How do you go about pricing your services for profit?

Most contractors price for survival, not growth. And when you do that, even a good month leaves you broke.

So here’s how I approach it:

1. Build your price from the ground up.
Start with your real costs, not your feelings.

Labor (your time AND your team’s time)
Materials (with markup)
Overhead (truck, insurance, gas, dump fees, software)
Admin (quote time, phone calls, customer service)
Profit (15–30%) — non-negotiable
If you’re not adding that last line, you’re doing it wrong.

2. Communicate value before price.
When it’s time to raise prices, don’t open with “Sorry, we had to...”
Lead with the value:

“We’ve upgraded equipment, improved turnaround times, and added better materials — which means a smoother job for you and a cleaner result.”
Then say it straight:

“To continue offering this level of quality, we’ve updated our pricing to match today’s costs.”
Clients respect clarity. Not excuses.

3. Don’t fear the price walkaway — fear the resentment.
You’re afraid of losing a client over a price bump?

You should be more afraid of resenting the client because you’re working for scraps.

If someone flakes over $100… they were never your client.
If they respect your work — they’ll respect your growth.

4. Put it in writing, not emotion.