Pricing & pricebooks
Plumbing Pricebook Template: Services, Costs and Review Dates
A plumbing pricebook is a controlled list of services and prices, not just a column of dollar amounts. Include the scope, unit, cost assumptions, selling price, and review date so the team knows when an item is appropriate to use.
In this guide
Start with services you can define
Choose a small set of commonly quoted services rather than importing a huge catalog you have not reviewed. A price is only useful when the estimator knows the conditions and scope it covers.
Separate the customer-facing description from internal assumptions. The first explains the service. The second may record the expected labor, supplied items, access assumptions, or review trigger used to build the price.
The template below is a companion spreadsheet structure. It is not a claim that GoPlumber provides every field or automatically imports this exact format.
Copy the pricebook columns
service_code,service_name,customer_description,unit,included_scope,exclusions,internal_cost_basis,selling_price,price_basis,effective_date,review_date,owner,active
EXAMPLE-001,Defined service,Replace with assessed description,each,Replace with included scope,Replace with exclusions,Illustrative cost basis,0,review_required,2026-09-29,2026-10-29,owner,false
The example row is intentionally inactive and unpriced. Do not send an estimate using a zero price or unfinished description. Add your own verified costs and approved prices before making an item available to the team.
Give the price a recognizable unit
Use units such as each, hour, visit, or defined service consistently. If the item is a bundled service, describe what the bundle includes. Do not use an hourly-looking quantity when the customer is actually being quoted a fixed scope.
Keep equipment selections or uncertain quantities explicit. A generic service should not imply that every model, property, or access condition is covered by the same price.
| Field | Why it belongs in the pricebook |
|---|---|
| Service code | Stable lookup reference across revisions |
| Scope boundary | Prevents the wrong service from being quoted |
| Unit | Makes quantity and price interpretable |
| Cost basis | Allows a later review of the assumptions |
| Effective date | Distinguishes current and older pricing |
| Owner | Gives someone responsibility for updates |
Test one item from cost to invoice
Use a hypothetical service with $180 in defined costs and a proposed $300 selling price. The $120 difference is 40% of the selling price, but it is a 66.7% markup on cost. These figures illustrate arithmetic, not a target margin or market price.
Do not call that difference net profit unless the relevant overhead and other expenses have been accounted for. A service can meet a direct-cost target and still fail to cover the whole business's costs.
Use the item in a sample estimate, then compare the description with a sample completion note and invoice. If the handoff requires staff to rewrite the meaning each time, refine the item before adding more rows.
Set an update process
When a cost assumption changes, review the affected price rather than silently editing only the internal cost. Record who approved the new selling price and when it takes effect.
Do not overwrite the prices on previously approved customer estimates simply because the pricebook changed. Preserve the approved version and handle customer-specific changes through the appropriate process.
Archive retired items instead of reusing their codes for unrelated services. That keeps historical records understandable.
Keep the first version manageable
A useful first pricebook may cover only your most repeatable services. Complex or unassessed work can still require a custom estimate. The goal is consistent, explainable quoting—not forcing every plumbing job into a standard row.
The companion guides cover building the process, preparing import files, and checking margin calculations. Use this template as the working list they support.
Sources and editorial notes
Product and documentation references checked September 29, 2026. GoPlumber publishes this guide about its own product category. Examples and templates are original illustrative material, not customer case studies or market benchmarks. Confirm current vendor terms before acting.