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Customers want a rough idea of what a job will cost before they call. Techs want to quote the same job the same way every time. A clear price list does both. Below are example layouts for ten trades, followed by a step-by-step method for setting your own numbers.
Every price in this article is made up. The numbers are there to show structure, not to tell you what to charge. They are not market rates for any area. Your costs, market and service area are your own, so use the method later in this article to set real prices.
Three kinds of price list
| Type | Who sees it | What it's for |
|---|---|---|
| Public starting prices | Customers, on your website and Google profile | Setting expectations and filtering out poor-fit leads before the call |
| Flat-rate price book | Techs, and customers at the job | Quoting the same task the same way every time, often with options |
| Rate card | Customers and techs on time-and-materials work | Hourly rates, minimums, trip charges and surcharges |
Most businesses use two of the three. A plumber might publish a few starting prices, quote from a flat-rate book on site and keep a rate card for larger jobs billed by the hour. How to build a price book your team will actually use covers the internal version in depth.
What every price list needs
Example price lists by trade
Each example shows one sensible way to lay out a price list for that trade, the units that fit the work and what to watch for. Again, all prices are hypothetical.
Plumbing
Plumbing suits flat-rate pricing by task, plus a service call or diagnostic fee.
| Service | Unit | Example price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service call and diagnosis | Per visit | $89 | Say whether it's credited toward the repair |
| Clear a sink, tub or shower drain | Per drain | $185 | Accessible trap or cleanout; camera inspection extra |
| Clear main line from an existing cleanout | Per job | $325 | Separate line item when there's no cleanout |
| Replace a toilet fill valve | Per toilet | $135 | Part included (worked out step by step below) |
| Install a customer-supplied faucet | Per faucet | $235 | Includes haul-away of the old faucet |
| Replace a 40-gallon gas water heater | Per install | $1,900 / $2,300 / $2,800 | Good, better, best by warranty and features; permit extra where required |
| After-hours surcharge | Per visit | +$150 | Define the hours clearly |
Watch for: access (crawlspaces, finished ceilings) and code upgrades on older homes. Write those conditions into the list so you're not arguing about them at the door.
HVAC
HVAC price lists usually split into small repairs at a flat rate, maintenance per visit or by membership, and replacements quoted after a home visit.
| Service | Unit | Example price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diagnostic visit | Per visit | $99 | Waived or reduced for members |
| Tune-up, one system | Per system | $139 | Cooling in spring, heating in fall |
| Replace a run capacitor | Per part | $225 | List common parts individually |
| Replace a blower motor | Per job | $750 | Tier by motor type |
| Maintenance membership | Per year | $199 | Two tune-ups plus member perks |
| System replacement | Per project | Quoted | Two or three written options after a home visit |
Watch for: publishing a single replacement price. System size, ductwork and access vary too much. Instead, publish what's included in an install and how your assessment works. How to build a maintenance membership program covers membership pricing.
Electrical
| Service | Unit | Example price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service call and diagnosis | Per visit | $95 | Credited toward the repair, if that's your policy |
| Replace an outlet or switch | First device | $145 | Each additional device on the same visit: $65 |
| Install a GFCI outlet | Per device | $195 | Where an outlet already exists |
| Install a ceiling fan on an existing fan-rated box | Per fan | $250 | New box or new wiring priced separately |
| Replace a standard breaker | Per breaker | $235 | Specialty breakers priced separately |
| EV charger installation | Per install | From $950 | Depends on panel capacity and distance; permit extra |
| Panel upgrade | Per project | Quoted | Site visit required; utility coordination |
Watch for: permit and inspection fees, panel capacity and older wiring. Separate "first device" and "each additional device" prices so a visit with several small items is fair to both sides.
Roofing
Roofers commonly price replacements by the square (100 square feet of roof), with extras listed separately.
| Service | Unit | Example price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roof inspection with photo report | Per visit | $0 or $150 | Decide whether it's free or credited toward work |
| Minor repair | Per visit | $395 minimum | Such as replacing a few shingles or resealing a pipe boot |
| Asphalt shingle replacement | Per square | $450 / $525 / $625 | Good, better, best by shingle line and warranty; includes one-layer tear-off, underlayment and disposal |
| Extra layer tear-off | Per square | $60 | Only if a second layer is found |
| Decking replacement | Per sheet | $85 | Only damaged sheets, with photos |
| Drip edge | Per linear foot | $4 | New or replacement |
| Gutter cleaning | Per house | $175 | Tier by stories |
Watch for: spell out what "per square" includes so homeowners can compare quotes fairly, and document any decking replacement with photos before you bill for it.
