Controversial take: Free estimates are killing your business.
Not the concept. The execution.
Here's what's happening
Customer calls five contractors. Gets five free estimates. Spends zero dollars. Takes your ideas to the cheapest guy.
You just worked for free. Again.
But what if you did this instead
"I don't do free estimates. I do $99 Design Consultations.
You'll get a professional mockup of your yard showing exactly what your project will look like. We'll review 2-3 design options, discuss materials, and I'll provide a detailed quote.
If you move forward with the project, that $99 is credited toward your total.
If not, you keep the mockup to use however you'd like."
What just happened?
- You filtered out tire-kickers
- You positioned yourself as a designer, not a bidder
- You got paid for your time
- You created something valuable they can't get from your competitors
- You're not forgettable anymore
"But won't customers just go to someone offering free estimates?"
Some will. The tire-kickers. The price shoppers. The ones you don't want anyway.
The serious buyers—the ones with real budgets who value premium work—will happily pay $99 for clarity.
These are your ideal customers. They understand that quality isn't cheap. They're looking for expertise, not the lowest bid.
And here's the kicker:
Your close rate on paid consultations will be 3-4x higher than free estimates.
Why? Because they're invested. Literally. They've already bought into working with a premium contractor.
How premium contractors make this work
You need to create those mockups FAST. That's where YardPal comes in.
Take a photo during the consultation. Design 2-3 options in YardPal (takes about 5 minutes total). Show them on your iPad right there.
"Which design do you like best?"
Close rate? 60-70%. At full price.
The math for premium contractors
Old way: 10 free estimates per week = 3 closes (30% rate) = $45K in sales
New way: 6 paid consultations per week = 4 closes (67% rate) = $60K in sales
Plus: $2,400/month in consultation fees (even from non-buyers)
You're making more money while doing LESS estimates—and closing premium jobs at full price.
YardPal is built for premium contractors: One complete business system for unlimited professional mockups, AI proposals, and deal tracking.
[Join premium contractors → YardPal.net]
Stop racing to the bottom. Start selling premium quality at premium prices.