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TradeFlare BlogGood Better Best Pricing for Contractors: How to Build Options
Good better best pricing gives the customer three options instead of one price. Instead of deciding yes or no, they decide which one. For contractors, it often leads to fewer lost bids and bigger average tickets, as long as each option is clear and honest.
Why options work
A single price invites a yes-or-no decision, and often a "let me get other quotes." Three clear options let the customer choose based on budget and priorities. Many pick the middle, and some pick the top because it's there.
Build the "good" option first
The good option solves the problem properly, with no shortcuts. It's not a bad job at a cheap price. For a water heater it might be a standard tank with a basic warranty. For painting, walls only with one standard paint line.
Make "better" the one you'd recommend
The better option adds what most customers actually want: a longer warranty, a higher-grade material, an extra service like trim and doors. It should be the option you'd choose for your own house.
Make "best" truly premium
The best option includes everything: top materials, the longest warranty, extra protection, maintenance visits. It sets the top of the range and makes the middle look reasonable.
Keep the differences easy to see
List what's included in each tier side by side. Use plain words. If the customer has to ask what the difference is, the tiers are too similar or too technical.
Price the gaps sensibly
The step from good to better should feel worth it. The step to best can be bigger, but it needs to be backed by real value.
Present, then stop talking
Walk the customer through all three, recommend the one you think fits them, and let them decide. Don't push.
Use it where it fits
Options work best on replacements, upgrades and projects. On a simple repair, one clear price is usually enough.
An example for a water heater replacement
- Good: standard tank water heater of the same size, code-required parts, haul-away of the old unit and your standard workmanship warranty.
- Better: a higher-grade tank with a longer manufacturer warranty, a new expansion tank and shutoff valve, and an extended workmanship warranty.
- Best: a premium unit or tankless option, all upgrades in Better, plus a yearly flush visit.
The same structure works for HVAC systems, panels, roofs and paint jobs.
Mistakes to avoid
- Making the good option so bare it isn't a real choice.
- Tiers that differ only by price.
- Too many add-ons on top of the three tiers.
Your next step this week
Pick one job you quote often and build three tiers for it this week. Use them on your next five quotes and note which tier customers choose. If almost everyone picks the lowest, your middle option may need more value; if many pick the top, consider adding a higher one.
How TradeFlare helps
Price book and quotes. Save your services and prices once, even by voice, and reuse them on every quote. Send the quote from your phone, watch it go Draft > Sent > Viewed > Accepted, and turn it into a job with Make it a job. Unanswered quotes get an automatic follow-up.
Card payments on the invoice. Tap Collect payment and text a secure Stripe pay link or show a QR code; the customer pays by card or bank transfer on their own phone and the invoice flips to Paid. Payments run on your own Stripe account. TradeFlare adds no fee of its own (Stripe's standard fees apply). There's no card reader or Tap to Pay yet.
Hear TradeFlare's own AI front desk any time at (855) 651-5075.
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Frequently asked questions
What is good better best pricing?
It's presenting three options at different price points, each clearly described, so the customer chooses the level of service.
Do contractors make more with tiered pricing?
Tiered options often lead to fewer lost bids and larger average jobs because customers choose a level instead of deciding yes or no.
Can I send multiple options on one quote?
With TradeFlare you build quotes from your price book and send them from your phone, and the customer signs right on the quote.