Landscaping and lawn care
| Service | Unit | Example price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly mowing, small lot | Per visit | $45 | Define your lot size tiers |
| Weekly mowing, medium lot | Per visit | $60 | Mow, trim, edge and blow |
| Spring cleanup | Per property | From $250 | Or crew hourly rate with a minimum |
| Mulch, installed | Per cubic yard | $110 | Includes delivery and edging; bed prep extra |
| Core aeration | Per visit | $125 | Tier by lot size |
| Season maintenance plan | Per month | $220 | Mowing, trimming, edging and two cleanups, April to November |
Watch for: unclear lot size tiers and season dates. If you use a crew hourly rate, make sure it covers drive time and dump fees.
House cleaning
| Service | Unit | Example price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard clean, 2 bed and 1 bath | Per visit | $140 | Add a row for each bedroom and bathroom combination |
| Standard clean, 3 bed and 2 bath | Per visit | $180 | |
| Deep clean | Per visit | 1.5 times the standard price | Baseboards, doors, light fixtures, cabinet fronts |
| Move-out clean | Per visit | From 2 times the standard price | Empty home; inside cabinets and appliances included |
| Recurring discount | Per visit | 15% weekly, 10% every two weeks, 5% monthly | First visit at the standard or deep rate |
| Add-on: inside oven | Each | $35 | |
| Add-on: inside fridge | Each | $30 | |
| Add-on: interior windows | Per window | $6 |
Watch for: the condition of the home. Say exactly what "deep" includes and that a first visit may be priced as a deep clean. Invoicing for cleaning businesses: get paid faster covers getting paid.
Painting
| Service | Unit | Example price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interior room, walls only | Per room | $450 | Define "standard room", for example up to 12 by 12 feet with 8-foot ceilings; two coats |
| Ceiling | Per room | $175 | Flat ceilings; textured priced separately |
| Trim and baseboards | Per linear foot | $2.50 | |
| Interior door | Per door, per side | $60 | |
| Cabinet refinishing | Per door or drawer front | $110 | Includes boxes and frames |
| Drywall repair | Per patch | $75 small, $150 medium | Define the sizes |
| Exterior | Per project | Quoted | By size, stories, surface and prep |
Watch for: prep is where painting jobs lose money. Price repairs, wallpaper removal and big color changes separately so they don't quietly eat your margin.
Pest control
| Service | Unit | Example price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial service | Per home | $175 | Inside and outside treatment, plus inspection |
| Quarterly plan | Per visit | $120 | Re-treatment between visits if pests return |
| One-time general treatment | Per visit | $225 | No plan |
| Wasp or hornet nest removal | Per nest | $150 | Surcharge for height or hard access |
| Rodent exclusion | Per project | Quoted | After inspection |
| Termite inspection | Per inspection | $95 | Written report |
Watch for: tie plan pricing to home size, and say exactly what the between-visit re-treatment covers.
Garage doors
| Service | Unit | Example price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service call | Per visit | $79 | Credited toward the repair |
| Torsion spring replacement | Per pair | $325 | Explain your policy on replacing springs in pairs |
| Roller replacement | Per set | $175 | |
| Cable replacement | Per pair | $150 | |
| Opener installation | Per install | $450 / $575 / $700 | Good, better, best by drive type and features |
| Tune-up and safety check | Per visit | $99 | Includes auto-reverse test |
Watch for: most of this work is same-day repair, so list common parts at fixed prices a tech can quote in the driveway without calling the office.
Handyman
| Service | Unit | Example price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly rate | Per hour | $95 | Two-hour minimum |
| Mount a TV, up to 65 inches, on drywall | Each | $150 | Wire concealment extra |
| Assemble furniture | Per item | From $75 | Tier by size |
| Hang a pre-hung interior door | Each | $275 | |
| Recaulk a tub or shower | Each | $140 | |
| Drywall patch, up to 6 inches | Each | $120 | Paint matching extra |
| Half-day visit | Per visit | $380 | Four hours for a list of small tasks |
Watch for: handyman work is lots of small jobs, so minimums and half-day or full-day bundles stop drive time from eating your profit. Also check which jobs your state allows without a contractor's license.
