How a Portland Plumber Raised Her Prices Without Losing a Single Customer

The Story

Karen D. has been a licensed plumber in Portland for 8 years. She spent most of them undercharging.

"I knew I was cheap. Other plumbers in the area were charging $150 an hour and I was at $95. But when you hand someone a scribbled estimate on the back of an envelope, you don't feel like you can charge $150. The price has to match the presentation."

Karen raised her rate to $135 an hour the same week she started using JobsPaid. The professional quotes gave her confidence.

"When a customer sees a clean, formatted quote with my license number, insurance info, and itemized pricing — they don't question $135. They questioned $95 when it was written in pencil."

In the first month at her new rate, Karen didn't lose a single customer. Not one. She actually gained three new ones from referrals.

"My existing customers told their neighbors I 'got professional.' That was the exact word they used. I didn't change my plumbing. I changed my paperwork."

Karen calculates the rate increase adds roughly $1,600/month to her income for the same number of hours worked.

"I was leaving money on the table for 8 years because I was too embarrassed to charge more with sloppy estimates. That embarrassment cost me about $150,000 over my career. I try not to think about it."