# How to give a ballpark price customers trust

> A ballpark price should be wide enough to be safe and narrow enough to be useful. How to set price ranges customers believe and you can stick to.

Source: https://roughfigure.com/blog/how-to-give-a-ballpark-price (updated 2026-06-19)

Knowing how to give a ballpark price is one of the most useful skills in a trade business. Customers want a rough figure before they commit to a visit, and a good range brings in better enquiries. But the range itself matters. Too narrow and you’ll keep explaining why the real price is higher. Too wide and customers learn nothing: a range where the top is ten times the bottom isn’t a price, it’s a shrug.

Here’s how to set ranges that customers believe and you can stick to.

## Start from a typical job

Pick the job you do most often, in its most common form. For a tree surgeon that might be felling a medium tree in an open garden, with easy access and the waste taken away. Work out what you’d actually charge for that today. Our step-by-step guide on [how to price a job](https://roughfigure.com/blog/how-to-price-a-job) and free [pricing calculator](https://roughfigure.com/tools/pricing-calculator) help.

That figure is the middle of your range.

## Set the width of the range

A good starting point is a range from about **10% below to 15–20% above** your typical price. If a typical job comes in at $780, the range is roughly $700 to $935. That leaves room for jobs that turn out a little easier or harder than they looked, without being so wide it’s meaningless.

Some trades need wider ranges because jobs vary more. That’s fine, as long as the things that cause the biggest swings are asked about separately.

## Let questions do the work

The biggest mistake is trying to cover every possibility with one huge range. Instead, ask about the things that really move the price, and adjust for each:

- **Size:** height of tree, length of fence, area of patio.
- **Access:** can equipment get close, or does everything go through the house?
- **Risk:** near buildings, roads or power lines?
- **Extras:** taking the waste away, grinding the stump, removing the old fence.

Each answer can add an amount or a percentage, so the range stays narrow because the big differences are already accounted for. This is exactly how an [instant quote calculator](https://roughfigure.com/blog/instant-quote-calculator-for-your-website) works.

## Set a minimum charge

Small jobs still cost you travel, setup and time. A minimum charge stops a quick prune showing a price that wouldn’t cover your fuel. See [call-out charges and minimum charges](https://roughfigure.com/blog/call-out-charges-and-minimum-charges).

## Know when not to give a price

Some jobs shouldn’t get a ballpark price at all: trees near power lines, dangerous structures, anything where safety depends on what you find. For those, skip the price and ask for a site visit. Customers understand, and it protects you.

## Be clear about tax

Where homeowners expect prices that include tax (the UK, Europe, Australia and New Zealand), show them the full price, **including tax**. A customer who sees $780 and then gets a quote for $935 feels misled, even if the difference is tax. Where tax is normally added at the end (the US and Canada), say clearly that it will be. Read [should prices include tax?](https://roughfigure.com/blog/should-prices-include-vat)

## Use honest wording

Call it what it is: “a ballpark price” or “an estimate”, “confirmed after we’ve seen the job”. Customers don’t expect a fixed price before you’ve visited. They just want to know they’re in the right area.

## Check your ranges against real quotes

Every couple of months, compare the ranges customers saw with the prices you actually quoted:

- If most quotes land near the top of the range, move the range up.
- If you keep quoting below the range, you may be putting people off. Move it down or narrow it.
- If quotes are all over the place, look for a question you’re not asking.

## Questions

### What’s the difference between a ballpark price, an estimate and a quote?

A ballpark price or estimate is a rough guide before you’ve seen the job. A quote is a firm price for a defined job, usually after a visit. Be clear which one you’re giving.

### Is it better to give a range or a single figure?

Before you’ve seen a job, a range is more honest and more believable. A single figure sounds precise, so customers are more likely to hold you to it.

### How wide should my range be?

Narrow enough that the customer can make a decision, wide enough to cover normal surprises. Around 25–30% from bottom to top suits many jobs.