Business guides for home-service contractors.
Practical guides to starting, pricing, estimating, invoicing, hiring and growing a home-service business. Each one opens with a short answer, then goes deep, and every rule and number links to its official source.
Guides by trade
7 guidesHVACWhat it takes to run an HVAC business in the US: EPA 608 and state licensing, refrigerant rules, safety, seasonal demand, pricing and maintenance plans.7 guidesRoofingHow to run a roofing business in the US: state licensing, OSHA fall protection, storm seasons, homeowner trust, pricing by the square and insurance claims.6 guidesSolarGuides for running a US solar installation business: state licensing and NABCEP, rooftop safety, price per watt, proposals, milestone billing and PTO.7 guidesPlumbingHow to run a plumbing business in the US: licenses and code, job site safety, emergency calls, flat-rate pricing, water heaters, invoicing and seasons.6 guidesElectricalHow to run an electrical contracting business in the US: licensing, the code your inspector enforces, safety, pricing, invoicing, customers and hiring.7 guidesAuto detailingGuides to running an auto detailing business: mobile or shop, wash water, insurance for customer cars, pricing, coatings, memberships, hiring and seasons.7 guidesPressure washingFree guides for pressure washing business owners: local licensing, wash water rules, chemical and ladder safety, seasons, customers, pricing and invoicing.
For every trade
Getting paid, deposits, follow-up and the books: the parts of the business every trade shares.
How to Get Paid Faster as a ContractorHow contractors get paid sooner: payment terms set at booking, invoices sent the day the job ends, pay links, deposits, progress billing and reminders.How Much Deposit Should a Contractor Ask For?How to size a contractor deposit from what you'd lose if the customer cancels, check state limits and cancellation rights, and write terms customers sign.How to Follow Up on Quotes Without Being PushyA quote follow-up plan for contractors: a cadence by job size, text and call scripts for each touch, honest options, when to stop and how to track close rate.How to Get More Reviews LegallyGet more reviews without breaking FTC or Google rules: ask every customer at the right moment, use these scripts, offer nothing, and answer every review.How to Read a Profit and Loss Statement for ContractorsRead a contractor P&L line by line: revenue, job costs, gross margin, overhead and net profit, plus cash vs accrual and a 30-minute monthly review.How to Set Your Labor RateBuild your labor rate from real costs: billable hours, payroll burden, overhead and profit, with worked examples from HVAC, roofing, plumbing and other trades.Markup vs Margin: The Difference That Costs Contractors MoneyMarkup divides profit by cost; margin divides it by price. The formulas, an exact conversion table, the costly mix-up and how to price to a target margin.How to Handle Change OrdersA contractor's process for change orders: the contract clause, what to say on site, what the form must include, how to price changes and how to bill them.How to Collect Overdue InvoicesA contractor's plan for past-due invoices: a reminder schedule, a call script, payment plans, a final notice letter, late fees, liens and small claims.
Browse by topic
Starting the business
Pricing
Estimates
Invoicing
Getting customers
Hiring
Contractor glossary
Plain-English definitions of the money, legal and trade terms that come up running a home-service business.
Accounts receivableActual cash value (ACV)Backflow preventerBidBreak-even pointBuilding permitCallbackCash flowCeramic coatingChange orderClose rateContractor license bondCooling-off ruleCost of goods soldCustomer acquisition costCustomer lifetime valueDBA (doing business as)DepositDispatchEIN (Employer Identification Number)EPA Section 608 certificationEstimateFall protectionFlat-rate pricingGeneral liability insuranceGood-better-best pricingGoogle Business ProfileGoogle Local Services AdsGross marginHVAC tonnageIndependent contractorInsurance supplementJob costingKilowatt-hour (kWh)Lien waiverLLC (limited liability company)Manual J load calculationMarkupMechanic's lienNABCEP certificationNational Electrical Code (NEC)Net meteringOverheadPaint correctionPayment termsPermission to operate (PTO)Profit and loss statementProgress billingPunch listRecoverable depreciationRetainageReview gatingRoof pitchRoofing squareSchedule CScope of workSEER2Service agreementSoft washingTime and materialsTrip chargeWorkers' compensation insuranceWorkmanship warranty
Tools and software comparisons
These live on redlineforcontractors.com, the Redline product site.