The phone rings: "I just need one piece of siding put back." The repair itself might take 20 minutes. Everything around it takes a lot longer.
What a one-panel job really costs you
- Driving there and back
- A trip to the supplier, or a panel off your truck you'll have to restock
- Pulling a matching piece from somewhere hidden (and fixing that spot)
- Ladder setup and takedown
- Talking with the customer, photos, invoice
- Clean-up
That's half a morning, for what looks to the customer like a 20-minute fix.
Set a minimum, and say it early
A minimum charge covers that. It's the least a repair costs, no matter how small. A lot of repair guys set it somewhere close to their average ticket, since the setup is the same either way.
Say it on the first call or in the first text, before you drive out:
> "Our minimum for any repair is $___. That covers the trip, the material and the work for a small repair like one or two panels. Most jobs are more, and you'll get a written price before I start."
Customers who balk at the minimum on the phone would have balked at your invoice later. Better to know now.
Make the minimum worth it to them
- Fix more than they asked for. Since you're there anyway, check the rest of that wall. A loose panel two courses up or a split piece of J-channel can be added for a small amount.
- Walk the house. Point out anything else, with photos. Some will add work. Some will call you in spring.
- Bundle with neighbors. If two houses on the same street need small repairs, both get done in one trip.
When to say no
If a customer wants one panel for less than your minimum, it's okay to pass. See siding repairs to walk away from.
Inside Siding Pro Academy, members talk through how they set their minimums and what they say on the phone.
