The six pricing mistakes

Coatings is one of the easiest trades to mis-price.

Every one of these is fixable. None of them are obvious until someone shows you the math.

01

Confusing markup with margin

A 50% markup is a 33% margin. That gap is where profit dies. Most operators learn this the hard way.

02

Forgetting overhead exists

Truck. Insurance. Phone. Software. The job pays for itself but the business loses money.

03

Pricing by the hour on a per-job business

You are not selling hours. You are selling a finished floor. Different math. Different numbers.

04

Trying to win every job

Lowballers do not have a pricing system. They have a problem. Stop trying to compete with theirs.

05

Discounting without a script

Reflex discounts feel like savings. They are not. Without a script you give margin away to anyone who asks.

06

Not pricing risk into prep

Cracks. Moisture. Concrete condition. The hidden 30% of a job. Price it in or eat it. There is no third option.

What's inside

A complete pricing system. Not a template.

Every part connects. The calculator feeds the proposal. The proposal references the agreement. The playbook teaches the why behind the numbers. The Quote Helper backs you up at 9pm when a customer is on the fence.

The Pricing Calculator

4-tab Excel workbook. 70 formulas. Six service types pre-loaded. Surface condition 1 to 5. Crack repair. Moisture mitigation. Regional adjustment slider.

1-car · 2-car · 3-car residential garages
Basement · patio · commercial flatwork
Locked formulas. Editable inputs.
Live profit and margin readouts

The Pricing Playbook

60 pages. 11 chapters. 5 case studies. Glossary. FAQ-25. Markup vs margin. Risk pricing. Premium polyaspartic positioning. Lowballer scripts. When to walk away.

Markup vs margin · finally explained correctly
Pricing for risk · moisture · crack repair · prep
Regional pricing calibration
5 case studies with full quote breakdowns

The Closing Playbook

12 plus scripts covering the price objections operators hear every week. Plus the in-home consult flow that closes more jobs without dropping the price.

"Your competitor quoted me $500 less"
"Can you do it for less"
"I need to think about it"
Asking for the deposit · word for word

The Quote Helper Custom GPT

An AI pricing coach trained on the playbook. Paste a job description. It asks the right questions. Gives a defensible price range. Flags risks. Free to run on ChatGPT.

System prompt · ready to paste
Knowledge files included
Setup instructions · 5 minutes
Use it on every quote

Pick your tier

Three tiers. Cumulative. Yours forever.

Buy once. The files are yours. Most operators start with the Pricing System.

Starter Kit

Templates and the calculator. Get a quote out the door this week.

$97

One-time · Instant download

Pricing Calculator (4-tab xlsx)
Operator Quickstart guide
Branded Proposal Template (docx + pdf)
Service Agreement Template (docx + pdf)
Invoice Template (docx + pdf)
Operator Field Reference Card (printable)

Get the Starter Kit

The full system

Pricing System

The full system. Calculator. Playbook. Scripts. AI Quote Helper.

$497

One-time · Sized to recoup on a single residential quote

Mis-bid by 8% on a typical $4,500 residential job and you lose $360 in margin. That is $137 less than the system costs.

Everything in the Starter Kit
The Pricing Playbook (60 pages)
The Closing Playbook (25 word-for-word scripts)
Profit and Job Tracker (xlsx)
Quarterly Business Review template (xlsx)
Quote Helper Custom GPT
12-page Usage Guide

Get the Pricing System

Pro Operator Pack

For operators bidding commercial. Plus the Lead Gen Starter and GPT Toolkit.

$997

One-time · Commercial focus

Everything in the Pricing System
Commercial Bid Module · 5 commercial proposals
Net 30 Contract Template
15-page Commercial Markup Addendum
Multi-Crew Module (W-2 vs 1099 calc)
Lead Gen Starter (Google Ads pack)
Custom GPT Toolkit (3 additional GPTs)
Annual Bid Calendar (commercial heatmap)
Customer Letter Bank (10 letters)
Team use rights across one business

Get the Pro Operator Pack

Feature comparison

Every component. Every tier.

