How the system works

Four components. One workflow.
From inquiry to defended quote in 15 minutes.

The Pricing System replaces the part of your week where you stare at a job sheet trying to remember what you charged last time. Below is exactly how each piece works and how they fit together.

Component 1 of 4

The Pricing Calculator

A 4-tab Excel file that takes the inputs you collect on a job walk and outputs a defensible price range, your gross margin, your breakeven point, and the markup multiplier you used to get there. Opens in Excel or imports cleanly into Google Sheets.

Pricing Calculator.xlsx · Inputs tab
D6 fx =VLOOKUP(D3,Defaults!A:C,3,FALSE)*D4
InputValueNotes
Job type2-car residentialGarage floor
Square footage480
Surface condition (1-5)3Light cracking
Crack repair LF22
SystemEpoxy + polyasparticFull color flake
Material cost$680Defaults tab pulls this
Labor hours est142-person crew, 1 day
Markup multiplier1.85xDefaults tab
Pricing Calculator.xlsx · Quote tab
B7 fx =(Inputs!D6+Inputs!D7*Defaults!B5)*Inputs!D10
OutputValue
Defensible quote range (low)$3,920
Defensible quote range (mid)$4,310
Defensible quote range (high)$4,700
Gross margin at mid quote46.2%
Breakeven price$2,320
Effective hourly (mid)$142/hr

The math is yours to apply. Adjust your regional cost multiplier in the Defaults tab once and every future quote calibrates from there.

Component 2 of 4

The Pricing Playbook

A 60-page PDF that explains the methodology behind the calculator. Read once, refer back when a quote feels off. Covers the five mistakes that destroy margin, the markup math behind every system type, and the operator decisions that separate profitable jobs from money-losers.

Part 1 · The five mistakes

  • Pricing on material cost only
  • Confusing markup with margin
  • Forgetting moisture and prep
  • Underbidding to win volume
  • Quoting in person without the math

Part 2 · The methodology

  • Markup multiplier theory
  • System-type pricing differences
  • Residential vs commercial logic
  • Crack repair and moisture mitigation
  • Calibrating to your region

Part 3 · Operator decisions

  • When to walk away
  • How to defend the number
  • Reading the buyer's read on you
  • Add-ons that earn vs add-ons that erode
  • Crew utilization at the year level

Part 4 · Reference tables

  • Markup multiplier ranges per system
  • Material cost benchmarks (2026)
  • Labor hour estimates per job type
  • Prep cost decision tree
  • Commercial markup addendum index

17,800 words. Plain language. Written by an operator for operators.

Component 3 of 4

The Closing Playbook

17 word-for-word scripts. Six handle price objections. Four handle non-price objections (timeline, fit, trust, comparison). Four close the deposit. Three handle follow-up. Each script is one page or less. Open it on your phone while you are in the buyer's driveway.

Example · "Your competitor quoted $1,200 less"

SpeakerLine
Buyer"I got a quote for $3,100 from another contractor. Can you match it?"
You"I cannot match $3,100 on this job and still deliver what I quoted. Two questions and then I will tell you what to ask the other contractor before you decide. What system did they specify? And did they walk the floor and check for moisture?"
Buyer[answers]
You"OK so here is the difference. [Explain specifically what is different in scope or system.] My number is what it costs to do this job correctly. The choice is yours."

What works: You did not match. You did not defend. You asked questions that surface the scope difference and let the buyer decide.

Do not say: "Let me see what I can do" or "I can take some off." Once you concede, you lose.

Component 4 of 4

The Quote Helper GPT

A Custom GPT system prompt you paste into your OpenAI account. The GPT asks the right discovery questions, references the methodology in the Playbook, and gives you a defensible price range before you open the calculator. Use it on a phone in the truck on the way home from the walk. Setup takes 7 minutes (the Setup Guide ships with the bundle).

Quote Helper Custom GPT
Operator
2-car garage in suburban Denver. Around 480 square feet. Some hairline cracks. Customer wants the color flake look. What should I be quoting?
Quote Helper
A few clarifying questions before I give you a range:

1. What is the surface condition on a 1 to 5 scale? Hairline only is usually a 2. If there are bigger cracks or popouts call it 3.
2. About how many linear feet of crack repair are you planning to do?
3. Is there any sign of moisture intrusion (efflorescence, dark spots after rain)?
4. Which system are you running for that look · full polyaspartic, or epoxy basecoat plus polyaspartic topcoat?
Operator
Condition 2, maybe 15-20 LF of cracks, no moisture, epoxy basecoat with polyaspartic topcoat.
Quote Helper
For a 480 sqft Denver-area 2-car at condition 2 with 15-20 LF of crack repair, epoxy + polyaspartic with color flake, the defensible range to plug into your calculator is roughly $3,900 to $4,700 assuming 1.85x markup on your Defaults tab.

Risk flags before you quote:
· Confirm the floor is past the 28-day cure window if recent pour
· Even without visible moisture, a calcium chloride test on a slab below grade is cheap insurance
· Hot tire pickup is the most common warranty call on epoxy basecoats · the polyaspartic topcoat materially reduces that risk, mention it in your proposal

Open the calculator, plug in the inputs, and confirm. This is a starting range, not your number.
Quote Helper
Putting it together

Your week with the system

1. The inquiry hits

Email or call. You ask for square footage, photos, and the type of work. You quote a rough range over text or email · the Quote Helper GPT helps you frame the range fast.

2. The walk

You drive to the job. While walking, you collect the 8 inputs the calculator needs. You take photos. You ask about timing.

3. The math (15 minutes back at the truck)

Open the calculator. Plug in the 8 inputs. The calculator outputs your defensible range. You pick where in the range you want to land based on your read of the buyer.

4. The quote

You send a written quote with the scope explicit (system, prep, crack repair, color, timeline). One number. No tiers. Stand behind it.

5. The close

If the buyer pushes back, you have the Closing Playbook open. You know which of the 17 scripts to use. You do not concede on price. You let the scope explain the number.

6. The book

Half the inquiries become quotes. Half the quotes become jobs. The system runs the math for you so you can run the operator decisions.

This is the workflow that operators who actually make money on coatings already use. The system gives you the tools so you do not have to rebuild it yourself.

Ready to quote your next job with the math behind it?

The next quote you write goes out this week. Build it on real math.

See pricing
Instant download · 7-day refund window · No subscription