Job margins
What each job leaves after products and pay
Your posted prices next to what goes into each job. Set what you pay and how long each job takes, and the table updates. Products are priced from public online listings, so your supplier cost is probably lower.
Price, products and pay
Prices are from your website, copied September 14, 2026, for a garage install with easy access. Hover over to see where an estimate comes from, or click it for the details and sources.
| Job | Customer pays | Products for the job | Difference | Hours on site | Set pay | Left after pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tank water heaters | ||||||
| 40 gal gasOnline prices | $1,175 | $781 Unit $610, parts $102, tax and fees $69 | $394 34% | Estimate3.5 hrs with travel | Default$30.57/hr for 3.5 hrs | $287 24% |
| 40 gal electricOnline prices | $1,075 | $619 Unit $500, parts $62, tax and fees $57 | $456 42% | Estimate3.5 hrs with travel | Default$30.57/hr for 3.5 hrs | $349 32% |
| 50 gal gasOnline prices | $1,195 | $896 Unit $716, parts $102, tax and fees $78 | $299 25% | Estimate3.5 hrs with travel | Default$30.57/hr for 3.5 hrs | $192 16% |
| 50 gal electricOnline prices | $1,095 | $694 Unit $570, parts $62, tax and fees $62 | $401 37% | Estimate3.5 hrs with travel | Default$30.57/hr for 3.5 hrs | $294 27% |
| 75 gal gasOnline prices; hours a guess | $2,895 | $1,354 Unit $1,139, parts $102, tax and fees $113 | $1,541 53% | Estimate7 hrs with travel | Default$15.29/hr for 7 hrs | $1,434 50% |
| Platinum 40 gal electric (12-yr)Online prices | $1,925 | $813 Unit $679, parts $62, tax and fees $72 | $1,112 58% | Estimate3.5 hrs with travel | Default$30.57/hr for 3.5 hrs | $1,005 52% |
| Platinum 50 gal electric (12-yr)Online prices | $1,995 | $888 Unit $749, parts $62, tax and fees $77 | $1,107 55% | Estimate3.5 hrs with travel | Default$30.57/hr for 3.5 hrs | $1,000 50% |
| Marathon 75 gal electricUnit price partly guessed | $2,995 | $2,243 Unit $2,000, parts $62, tax and fees $181 | $752 25% | Estimate4.5 hrs with travel | Default$23.78/hr for 4.5 hrs | $645 22% |
| Marathon 85 gal electricUnit price partly guessed | $3,195 | $2,460 Unit $2,200, parts $62, tax and fees $198 | $735 23% | Estimate4.5 hrs with travel | Default$23.78/hr for 4.5 hrs | $628 20% |
| 80 gal electric (homepage)Unit price partly guessed | $2,995 | $2,243 Unit $2,000, parts $62, tax and fees $181 | $752 25% | Estimate4.5 hrs with travel | Default$23.78/hr for 4.5 hrs | $645 22% |
| Tankless water heaters | ||||||
| Tankless NPE-180S2 (2 bathrooms)Online prices; install parts estimated | $3,300 | $2,068 Unit $1,450, parts $450, tax and fees $168 | $1,232 37% | Estimate7 hrs with travel | Default$15.29/hr for 7 hrs | $1,125 34% |
| Tankless NPE-210S2 (3 bathrooms)Online prices; install parts estimated | $3,695 | $2,230 Unit $1,600, parts $450, tax and fees $180 | $1,465 40% | Estimate7 hrs with travel | Default$15.29/hr for 7 hrs | $1,358 37% |
| Tankless NPE-240S2 (4 bathrooms)Online prices; install parts estimated | $3,995 | $2,338 Unit $1,700, parts $450, tax and fees $188 | $1,657 41% | Estimate7 hrs with travel | Default$15.29/hr for 7 hrs | $1,550 39% |
| Water treatment | ||||||
| Softener 32KOnline prices; brand unknown | $1,285 | $932 Unit $751, parts $100, tax and fees $81 | $353 27% | Estimate3.5 hrs with travel | Default$30.57/hr for 3.5 hrs | $246 19% |
| Softener 48KOnline prices; brand unknown | $1,395 | $979 Unit $795, parts $100, tax and fees $84 | $416 30% | Estimate3.5 hrs with travel | Default$30.57/hr for 3.5 hrs | $309 22% |
