Field Service Questions, Answered

1099 work

1099 vs W-2 for technicians: which pays more?

1099 vs W-2 technician pay compared: what self-employment tax, a truck, insurance and unpaid days do to a 1099 rate, with IRS sources and a formula.

5 min read

Pricing

Should plumbers charge flat rate or hourly?

Flat rate vs hourly pricing for plumbers, explained by who carries the time risk, with a formula for flat prices and the jobs where hourly still wins.

4 min read

Operations

How many calls can a technician run per day?

How many calls a technician can run per day, from paid hours, time on site and drive between jobs. The formula, a worked example and what raises the number.

4 min read

Pay

How much do electricians make?

How much electricians make, from BLS May 2025 data: median pay, the full percentile range, state differences and the license steps that raise your rate.

3 min read

Pay

How much do HVAC technicians make?

How much HVAC technicians make, from BLS May 2025 data: the median, the 10th to 90th percentile range, state differences and what moves your pay.

4 min read

Pay

How much do plumbers make?

How much plumbers make, from BLS May 2025 data: median pay, the 10th to 90th percentile range, top-paying states and how licensing moves your wage.

4 min read

Starting out

How much does it cost to start a plumbing business?

The cost to start a plumbing business, line by line, plus the break-even math that tells you how many jobs a month you need before you can stop worrying.

4 min read

Starting out

How much does it cost to start an HVAC business?

The cost to start an HVAC business, line by line, with a formula for the cash you need before the first truck pays for itself. No made-up averages.

5 min read

Costs

How much is a maintenance agreement customer worth?

How much is a maintenance agreement customer worth: a lifetime value formula from fee, visit cost, repair margin and renewal rate, with a worked example.

4 min read

Pricing

How much should an electrical contractor charge per hour?

How much an electrical contractor should charge per hour, built from full costs and billable hours, not a wage multiple. Formula and worked example.

4 min read

Costs

How much should you charge for after-hours service?

How much to charge for after-hours service: build the price from on-call pay, call-out minimums and drive from home, then set a floor and a premium.

5 min read

Licensing

How do you become a licensed plumber?

How to become a licensed plumber: the apprentice, journeyman and master path, what state boards usually require, and how to find your own state's rules.

4 min read

Careers

How do you become a solar installer?

How to become a solar installer: on-the-job training, NABCEP certification, state licensing, BLS pay and job outlook, and the safety side of the work.

4 min read

Careers

How do you become an HVAC technician?

How to become an HVAC technician: school vs apprenticeship, EPA 608 certification, state licensing, and a realistic timeline from helper to service tech.

5 min read

Operations

How do you choose a service area for a field service business?

How to choose a service area: draw it by drive time instead of miles, check job density and edge margin, and decide what happens to calls outside the line.

5 min read

Costs

How do you cut fuel costs for a fleet of service trucks?

How to cut fuel costs for service trucks: measure miles per job, cut backtracking at booking, tame idling and weight, and run the arithmetic on each fix.

5 min read

Dispatch

How do you dispatch without a full-time dispatcher?

How to dispatch without a full-time dispatcher: split it into booking, a morning check and exceptions, write the rules, and give each part a time block.

5 min read

1099 work

How do you find subcontract work in the trades?

How to find subcontract work in the trades as a 1099 tech: who sends overflow work, how to pitch them, how to vet a company and keep your week full.

5 min read

Growth

How do you get commercial service contracts?

How to get commercial service contracts as a small contractor, with the buyers to target first, the bid package, contract pricing math and public bids.

4 min read

Licensing

How do you get EPA 608 certification?

How to get EPA 608 certification: the four types, what the test covers, where to take it, proctored vs open-book rules, and why the card never expires.

4 min read

Customers

How do you get more Google reviews for a service business?

How to get more Google reviews for a service business: ask every customer at the right moment, in one tap, inside Google's rules on incentives and gating.

4 min read

Growth

How do you get more HVAC customers?

How to get more HVAC customers by booking the calls you already get, tracking cost per booked job, asking for reviews and selling maintenance plans.

4 min read

Growth

How do you grow a landscaping business?

How to grow a landscaping business by raising revenue per crew-day with route density, recurring contracts, add-ons and off-season work.

4 min read

Customers

How do you handle a customer who won't pay?

How to handle a customer who won't pay: a step-by-step escalation from reminder to demand letter to small claims, and the booking habits that prevent it.

5 min read

Dispatch

How do you handle a service job that runs long?

How to handle a job that runs long: find out by halftime, choose to finish, split or hand off, and tell the next customers before they start waiting.

4 min read

Operations

How do you reduce callbacks in a field service business?

How to reduce callbacks: sort your last 50 return visits into five causes, fix the biggest one first, and work out what each callback really costs.

4 min read

Operations

How do you set up an on-call rotation for field technicians?

How to set up an on-call rotation: size it from call volume, pick turn length and backup, set triage and pay rules, and protect the next morning.

4 min read

1099 work

How do you start subcontracting as an HVAC tech?

How to start subcontracting as an HVAC tech: licenses, EPA 608, insurance, a rate that covers your costs, and the terms to agree before job one.

5 min read

Operations

How do you track technician time in the field?

How to track technician time: split the day into drive, on-site and shop time, capture it from job status taps, and keep the records the law requires.

4 min read

Careers

Is HVAC a good career?

Is HVAC a good career? BLS projects 11% growth from 2025 to 2035 and about 40,600 openings a year. Here is the pay, the outlook and the real tradeoffs.

4 min read

Pricing

Should you charge a service call fee?

Should you charge a service call fee? Work out what a visit really costs, decide whether to credit it toward the repair, and tell customers upfront.

4 min read

Insurance

What insurance does a contractor need?

What insurance a contractor needs, by category, from general liability and commercial auto to workers' comp and bonds, and who sets the minimums.

4 min read

Pricing

What is a good profit margin for a service business?

What is a good profit margin for a service business? How to set your own target from owner pay, growth and reserves, and why published benchmarks mislead.

4 min read

Dispatch

What should you do when a technician calls in sick?

What to do when a technician calls in sick: a 30-minute triage order, who to call first, and how to keep one sick day from becoming a sick week.

5 min read

Careers

What tools does an HVAC technician need?

What tools an HVAC technician needs: hand tools, meters, refrigerant gauges, vacuum and recovery gear, safety equipment, and what shops usually supply.

4 min read

Hiring

When should you hire your first dispatcher?

When to hire your first dispatcher, with the warning signs, break-even math on missed calls and owner hours, and what to fix before the hire starts.

4 min read

Straight answers to the questions the trades actually ask.

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