Dead Hand / The Markup
The Markup
Field notes on pricing, estimating, and presenting quotes — the part of the trade nobody teaches you.
Most shops don't lose money because they can't do the work. They lose it at the kitchen table, in the thirty seconds it takes to say a number. The Markup is where we work that part out in plain math — what to charge, how to build an estimate, and how to hand it over so the customer says yes. No fluff, no filler. Just the numbers, done right.
Start Here
How to Price a Trade Job Without Losing Money
The three numbers behind every honest quote — labor, materials, and the overhead most shops forget to charge for.
Pricing
Margin vs. Markup, in Plain English
They sound the same. They're not the same number. The gap is coming straight out of your pocket.
Pricing
What Should My Shop Rate Actually Be?
Build a billable hourly rate from your own overhead, not the guy across town's guess at his.
Pricing
Flat Rate vs. Time and Materials
Which one wins you more jobs and protects more margin — and why flat rate is really just T&M with the math done early.
Estimating
How to Write an Estimate That Wins the Job
What goes on the page, how much to show, and the details that make a customer trust your number over the next guy's.
Presentation
How to Present Your Price So They Say Yes
The number matters less than the moment you say it. How to hand over a price without flinching — or discounting.
Worked Example
What to Charge to Install a Water Heater
Real 2026 price ranges, what actually drives the number, and how to quote one in seconds without leaving money on the table.
The tool behind the math.
Set your rates, margin, and overhead once. Every job after that, the right number comes out on its own.
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