| Softener 64KOnline prices; brand unknown | $2,295 | $1,070 Unit $879, parts $100, tax and fees $91 | $1,225 53% | Estimate3.5 hrs with travel | Default$30.57/hr for 3.5 hrs | $1,118 49% |
| RO 5-stage systemOnline prices for similar systems | $685 | $261 Unit $231, parts $10, tax and fees $20 | $424 62% | Estimate2.5 hrs with travel | Default$42.80/hr for 2.5 hrs | $317 46% |
| RO 5-stage alkalineOnline prices for similar systems | $765 | $302 Unit $269, parts $10, tax and fees $23 | $463 61% | Estimate2.5 hrs with travel | Default$42.80/hr for 2.5 hrs | $356 47% |
| Disposals | ||||||
| Disposal 1/3 hpPrices of equivalent models | $295 | $118 Unit $96, parts $13, tax and fees $9 | $177 60% | Estimate2.5 hrs with travel | Default$42.80/hr for 2.5 hrs | $70 24% |
| Disposal 1/2 hpPrices of equivalent models | $325 | $134 Unit $111, parts $13, tax and fees $10 | $191 59% | Estimate2.5 hrs with travel | Default$42.80/hr for 2.5 hrs | $84 26% |
Not counted yet: driving costs (about $23 for a 30-mile round trip at the IRS rate), card fees (2.9% plus 30¢ per card payment), insurance and other overhead, and warranty callbacks. What you change is saved in this browser only.
What it costs to win a customer
Cost per booked job is the price of a lead divided by the share of leads that book. Each range combines published studies checked September 14, 2026. None of them is a quote for Mesa.
Left after products and pay: $287
| Channel | Cost per lead | Leads that book | Cost per booked job | Left on this job after the lead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Local Services AdsNamed studiesPer lead (a call or message), set by weekly budget. Leads go to you alone. | $57 | 24–55% | $104 to $238 | $49 to $183 |
| Google Search adsNamed studiesPer click on your own ad. Leads go to you alone. | $78–129 | 48–58% | $162 to $222 | $65 to $125 |
| Facebook and Instagram lead adsRough estimatePer click or per lead form. | $45–80 | 12–15% | $333 to $593 | −$306 to −$46 |
| Angi (formerly HomeAdvisor)Rough estimateYearly membership plus a fee per lead. Each lead goes to 3 to 8 shops. | $40–85 | 8–20% | $200 to $1,063 | −$776 to $87 |
| ThumbtackRough estimatePer lead, no subscription. Several shops pay for the same lead. | $35–60 | 8–15% | $233 to $750 | −$463 to $54 |
| Yelp AdsRough estimatePer click, from $5 a day. Plans sold by Yelp’s sales team often run 12 months. | $30–150 | 15–30% | $100 to $1,000 | −$713 to $187 |
Booking more of your leads cuts every channel’s cost
The same $57 Local Services lead costs $104 per job when 55% book (the plumbers’ average, Invoca 2026), and $238 per job when 24% book (shops with fewer than 5 techs, ServiceTitan 2022). Only 45% of home services calls included asking for the appointment (Invoca 2026).
No grounded number yet
- Nextdoor adsNextdoor sells by click or view and publishes no prices. No source ties spend to leads or booked jobs.
- Postcards to new homeownersAbout $0.48–0.65 per postcard mailed. No study ties the mail to booked plumbing jobs.
- Past customers and referralsThe cheapest jobs to win, but nothing published measures a cost per job. Your own records will.
This compares a lead with one job. Repeat work from the same customer, like flushes, softener service and the next water heater, isn’t counted yet.
What would replace the estimates
- Your supplier prices for each unit. Every product cost above is a public price.
- Pay and hours per job, including driving, and who does the work.
- Monthly overhead and jobs per month, to spread insurance, phone and truck costs.
- Where your customers come from and how many calls book, to replace the industry rates.