Should contractors put prices on their website? Here's what 30 seconds on a shuttle company's website taught me about what homeowners really want.
"I'm not driving in New York City! You're crazy for even thinking that's an option!"
He said it as he stormed off.
"Then what are we going to do with our car?" I thought to myself.
We were planning a group trip between Washington, D.C. and New York City, and there were differing opinions about whether we should drive or fly. We reluctantly chose to drive, but there was one thing our group could agree on:
We were NOT driving into New York City.
For those of you who live in NYC, don't make fun of us. Us outsiders are scared!
So, we made a plan. We'd park in New Jersey, across the river, and simply hop on a shuttle.
Easy enough.
Except…what shuttle?
Like every other consumer on the planet, I pulled out my phone.
I Googled. I asked my agents. I found a few reputable transportation companies and started looking at their websites.
And then something happened that I loved.
I could get a price.
Not tomorrow.
Not after filling out a form and waiting for someone to call me.
Not after a 30-minute conversation with a salesperson.
Within about 30 seconds, I could put in what we needed, see my options, understand what they cost and decide what I wanted to do next.
Speed to price.
It's what we all want as consumers.
Just tell me how much it costs!
And here's what was interesting: seeing the price didn't make me run away.
It didn't create a "price objection."
It didn't back the company into a corner.
It gave me options and a next step forward.
That's the part I think our industry needs to pay attention to.
Because it made me wonder why so many contractors still won't put their prices on their website.
For years, home service contractors have been afraid of showing prices.
What if our competitor sees them?
What if the homeowner thinks we're too expensive?
What if they shop us?
What if the job is more complicated than what we can explain online?
All fair questions.
But while we've been asking those questions, the consumer has changed.
We order groceries without talking to anyone.
We compare hotel rooms and prices in seconds.
We build cars online.
We choose airline seats, vacation packages and restaurant reservations from our phones.
And apparently, we can figure out how to get a group of people from New Jersey into New York City without ever speaking to a salesperson.
Consumers have been trained to expect information now.
So why should home services be different?
This is where I think contractors sometimes get hung up.
Putting prices online does not have to mean:
"Your air conditioner repair will cost exactly $687."
How could you possibly know that before you know what is wrong?
Pricing transparency can mean giving homeowners ranges, starting points, choices and context.
It means helping them understand what they might spend and what options may be available.
That shuttle company didn't give me one price and say, "Take it or leave it."
They gave me choices.
Different vehicles. Different options. Different prices.
They weren't selling me a number.
They were giving me a menu.
And menus are powerful because they change the conversation.
Instead of:
"How much is this going to cost me?"
The conversation becomes:
"Which option makes the most sense for me?"
That is a completely different buying experience.
Not sure how to turn your pricing into options homeowners can choose from? Grab the free Menu Pricing Toolkitand see how contractors build menus that make pricing easy to understand.
I spend a lot of time thinking about how we make home services easier to buy.
And I think one of the biggest opportunities in front of contractors right now is simply making it easier for homeowners to understand price.
Your customers are already looking for it.
They're Googling it.
They're asking AI.
They're asking neighbors.
They're searching Reddit and Facebook groups.
They're trying to find some indication of what something should cost before they ever call you.
The question isn't whether consumers are going to look for pricing information.
The question is whether they're going to get that information from you.
Because if you don't help set the expectation, someone else will.
And they may not understand your business, your costs, your technicians, your warranties, your guarantees, your overhead or the quality of service you provide.
For years, I've believed in the power of presenting homeowners with choices.
Repair. Upgrade. Replace.
Here are your options. Here is what they cost. You choose.
But increasingly, I think we have to ask ourselves:
How much earlier can we start that experience?
Can the menu begin before the technician walks through the door?
Can we give customers helpful pricing information on our websites?
In our marketing?
In our messaging?
In the spaces and places where homeowners are already looking for answers?
I believe we can.
And I believe the contractors who figure this out will have an enormous advantage.
Because speed matters.
Trust matters.
Transparency matters.
And making it easy to do business with you matters.
Speed to price.
Thirty seconds on a charter bus website reminded me of something we've been teaching contractors for years:
Customers aren't necessarily afraid of the price.
They're afraid of not knowing the price.
That's what pricing transparency for contractors really comes down to.
Give them information.
Give them choices.
Give them a menu.
And give them a clear next step forward.
If you're ready to start bringing pricing transparency to your customers — including putting your prices and options directly on your website — schedule a demo with The New Flat Rate.
Let's make it easier for homeowners to buy.
Should HVAC companies post prices on their website?
Yes, in some form. Homeowners are already searching for pricing before they call anyone, so posting ranges, starting points or options helps you set the expectation instead of leaving it to a competitor or a Reddit thread.
Will showing prices online scare customers away?
Usually not. Most homeowners aren't afraid of the price. They're afraid of not knowing it. Giving them clear options tends to move the conversation forward, not end it.
How do you price a job online without seeing it first?
You don't have to quote an exact number. Pricing transparency can mean showing ranges, starting prices or a menu of options, like repair, upgrade or replace, so homeowners understand what they might spend before the technician arrives.