Good, Better, Best — the tiered quote that raises your average ticket

Short version: instead of one number, quote three versions of the job — Good (does the job), Better (what you'd recommend), Best (the full treatment). Anchor pricing does the selling: most clients pick the middle tier, some pick the top, and almost nobody feels sold to — because they made the choice. Contractors who switch to tiered quotes routinely see average tickets rise 15–40%.

Why one price loses money

A single-price quote frames a yes/no decision, and "no" is free to say. Worse, the client has nothing to compare your number against except a competitor's — so the comparison becomes your price vs. their price instead of *this version vs. that version of the job.*

Three tiers change the psychology completely:

• The decision becomes which, not whether. You're negotiating scope, not existence.
• The middle looks reasonable by design. Anchored between a stripped-down Good and a premium Best, Better feels like the smart pick — because it is.
• The upsell sells itself. You never pitch the upgrade; the quote does, in writing, without pressure.

Building the three tiers

Good — does the job, honestly

The legitimate minimum: quality work, standard materials, nothing gold-plated *and nothing you'd be ashamed of.* Good is not a decoy — if a client picks it, you should be happy doing it profitably. If your Good tier embarrasses you, price it out of embarrassment or fix its scope.

Better — what you'd actually recommend

The job the way you'd do it for your own house: mid-grade materials that last, the prep done right, the details handled. Price it 20–35% above Good. This is the tier you expect to sell — build it first, then derive the other two.

Best — the full treatment

Premium materials, extended warranty, the extras they mentioned wishing for during the walkthrough ("while you're at it…" items belong here). Price it 25–50% above Better. Best exists partly to be picked — and partly to make Better look sensible. Both outcomes pay you.

The mistakes that kill tiered quotes

1. Tiers that differ only in price. Each tier needs visibly different scope or materials the client can understand in one read.
2. A decoy Good. Clients smell a fake option — and it torches trust in the other two numbers.
3. Too many choices. Three tiers, not five. Choice overload sends people back to "let me think about it."
4. Hiding the differences. Line out what changes between tiers explicitly — the delta is the sales pitch.

Doing it without triple the work

The historical objection to tiered quotes is that they take three times as long to build. That's solved: in JobPricer, describe the job once and ask the AI for Good/Better/Best — it drafts three versions from your pricebook and rates, you adjust, and the client picks their tier right on the quote portal. Tiered pricing is included on the Business plan.

Frequently asked questions