The Lead That Wastes an Hour of Your Life
Your phone rings. Someone wants a fence quote. You drive 30 minutes to their house, spend 20 minutes measuring, 15 minutes talking, then drive 30 minutes back. You send the quote: $4,200 for a cedar privacy fence.
They reply: "Oh wow, I was thinking more like $1,500."
You just lost 90 minutes and $50 in gas on someone who was never going to hire you. And this happens 3-4 times a week.
Why Contractors Hide Their Prices
The standard advice is "don't share pricing until you've built value" or "every job is custom so I can't give a number upfront." That's agency talk from people who've never driven 45 minutes to a dead-end quote.
The truth is, having a minimum price does two things: it scares away people who can't afford you (that's a good thing), and it attracts people who can. A homeowner with a $6,000 budget sees your $2,500 minimum and thinks "great, I'm well within range." The one with a $800 budget sees it and moves on. Both outcomes save you time.
Where to State Your Minimum
On your website. Right on the services page: "Projects starting at $2,500." Not a full price list -- just the floor. This filters out the majority of unqualified leads before they ever fill out a form.
In your ads. Your Facebook ad copy should include it: "Cedar privacy fencing from $28/linear foot." The people who click through already know your price range. The ones who can't afford it scroll past -- and you don't pay for their click.
On your lead form. Add a budget question: "What's your approximate budget?" with ranges. Under $1,000 / $1,000-$3,000 / $3,000-$5,000 / $5,000+. Route the low-budget ones to an automated response instead of your sales team.
On the first phone call. Within the first two minutes: "Just so we're on the same page, our minimum for [service] starts at $[amount]. Does that fit within your budget?" If no, you just saved yourself a 90-minute round trip.
What About Losing Leads?
You will lose some leads. That's the point. The leads you lose are the ones that were going to waste your time, negotiate you down to nothing, and leave a bad review because they expected $800 work for a $400 price.
A painting company started putting "Interior rooms from $450, exterior from $2,800" on their website. Lead volume dropped 30%. But close rate went from 25% to 52%. Revenue went UP because the sales team stopped wasting time on unqualified leads and spent it on people who were ready to buy.
The math: 100 leads at 25% = 25 jobs. 70 leads at 52% = 36 jobs. Fewer leads, more work, less wasted time.
Minimum vs. Estimate
Be clear that you're stating a minimum, not an estimate. "Our projects start at $2,500 and typically range from $3,000-$8,000 depending on scope." This anchors expectations without boxing you in.
If someone balks at your minimum, they were never your customer. Better to find that out in 30 seconds on the phone than in 90 minutes at their house.
Bottom Line
State your minimum everywhere -- website, ads, lead forms, first phone call. You'll get fewer leads but close more of them, and you'll reclaim hundreds of hours per year that were being wasted on people who could never afford your service.