Glossary
Pricebook
A pricebook is the structured catalogue of services, labour rates, and materials used to generate flat-rate quotes in the field. In HVAC and plumbing, a production-grade pricebook has 500-5,000 line items.
Pricebook — a structured catalogue of services, labour rates, and materials used by field technicians to generate accurate flat-rate quotes and invoices directly from the field, without calling the office.
In field service management, the pricebook is the bridge between what the technician does and what the customer gets invoiced. A well-structured pricebook enables a technician to quote a price and close the job on-site, reducing “I need to check with the office” callbacks that delay job closure and reduce close rates.
HVAC pricebook requirements (where it matters most)
HVAC is the trade where pricebook quality is the primary FSM selection criterion. A production-grade HVAC pricebook includes:
- Equipment-tier pricing: different labour rates based on unit age (0–5yr, 6–10yr, 10+yr) — because older units take longer to diagnose and repair
- Refrigerant-type variants: R-22, R-410A, R-32 require different pricing for refrigerant recovery and recharge
- Flat-rate service items: 500–5,000 standardised service items with defined labour hours and material costs
- Recurring maintenance contract templates: annual AC tune-up + heat-check packages with configurable pricing
- Multi-zone pricing: different rates for commercial vs residential, or for specific geographic zones
A pricebook that lacks equipment-tier pricing or refrigerant variants forces HVAC technicians to call the office for every non-standard job — negating a core benefit of FSM software.
Pricebook quality by tool (SMB to enterprise)
| Tool | Pricebook quality | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| ServiceTitan | ★★★★★ | Enterprise HVAC, 500+ items with full tier logic |
| FieldEdge | ★★★★ | Mid-market HVAC, strong tier logic, cheaper than ST |
| Housecall Pro MAX | ★★★★ | SMB HVAC with flat-rate needs, MAX tier only |
| Workiz | ★★★ | Non-HVAC trades or HVAC with fewer than 300 items |
| Jobber | ★★ | Plumbing, electrical, general handyman; inadequate for HVAC scale |
| Connecteam | ★ | Not a pricebook tool; general workforce management |
The pricebook setup cost
Building a production-grade HVAC pricebook from scratch is labour-intensive. Verified estimates from contractor community reports:
- DIY (using software’s import tool): 40–120 hours of staff time to structure and import 500–2,000 items
- Outsourced to a pricebook consultant: £5,000–£15,000 for a production HVAC pricebook (verified from contractor forums)
- Vendor-assisted (ServiceTitan): included in enterprise implementation but requires the £5,000–£15,000 setup engagement
This setup cost is a real barrier that most FSM comparison sites do not include in their “total cost of ownership” analysis. For a 5-tech HVAC shop considering ServiceTitan, the pricebook setup alone adds 1–4 months’ worth of software cost.
Why this matters when choosing
For non-HVAC trades (lawn care, cleaning, general handyman, electricians without complex billing), pricebook quality is a secondary concern — a basic service catalogue with a few hundred items is sufficient.
For HVAC shops: the pricebook is the primary selection criterion. A tool with a weak pricebook (Jobber, Workiz above 300 items) forces manual quoting, reduces technician close rates, and eliminates the primary operational ROI of FSM software.
If your close rate on quoted jobs is below 60%, a pricebook gap is the most common cause.
Related: add-on creep · total cost of ownership · ServiceTitan review