How to set your own prices
Step 1: Work out what a billable hour must earn
Billable hourly rate = (yearly labor cost + yearly overhead + target profit) ÷ yearly billable hours
Imagine a three-tech plumbing company. Every number here is hypothetical:
- Tech wages, payroll taxes and benefits: $210,000
- Overhead, including trucks, fuel, insurance, office, software, marketing and rent: $190,000
- Target profit: $80,000
- Billable hours: 3 techs × 1,200 hours = 3,600 hours
That's $480,000 ÷ 3,600 hours = about $133 an hour. Call it $135.
Why only 1,200 billable hours per tech, when a full-time year is about 2,080 hours? Because drive time, training, callbacks, shop time, paperwork and slow days aren't billed on a task. Count only the hours your techs spend doing work you charge for, and use your own records. Since drive time is already covered by the rate, don't add it again to each task unless you charge a separate trip fee (and if you do, lower the rate to match). How to calculate your billable hourly rate goes through each input.
Step 2: Time each task honestly
Look at your last 10 to 20 jobs of that type in your software or job notes. Use the typical time, not your best day. Include setup, cleanup and paperwork on site.
Step 3: Add materials with a markup
Markup covers the time spent buying and stocking parts, warranty returns and the parts that go missing. Pick a markup structure and use it consistently. One approach is a sliding scale where low-cost parts get a higher percentage markup than expensive ones.
Step 4: Put it together
Task price = task hours × billable rate + materials cost × markup multiplier + fixed costs (permits, disposal fees)
Worked example, still hypothetical: replacing a toilet fill valve takes about 45 minutes on site, including setup and cleanup. That's 0.75 hours × $135 = $101.25. The part costs $15 and, with a markup multiplier of 2, is billed at $30. Total: $131.25. Rounded, that's the $135 in the plumbing example above.
Step 5: Add options where they fit
For replacements and upgrades, offer good, better and best options that differ in something the customer cares about: warranty length, efficiency, features or speed. Good, better, best: how option pricing works for service businesses shows how to build them.
Step 6: Check your market, but don't copy it
Know roughly where you sit. Look at how competitors present pricing: do they charge a service call fee or offer free estimates, and do they quote flat rate or hourly? Don't copy their numbers, because their costs aren't yours. If your price is far above what customers expect, check your costs and time estimates before you cut it. If it's far below, you may be missing costs or leaving money on the table.
Step 7: Review every six to twelve months
Update prices on a schedule, and whenever wages, fuel, insurance or material costs move. Put the date on every version of your list. How to price your services and the service pricing guide go deeper, and the job costing calculator helps you check real jobs against your prices.
Should you publish prices on your website?
| Good candidates for published prices | Better handled with an estimate |
|---|---|
| Standard, repeatable jobs: service calls, tune-ups, standard cleans, mowing, drain clearing, spring replacement | Jobs that vary a lot: system replacements, remodels, roofs, exterior painting, panel upgrades |
| Starting prices with clear conditions | Anything that needs a site visit to price |
For jobs in the second column, publish what affects the price and how your estimate process works, so customers know what to expect before you arrive.
Wording that sets expectations without boxing you in:
- "Drain clearing starts at $185. We confirm the final price before any work begins."
- "Standard cleans start at $140 for a 2-bed, 1-bath home. First visits may be priced as a deep clean, and we'll tell you before you book."
- "System replacements are quoted after an in-home assessment. You'll get two or three options in writing."
Whatever you publish, give the customer the price before the work starts, in writing whenever you can.
Mistakes that cost money
- Copying a competitor's prices without knowing their costs
- Forgetting drive time, or charging for it twice
- So many line items that techs can't find what they need
- Prices that haven't changed in years
- Surprise fees that weren't on the list
- One price for a job that really comes in three sizes
If you'd like customers to see starting prices for standard jobs on your website and request the work in one step, that's what Zome's instant quotes are for.
