Electricians - Are you charging time & material or flat rate right now—and why?
Curious what’s actually working for everyone in today’s market with rising material costs and labor rates. Currently - I do time + material and then add in my overhead/profit % and I still get tons of kick back. Other big electricians in my area charge 3-4x the amount for something that I do and it works for them. I can't wrap my head around it.Roll call! Meet & introduce yourself to other Service-based Skilled Trade pros
If you’ve ever thought, “How are other businesses like mine handling this?” you’re in the right place! This space is for Service-Based Skilled Trades pros to connect, compare notes, and talk shop with others who understand the day-to-day realities of running your type of business. 👋 Introduce Yourself Drop a comment and tell us: Your name Business name Industry Years in business Location (City/State/Province) Let us know if you’re joining us for LIVE networking on March 17 (more details below) The more context you share, the better connections you’ll make. 🙌 Pro tip: Search your city or state in the forum to easily find other pros in your area. 📅 Want to connect LIVE? We’re running a pilot to host virtual weekly LIVE Industry Networking starting on March 17, running until April 7. If you’d be interested in joining for the first or following sessions (don’t need to commit to all but you're welcome to join!), make sure to let us know in the comments. 🤝 Culture of this space Think of this forum board like a room full of peers who understand your world. Share what’s working. Ask real questions. Talk through challenges. The goal is to power your success and raise the standard of home service industries together. 💬 Looking for conversation starters? This space works best when conversations are industry-specific and experience-based. You might jump in with something like: “How are other [your industry] pros pricing this service right now?” “Is anyone else seeing this shift in their market?” “What’s been working for you when it comes to ____?” 🤔 Why are industries grouped together? We’ve intentionally clustered similar industries to keep conversations active and relevant. These groupings reflect shared business models, operational challenges, and pricing conversations so you can learn from peers who “get it,” even if they’re not in your exact trade. If your question applies to all home service businesses, feel free to post in our broader forum boards. Pro tip: Check out the industry tags to get even more specific Looking forward to seeing this space come to life. 🚀
Do You Offer Tiered Pricing Options? Good, Better, Best options
Hi Everyone, Does anyone offer multiple options when offering customer solutions? Quote 1, Quote 2, Quote 3. Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Basic? We specialize in electrical repairs, replacements, and upgrades on Long Island, NY. We offer clear, up-front pricing with monthly costs per option. We ask for the business on-site with the customer (end-user) in the home. Without sending an email or using the customer portal. We don't want to leave the quotes with the customer without giving them an option to move forward immediately.When things get bad
So I got my business license just over 5 yrs ago not knowing exactly what I was going to do with it. "Something in the electrical field" is what I was thinking since i was a journeyman electrician for over 20 yrs. As it were I didn't have my journeyman license anymore and was limited in financial resources so cleaning yards was where any of my income was coming from. I also built and developed mobile applications and software but soar costs me more than it makes.. it's been a one man team so far because I can't afford to hire even if I could find reliable people. Now my equipment is falling into disrepair because I can't afford to have it taken to a mechanic. I usually do all my own mechanical repairs but if takes me longer seeing as how I'm not a mechanic and not really equipped for it. Anyway it's been a slow couple of weeks and I'm starting to get discouraged about the whole thing. Almost to the point to where I need to go start applying for a job. Any thoughts?How Do Contractors Structure Their Quotes to Get More Large Jobs Approved?
Hi everyone, I’m Deroy Waite, owner of Protastic Plumbing Services Inc., and I’d really appreciate some insight from fellow plumbers or contractors. We’ve been in business for 2 years, backed by over 20 years of plumbing experience, and we’re currently focused on improving our quote approval rate, especially on larger jobs. For those landing bigger projects consistently, how are you structuring or presenting your quotes to get them approved? Are there specific things you’ve found make a big difference? Any tips or lessons learned would be greatly appreciated. Thank you
How to setup pricing for an Electrical Contracting Residential Service Provider?
Hey everyone, I'm fairly new to the residential electrical service side of the industry and I'm trying to get my pricing dialed in. One thing I've been struggling with is pricing service calls. Sometimes I feel like I'm pricing too low and leaving money on the table, while other times I worry I'm pricing too high and potentially losing work. For those of you who have been doing residential service for a while: Do you use flat-rate pricing or time-and-materials pricing? Do you charge a diagnostic fee, truck fee, or travel fee? Is there a pricing system or price book you would recommend? Did you build your own price book, or did you purchase one from a service like Profit Rhino, The New Flat Rate, or another provider? I'm looking for a system that's consistent, profitable, and fair to the customer. I'd appreciate any advice from those who have already been through the learning curve. Thanks in advance!
What strategies are working best for electrical contractors to get more jobs?
Anyone else struggling to keep work flowing consistently lately? We do residential and commercial electrical work along with plumbing services, and it feels like leads have slowed down compared to what they used to be. I’ve been trying different things like Facebook posts, local networking, follow-ups, and reaching out to contractors, but I’m always looking for better ways to keep the schedule full. What’s been working best for you guys lately to bring in more jobs? Facebook ads? Google ads? Yard signs? Realtor/property manager connections? General contractors? Referral programs? Just trying to learn what’s actually working in today’s market. Any advice is appreciated.
