Should tradesmen put prices on their website?
Most trades avoid putting prices on their website because every job is different. Why a price range brings in better enquiries, and how to do it safely.
RoughFigure3 min read
On this page
Should tradesmen put prices on their website? Ask most trades and you’ll hear the same answer: “no, every job is different.” It’s true. A crown reduction on a small birch in an open garden isn’t the same job as one on a big oak next to a conservatory.
But customers still want to know roughly what they’re getting into before they pick up the phone. When your website doesn’t tell them, a few things happen:
- some ring round several firms just to get a rough idea, and you spend time quoting for people who were never going to go ahead;
- some don’t ring at all, because they assume you’ll be too expensive;
- and some book a visit with a very different budget in mind.
The case for showing prices on your website
Customers want a rough idea first. “How much will it cost?” is the first question almost everyone has. If your site answers it and your competitors’ don’t, you’ve given people a reason to contact you rather than them.
Better enquiries. People who’ve seen a price before they get in touch are much less likely to be shocked by your quote. You spend less time on wasted site visits.
It works when you don’t. A lot of people look for a trade in the evening or at the weekend. A price on your website answers them at 10pm on a Sunday, when you’re not picking up the phone.
Google and AI search like it. Pages that give real answers, including rough prices, are more useful to searchers, and more likely to be picked up when someone asks a search engine or AI assistant what a job costs.
The worries, and how to deal with them
“Competitors will undercut me.” They can already find out your prices by asking for a quote. A range doesn’t give away much, and you win on more than price anyway: reviews, speed and how you come across.
“Every job is different.” That’s why you show a range, not a fixed price, and ask the questions that change the price.
“Customers will hold me to it.” Label it clearly as an estimate, confirmed after you’ve seen the job. Customers understand the difference between a ballpark figure and a quote.
“Some jobs I’d never price without seeing.” Then don’t. For jobs near power lines or anything where safety depends on what you find, ask for a site visit instead.
Show a range, not a price list
The answer isn’t a fixed price list. It’s a ballpark range based on the things that actually change the price: the size of the job, access, waste, height and how many. “$585 to $910 including tax” tells a customer what to expect without promising a number you haven’t seen. We explain how to set a sensible range in how to give a ballpark price customers trust.
There are three common ways to do it:
- A few typical prices on your services page: “Felling a small garden tree usually costs $520 to $1,050.”
- A price guide table with typical jobs and ranges.
- An instant estimator, where customers answer a few questions and see a range for their job.
The estimator gives the most accurate ranges, because it adjusts for each answer, and it collects the customer’s details so you get the enquiry.
Getting the ranges right
Start from what you’d normally quote for a typical job, then think about what makes it cheaper or dearer. Keep the range honest: wide enough to cover the usual surprises, narrow enough to be useful. Our free pricing calculator can help you work out your numbers from your costs, and how to price a job walks through the method.
If you charge tax, show it clearly: including it where homeowners expect that, or saying it’s added where it usually is. More on that in should prices include tax?
Questions
Is a price on my website legally binding?
A price clearly labelled as an estimate or a guide, to be confirmed after you’ve seen the job, isn’t a firm quote. Make the wording clear on the page and in what you send customers.
Will showing prices put customers off?
It puts off the people who were never going to afford the job, which saves you a visit. Most other customers find it reassuring: they get in touch knowing roughly what to expect.
What if my prices change?
Update your ranges whenever your prices change. With an estimator you change the numbers once and every customer sees the new range straight away.
