Spreadsheet vs Jobber / Housecall Pro vs pricing books
There are three common ways a solo handyman or small remodeler works out what to charge. Here they are side by side.
Full disclosure. We make True Rate, the spreadsheet kit in this comparison. We've tried to be fair to the other options and to say when one of them fits you better. Features and pricing change, so check each company's current site before you decide.
The short answer
- 1
Pricing spreadsheet
For one person, or one person and a helper, who mainly needs the right number. It tells you what an hour costs you, what to charge for each task and whether your estimates held up.
- 2
Field-service software
For businesses with several techs or crews that need scheduling, dispatch, online booking, invoicing and card payments in one system. Jobber and Housecall Pro are two of them, and they're good at that job.
- 3
Pricing / cost books
For looking up typical labor times or regional costs on tasks you don't do often, or when insurance or bid work calls for a published reference.
Side by side
| Question | Spreadsheet (True Rate) | Field-service software (Jobber, Housecall Pro, etc.) | Pricing / cost books |
|---|---|---|---|
| How you pay | One-time $39 | Monthly or yearly subscription. Check current pricing on each vendor's site. | Usually by the edition or by the year. Check current pricing. |
| Where prices come from | Your own overhead, pay goal and billable hours | Whatever you enter into your price list | Published averages, often regional |
| Finds your loaded hourly rate | Yes, that's the starting point | Usually not the focus. You bring the rate. | No. They give labor times or costs, not your overhead. |
| Markup vs margin help | Built-in converter | Varies by product | Varies |
| Estimate vs actual | The "Was I Right?" tracker, filled in by hand | Job-costing reports on some products and plans | No |
| Scheduling and dispatch | No | Yes, a core strength | No |
| Invoicing and card payments | No. You get a client estimate and text templates for asking to be paid. | Yes | No |
| Crew and team management | No | Yes | No |
| Works on a phone | Yes, in the Google Sheets app | Yes, dedicated apps | Depends on the format (print, PDF or online) |
| Your data | A file you own in your Drive or computer | Hosted on the vendor's platform. Export options vary. | Reference data only |
| Learning curve | Fill in one tab (My Numbers) | Account setup, then your price list, client list and workflows | Learn the book's structure and adjust for your area |
When software is the better choice
- You have (or are about to have) multiple techs or crews to schedule and dispatch.
- You want customers to book online and pay by card from an invoice link.
- You run recurring service work: maintenance plans, repeat visits.
- You want scheduling, invoicing, client history and payments in one place and the subscription is worth it to you.
If that's you, a spreadsheet won't replace it. You might still use a loaded-rate calculation to set the prices you put into the software.
When a spreadsheet is enough
- You're solo and your customers pay by check, cash, Zelle or a payment app.
- Your problem is the number (under-bidding), not the schedule.
- You don't want another monthly bill for features you won't use.
- You want to see and change the math yourself.
Start with the free Am I underpriced? calculator. It uses the same formula as the kit.
How pricing books fit in
Pricing and cost books are good at telling you roughly how long a task takes or what it usually costs. They can't know your truck payment, your insurance or how many hours a week you can bill. Use a book's labor times as a sanity check, then price those hours at your own loaded rate.
Common questions
What is a loaded hourly rate?
The hourly rate that covers your business overhead and your own pay, spread over the hours you can bill, not every hour you work. The formula is (monthly overhead × 12 + yearly pay goal) ÷ (hours per week × weeks per year × billable %).
What's the difference between markup and margin?
Markup is what you add to your cost. Margin is the share of the price you keep. A 30% markup gives about a 23% margin. To keep 30%, you need about a 43% markup.
Can I use True Rate alongside Jobber, Housecall Pro or Joist?
Yes. Work out your rate and task prices in the spreadsheet, then enter those prices into whichever software you use.