. Here's how to size the system to their bill, get the STC rebate numbers straight, and present a price that wins for the right reasons.
- CleanersHow to Quote Carpet Cleaning in AustraliaCarpet cleaning seems simple until you're standing on soiled wool with a stain that won't budge. Here's how to quote carpet cleaning so every room, fibre type and add-on is priced — and your margin holds.
- CleanersHow to Quote Commercial Cleaning in AustraliaCommercial cleaning is won on reliability, not the lowest bid — but only if your numbers stack up. Here's how to quote commercial cleaning so labour, materials and margin are all covered before you sign a contract.
- CleanersHow to Quote Driveway Pressure Cleaning in AustraliaA driveway looks like an hour with a wand — until you hit oil stains, loose pavers and a council that cares where the water goes. Here's how to quote driveway pressure cleaning so the price covers the real job.
- Pest controlHow to Quote a Pest Inspection in AustraliaA pest inspection quote is more than a walk-through and a number. Here's how to price your time, travel and report so a $350 inspection actually turns a profit.
- Pest controlHow to Quote Termite Treatment in AustraliaTermite jobs range from an $800 spot treatment to a $5,000 barrier and baiting program. Here's how to quote termite treatment so the chemical, the labour and the warranty all get paid for.
- ArboristsHow to Quote Tree Removal in AustraliaThe same tree can be a $600 job or a $6,000 one, depending on what's underneath it and how you get it out. Here's how to quote tree removal so risk and access are priced, not absorbed.
- Garage doorsHow to Quote a Garage Door Replacement in AustraliaA garage door swap looks like door plus motor plus a couple of hours. Then the opening's out of square and the lintel's sagging. Here's how to quote a garage door replacement so the surprises don't come out of your margin.
- Running your businessChoosing a Tradie Job Management App in AustraliaA job management app pulls quoting, scheduling, job tracking and invoicing into one system. Here's what these apps actually do, what they cost, and how to pick one your crew will use.
- Running your businessA Job Scheduling App for Tradies: Ditch the WhiteboardA whiteboard works right up until you leave the office. A scheduling app keeps your crew, jobs and travel time in one view everyone can see — here's what to look for and how to make it stick.
- Running your businessHow to Track Tradie Jobs From Quote to PaidJobs don't lose money on site — they lose it in unwritten variations and late invoices. Here's a system for tracking a job from quote to paid so every hour turns into money in the bank.
- Running your businessGoogle Calendar for Tradies: A Simple Way to Run Your WeekYou don't need fancy software to get your week under control — you already have Google Calendar on your phone. Here's how to make it earn its keep, and where a free calendar stops being enough.
- Running your businessHow Much Should You Charge for Callout Fees in Australia?A callout fee stops quick jobs and look-sees quietly running at a loss. Here are typical Australian rates for standard, after-hours and emergency calls, and how to quote them without surprises.
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