Resources/Guides
Guides
In-depth, step-by-step guides on starting a remodeling business, selling kitchen and bath jobs and choosing software. Free to read, no sign-up.
In-depth guides
Licensing, insurance, business setup, pricing, contracts, leads and tools, in the order that matters.
Read the guide · 12 minThe first call, the in-home visit, design, budget, selections, proposals, closing and follow-up.
Read the guide · 11 minUsers, setup fees, contracts, data export, phones, payments and accounting, with published pricing side by side.
Read the guide · 12 minReference
Published cost benchmarks for eight common jobs, with sources and dates, plus trade wages from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
See the benchmarks →Contractor license rules for all 50 states and DC, summarized from official sources, with links to each one.
Find your state →Contracting terms in plain English, from allowance to zoning.
Read the glossary →Shorter reads are on the blog, and free downloads are in templates and tools.
Questions
Grow the parts that pay. Answer leads fast, price every job from your true costs and target margin, put every job and change in writing, and run jobs so clients refer you. Track where leads come from and which jobs made money, then do more of those. Our remodeling business checklist covers each step.
Price to profit, not to win. Don’t start work without a signed contract, keep business and personal money apart, follow your state’s deposit rules, pull permits, check every sub’s license and insurance, and follow up on every lead. Rules vary by state and this isn’t legal advice, so check your state in the license guides.
Yes. Every guide is free to read with no sign-up, and the templates and calculators they link to are free too. Templates come as a printable PDF plus an editable Word or Excel file, ready for your company name and license number. Browse the free templates.
Start with how your jobs run today and what slips. Then ask every vendor the same questions: users included, setup fees, contract terms, data export, phones, payments and accounting. Our contractor software buyer’s guide lists them with published pricing side by side. ECHOPS has a 14-day free trial with no credit card.
Try ECHOPS free for 14 days with your own leads and jobs. No credit card, and your workspace is ready in minutes.
Special price: your first 2 months from $49/mo. Limited spots, so sign up today.