Price Book
Definition
A price book is a standardized catalog of labor and material tasks with pre-set flat rate prices that technicians use in the field.
What Price Book Means for Your Business
What it means
A price book turns every job into a menu. Instead of the tech calculating labor and parts on the fly, they look up 'replace bathroom faucet' and the price pops up. It removes guesswork, speeds quoting, and protects margin.
Why it matters
Without a price book, every tech is their own pricing department. You get inconsistent quotes, missed markup, and left-on-the-table revenue. A good price book raises average ticket 15% to 30% overnight.
How contractors use it
Shops build a price book from their actual job costs plus target margin. They update it 2 to 4 times per year and load it into the tech's mobile app so quotes are instant and uniform.
Real-World Example
An HVAC company built a 420-task price book and lifted average ticket from $520 to $690 in 90 days. Across 3,200 annual jobs, that added $544,000 in revenue with no extra calls.
Related Terms
Flat Rate Pricing
Flat rate pricing charges a fixed amount for a specific task, regardless of how long the technician actually takes to complete it.
Parts Markup
Parts markup is the percentage added to the wholesale cost of a part to set the retail price the customer pays.
Gross Margin
Gross margin is revenue minus the direct cost of labor and materials, expressed as a percentage of revenue.
Truck Stock
Truck stock is the inventory of parts, tools, and materials a technician carries on their service vehicle to complete common jobs without a supply house trip.
Average Ticket
Average ticket is the mean revenue generated per service call, calculated by dividing total invoiced revenue by the number of completed jobs.
Put This Into Practice with Free Software
Kaldr Tech handles price book and everything else you need to run your shop. $0/month, 3.5% + 30¢ per transaction.