Advice
The phone side of the business
Practical write-ups on qualifying leads, quoting, and handling the calls that decide whether a job lands.
Pricing
Raising your prices: how to tell past customers without losing them
The hard part of a price increase is the repeat customer who calls and says "same as last time." How to pick a start date, send a short heads-up, and hold the new price calmly.
6 min read
Operations
Your workmanship warranty: what to put in writing before the job
A spoken promise turns into an argument months later. How to write a short workmanship warranty: one length, one start date, a plain not-covered list, and an inspect-first rule.
6 min read
Pricing
Allowances in an estimate: how to write them so they don't turn into a fight
The estimate said "tile allowance" and a number. Then the customer came back from the showroom. How to write allowances so the overage, the labor, and the deadline are settled before anyone signs.
7 min read
Operations
When your sub doesn't show up: how to protect the schedule and the customer's trust
The customer finds the empty house before you hear about it. How to confirm subs, build slack into the schedule, and tell the customer first when a trade misses a day.
6 min read
Operations
Order the materials before you promise the start date
The start date you give a customer is only as good as your slowest material. Here is how to confirm lead times, order early, and catch a wrong delivery before it stops the crew.
6 min read
Operations
Working in a lived-in home: the house rules and daily cleanup that keep the customer on your side
Most mid-job calls are not about the work. They are about the dog that got out, the truck in front of the neighbor's mailbox, and the dust on the dining table. Here is how to stop those calls before they start.
6 min read
Operations
Job photos: what to shoot before, during, and after every job
The shop with a before photo of that crack can text it back and the call ends calmly. The shop without one argues from memory. Here is the photo habit that settles it.
6 min read
Pricing
Markup vs margin: why a 20 percent markup is not a 20 percent profit
"I put 20 percent on everything" sounds like a 20 percent profit. It is not. Here is the math from the margin you need to the markup you charge, and what a discount really costs.
6 min read
Sales
Asking for reviews and referrals: when to ask, how to ask, and what not to do
The best time to ask for a review is the final walkthrough, in person, with a link in a text the same day. Here is the full habit, plus the review rules that trip shops up.
6 min read
Operations
Rain day: what to tell the customer when weather pushes the job back
The customer is almost never upset that it rained. They are upset that they had to call to find out. Here is how to make the weather call first.
6 min read
Compliance
Paying subs in 2026: the 1099-NEC line moved from $600 to $2,000
The federal 1099-NEC line for paying subs went from $600 to $2,000 for 2026 payments. You will file fewer forms. You still need the W-9 before the first check.
6 min read
Operations
What your crew needs to know before the first morning: the handoff from the person who sold the job
The person who sold the job heard the whole story. The crew lead got part of it. A one-page handoff before day one closes that gap.
6 min read
Operations
Collecting the final payment: how to get paid in full when the job is done
The final check rarely stalls because the customer cannot pay. It stalls over one small item nobody wrote down. Here is how to close out a job and leave with the money.
7 min read
Pricing
How long should an estimate stay good? Setting an expiration date when material prices move
A quote with no end date promises your price and your calendar forever. One line on the estimate fixes that, and it keeps you from an awkward call weeks later.
7 min read
Sales
'I'm getting three quotes': how to answer the caller who is shopping around
Getting several quotes is normal homework, not an insult. Ask what was missing from the others, book the visit on the first call, and write a quote that is easy to compare line by line.
7 min read
Sales
'Are you licensed and insured?': how to answer it on the phone
The question often comes right before the caller hangs up. Answer it in one specific sentence, name the coverage you carry, and text proof before they put the phone down.
6 min read
Pricing
The customer wants to buy their own materials: how to say yes without eating the risk
Customer-supplied materials can work, but only with rules set before the job: approve the product, check the boxes before the start day, warrant your labor only, and set a charge for lost days.
7 min read
Lead handling
When can you start? How to answer when you're booked weeks out
The hopeful date and the flat 'we're booked out' both lose jobs. Separate the visit date from the start date, tie the range to your real calendar, and tell a wrong-fit caller early.
7 min read
Pricing
Should you give a price over the phone? How to answer 'what will it cost?'
Give a range when a few questions and photos can get you close, book a visit when the price hides behind a wall, and write down every number you say.
6 min read
Lead handling
The 'my last contractor walked off the job' call: how to take over half-finished work
Takeover jobs can be good work. Ask about the old contract, the money, and the permit on the first call, never price them over the phone, and write down what you own.
7 min read
Operations
The unhappy customer call: how to handle a complaint after the job is done
Most complaint calls are about something small. Silence is what makes them expensive. Call back the same day, sort the problem, and book a real return date.
7 min read
Compliance
The EPA lead paint rule: what every trade needs to know about pre-1978 homes
The trigger is the age of the house and how much paint you disturb, not your trade. Ask what year it was built before you book.
7 min read
Lead handling
Why customers stand you up on estimate visits, and how to stop it
Most no-shows are booking problems, not customer problems. Fix the booking call and the days before the visit.
7 min read
Sales
How to turn down a job without burning the lead
How to say no to the wrong job so the caller still remembers you well when the right job comes along.
7 min read
Operations
While you're here: how to handle extra work requests without eating the cost
How to price and write up the small add-ons customers ask for mid-job, so nobody is surprised at the final invoice.
7 min read
Compliance
3-day right to cancel for contractors: the FTC Cooling-Off Rule
The contractor's 3-day right to cancel: what to hand over at the kitchen table, when you can cash the deposit, and when the rule does not apply.
6 min read
Lead handling
How many times to follow up with a lead before you let it go
A follow-up schedule that keeps slow leads alive without turning you into the shop that will not stop calling.
6 min read
Pricing
Should you charge for estimates? A straight answer for contractors
When charging wins you better work, when it costs you jobs, and how to introduce a fee properly.
7 min read
Sales
How to spot a tire kicker on the phone, before you drive out
The signals that separate a serious customer from someone collecting numbers, and how to handle both.
6 min read
Operations
The after-hours call policy every contracting shop needs
Decide which calls are worth answering at night, who they go to, and what happens to the rest.
6 min read
Operations
Voicemail, answering service, or receptionist: what actually fits a contracting shop
An honest comparison of the three ways to handle calls you cannot take, including where each one fails.
7 min read
Lead handling
The nine questions to ask on every remodel call
Get budget, scope, and timeline out of a first call without making it feel like an interrogation.
6 min read
Lead handling
What a missed call actually costs your contracting business
Work out the real number for your own shop, using jobs you have already booked this year.
5 min read
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