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Handyman Quoting Terms, Explained
Plain-language definitions for the terms handyman quoting software uses — pricing anchor, tier rating, driver score, service fee, and more.
What is a pricing anchor?
A pricing anchor is a real, already-priced job kept on file as a reference point — the job, the price, and why it was priced that way. When a new job comes in, it's compared against the closest anchor instead of being priced from a generic average, which is what makes quotes consistent with what the business owner would actually charge.
What is a tier rating?
A tier rating (typically Tier 1 through Tier 5) is a price band a job is placed into based on how it scores across a small set of factors — usually time, complexity, risk, and access. Tier 1 is the simplest, lowest-price band; Tier 5 covers the most demanding, highest-risk jobs. Tiers exist so every technician prices a given job the same way, without needing to reconstruct the owner's pricing judgment from scratch.
What is a driver score?
A driver score rates one specific factor that affects how hard a job is — commonly Time, Complexity, Risk, and Access — usually on a simple numeric scale. The combined driver scores determine which price tier a job falls into. Scoring on drivers rather than guessing a total price directly is what makes the pricing explainable: you can point to exactly why a job costs what it costs.
What is a service fee (or trip fee) in a handyman quote?
A service fee, sometimes called a trip fee or diagnostic fee, is a flat charge that covers a technician's travel and time getting to a job site and assessing the work, independent of how long the repair itself takes. It's usually included in the total price shown to the customer rather than itemized as a separate line.
What is a quoting playbook?
A quoting playbook is the full set of rules a business uses to price jobs consistently: its categories of work, its pricing anchors, its tier definitions, and any special rules (minimum charges, add-ons, licensing requirements). AI quoting software effectively turns a business's playbook into something every technician can apply automatically.
What does 'refining' or following up on a quote mean?
Refinement is sending additional information to correct or extend a quote that missed something — for example, telling the system the customer wants a different finish, or that access to the job turned out to be harder than the photo suggested. A well-built refinement re-evaluates the original job (photo included) rather than starting over from a blank slate, so the revised quote stays consistent with the original.
What is live materials pricing?
Live materials pricing means a quote's material costs are looked up from current supplier pricing at the time of the quote, rather than estimated from general knowledge that can go stale. It matters most for jobs with a meaningful materials cost — decking, fixtures, hardware — where prices can shift enough to matter.
See these terms in an actual quote
Quote Guide applies driver scores, tiers, and your own pricing anchors to every quote it generates. Five free quotes, no card required.
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