The detail view if you want to see exactly what is in each bundle.

What you get	Starter Kit$97	Pricing System$497	Pro Operator Pack$997
Pricing Calculator (4-tab xlsx, 70 formulas)
Customer templates (Proposal, Service Agreement, Invoice)
Operator Field Reference Card
The Pricing Playbook (60 pages)	·
The Closing Playbook (25 scripts)	·
Profit and Job Tracker	·
Quarterly Business Review	·
Quote Helper Custom GPT	·
Pricing Cheat Sheet	·
Commercial Bid Module (5 proposals)	·	·
Commercial Markup Addendum	·	·
Net 30 Contract Template	·	·
Multi-Crew Module	·	·
Lead Gen Starter (Google Ads pack)	·	·
Custom GPT Toolkit (3 additional GPTs)	·	·
Annual Bid Calendar	·	·
Customer Letter Bank (10 letters)	·	·
Use rights	Personal use	Personal use	Team use across one business
Starter Kit · $97 Pricing System · $497 Pro Operator Pack · $997

Who this works for

Built for working operators.

Coatings is one of the cleanest small-business cash flows in the trades. The math is the catch. This is for the operators who want to fix that.

This is built for you if

You quote 1 to 30 coatings jobs per month
You run residential or light commercial coatings · epoxy · polyaspartic · polished concrete
You have suspected for a while that you are leaving margin on the table and want the numbers to prove it
You want a system you own. Files on your computer. Not a recurring bill
You are fine working in Excel and PDFs. No app to install. No login to remember
You learn faster on your own than on a coaching call
You want to walk a kitchen quote and walk a 12,000 sq ft warehouse bid using the same defensible math
You want the AI Quote Helper backing you up at 9pm when a customer is on the fence

Frequently asked

Common questions before you buy.

How is this delivered?

Instant download. After Stripe checkout you land on a thank-you page with every file. You also get an email confirmation. No login required. No app to install.

What's your refund policy?

7 days from purchase. We ask that you have not downloaded the bundle if you request a refund (we cannot retrieve files from your computer). Email support and we process the refund within 3 business days.

Will the calculator work in Google Sheets?

Yes. The calculator ships as an Excel file with 4 tabs. It imports cleanly into Google Sheets via File · Import. Excel users can open it directly. The Quickstart guide walks you through both paths.

Do I need ChatGPT Plus to use the Quote Helper?

A free ChatGPT account works for one-off quotes. ChatGPT Plus or Team gives you the Custom GPT builder which makes the experience smoother. Both paths work. Setup instructions ship inside the bundle.

Is the playbook residential or commercial?

The Pricing Playbook covers residential and light commercial. The Pro Operator Pack ($997) adds the Commercial Markup Addendum and Bid Module for warehouse, retail, restaurant, auto dealership, and multi-tenant work.

Will this give me specific revenue numbers?

No. We do not promise specific revenue, ranking, or job counts. What we deliver is a pricing methodology used by operators who run profitable coatings businesses. The math is yours to apply.

Are there coaching calls?

No. This is a self-serve digital product. No calls. No community. No coaching. Email support replies within 24 hours for delivery and access issues.

Will the pricing logic become outdated?

The methodology does not. Material costs do. The calculator uses regional and material multipliers you set yourself, so you can recalibrate when costs shift. Pro Operator Pack buyers receive future versions free.

Can I share this with my crew?

Personal use at the $97 and $497 tiers. The $997 Pro Operator Pack covers team use across one business. Resale is not permitted at any tier.

Quote your next job with the math behind it.

The next quote you write goes out this week. Build it on real math. The Pricing System gives you the calculator, the methodology, and the scripts to defend the number. Instant download. 7-day refund window.

Get the system · $497

Instant download · One purchase · Files you own forever

Input	Value
Job type	2-car residential
Square footage	480
System	Epoxy + polyaspartic
Surface condition	3 of 5
Material cost	$680
Labor (14 hrs at $42)	$588
Markup multiplier	1.85x
Defensible quote	$4,310
Gross margin	46.2%