Guides
- Generator Interlock Installation Pricing: What to Charge (2026) - Flat-rate pricing for a generator inlet box and interlock kit: $660-$925 at a $120 shop rate, with the math shown, plus when to quote a transfer switch instead.
- How to Quote Pressure Washing Jobs (Without Guessing) - 2026 - Quote pressure washing from your real hourly floor - about $90/h for a solo rig - then convert to per-square-foot pricing with your own timed production rates.
- Plumber Hourly Rate: What Should a One-Van Shop Charge? (2026) - A solo plumbing shop with $29,000 overhead and an $85,000 salary target needs about $120/hour. The full math, line by line, and how to defend it on the phone.
- Smart Thermostat Installation: What to Charge (2026 Flat-Rate Guide) - Charge about $135 to install a smart thermostat with a C-wire present, and about $340 when you have to add the C-wire - real flat-rate math at a $120 shop rate.
- How Much to Charge for EV Charger Installation (2026 Flat-Rate Guide) - EV charger pricing for small shops: about $805 for a NEMA 14-50 outlet and $975 for a hardwired Level 2 install near the panel, from a $120 shop rate.
- How Much to Charge to Install a Ceiling Fan (2026 Flat-Rate Guide) - Flat-rate ceiling fan pricing for small electrical shops: $160 for a like-for-like swap up to $540+ for a new location, computed from a real $120 shop rate.
- How to Bid Mulch and Cleanup Jobs Without Working for Free - A bid method for small landscaping crews: mulch by the installed yard, cleanups by crew-hour, both built on your real hourly rate instead of a guess.
- HVAC Service Call Pricing: Setting a Fee That Covers the Truck - How a 1-2 person HVAC shop sets its service call fee: $100-200 typical, computed from your real shop rate instead of copied from the outfit down the road.
- How to Build a Flat-Rate Price Book for a One-Man Electrical Shop (With Free Calculator) - A step-by-step method for building a flat-rate price book from your own overhead and shop rate, with a worked example, task categories and a weekend build plan.
- Flat Rate vs Hourly for a Small Electrical Shop: The Math, Not the Opinions - Flat rate or hourly for a one or two man electrical shop? The same jobs priced both ways, where each method wins, and how to switch without losing customers.
- How to Price Service Calls and Small Electrical Jobs Without Losing Money - Small jobs are where one-man electrical shops lose money. How to set a service call fee, trip charge and minimum job charge from your real shop rate.
- How to Build a Flat-Rate Price Book for a Small HVAC Shop - A one or two tech HVAC shop can build a flat-rate price book in a weekend from its overhead and shop rate. Method, task categories, worked example, traps.
- Landscaping Bid Markup: The Overhead Math for a Two-Person Crew - How a small landscaping crew should mark up a bid: crew hour cost from overhead and wages, materials markup, margin, and a worked planting and mulch job.
- What Should a Self-Employed Electrician Charge Per Hour? (Not What the Salary Sites Say) - Salary sites say 38 dollars an hour. That is a wage, not a shop rate. How a self-employed electrician calculates the hourly rate the business really needs.
- What to Charge for a 200-Amp Panel Upgrade: A Pro's Pricing Breakdown - Price a 200-amp panel upgrade from your shop rate, not homeowner cost sites: like-for-like vs service upgrade vs full service, permits and regional spread.