Why Your Field Service Pricebook Drifts From Real Cost
ServiceTitan and every field service app freezes material cost the day you build the book. How pricebook material cost drift quietly eats your job margin.
By Emily10 min read
Tag
estimating
22 articles tagged estimating from the CheckMySupply invoice audit desk.
Construction Input Costs vs Bid Prices: 8.4% vs 3.5%
Construction input costs rose 8.4% year over year while bid prices rose 3.5%. Here is where that 4.9-point gap lands, and what you can still do about it.
By Jordan10 min read
ENR Construction Cost Index Explained for Contractors
The ENR Construction Cost Index explained: what a blended index can settle in a contract, what it misses on your materials, and when to name a BLS PPI.
By Jordan12 min read
AGC Construction Inflation Data: How to Use It in a Bid
What AGC's construction inflation data on materials actually says each month, which figures belong in your bid, and how to use them as an escalation exhibit.
By Jordan10 min read
Construction Material Price Index Tracking, by Trade
Construction material price index tracking, series by series: the exact free BLS indexes for copper wire, plastic pipe, steel, ductwork and HVAC gear, with links.
By Jordan12 min read
Reading the Producer Price Index for Construction Materials
The producer price index for construction materials is free, monthly, and usable in ten minutes. Here is how to pull a series, read it, and not misuse it.
By Jordan10 min read
Refrigerant Price Increases Every HVAC Contractor Feels
A refrigerant price increase hits an HVAC contractor where nothing is checked. Here is how refrigerant, line set and sheet metal drift, and how to track them.
By Reena10 min read
PEX vs Copper Cost Comparison for Contractors, 2026
A PEX vs copper cost comparison contractors can actually use: what the BLS producer price series show in 2026, and how to price both off your own invoices.
By Reena9 min read
Electrical Gear Lead Time and Price Escalation Exposure
Electrical gear lead time turns into price escalation exposure the day you sign. Here is how price protection actually works on panels, breakers, and gear.
By Reena12 min read
The Contractor's Guide to Trade Material Costs in 2026
A trade material costs guide for contractors: what BLS index data says about electrical, plumbing and HVAC material in 2026, and which lines to watch.
By Reena11 min read
Stacking HVAC Rebates: Utility and Federal Rules
Stacking HVAC rebates from utility and federal programs is allowed but rule-bound. Here is what breaks a stack, and how to write the estimate so it holds.
By Alex9 min read
Owner Rejects Your Escalation Clause? Four Answers
When an owner rejects your escalation clause, the job is not over. Here are the four objections owners actually raise and the answer that moves each one.
By Emily13 min read
How to Write a Material Escalation Clause That Pays Out
How to write a material escalation clause: picking the threshold, the cap and the index, with real BLS series IDs and the arithmetic worked line by line.
By Emily12 min read
ConsensusDocs 200.1 Price Escalation vs AIA A201
ConsensusDocs 200.1 price escalation is a real standard clause. AIA A201 has no equivalent. Here is what each document actually gives you, and what to add.
By Emily9 min read
Material Price Escalation Clause: How to Get One Accepted
How a material price escalation clause works in construction contracts: the named index, the trigger, the cap, and what to say when the owner pushes back.
By Emily10 min read
Bid vs Actual Material Cost: How to Measure the Gap
Bid vs actual material cost analysis in one hour a month: what to compare, where the numbers come from, and how to feed the gap back into the next bid.
By Emily11 min read
How to Compare Supplier Quotes and Catch Missing Items
The low quote often wins by leaving things out. How to compare supplier quotes for missing items, level the scope, and stop paying full price for the gaps.
By Emily9 min read
Approved Equal Substitution: What It Does to Material Cost
An approved equal substitution changes material cost in more places than the unit price. Here is what moves, who keeps the saving, and what to check first.
By Emily10 min read
Construction Buyout: Lock Material Pricing After You Win
Construction buyout is where material pricing stops being a guess. Here is the ritual that turns a winning bid into firm POs, held prices and a real tally.
By Emily11 min read
Takeoff to Purchase Order: The Material Price Gap
The takeoff to purchase order material price gap is where estimate accuracy is lost. Five leaks, the release checklist that closes them, and a running tally.
By Emily10 min read
How Long Should a Construction Bid Be Valid?
How long should a construction bid be valid when copper is moving? No rule sets it, your bid letter does. How to pick the window and what each week costs.
By Emily10 min read
Estimating Material Costs Under Price Volatility
Estimating material costs during price volatility is a system, not a bigger contingency. Date-stamped quotes, your own purchase history, and a closed loop.
By Emily11 min read