Pricebook
Your Pricebook is a catalog of everything you sell—services, materials, and fees—with standard pricing. Instead of typing "$150" every time you create a job, you select "AC Diagnostic" from your Pricebook and the price fills in automatically.
Why use a Pricebook
Consistency. When your whole team uses the same Pricebook, everyone quotes the same prices.
Speed. Building a quote or invoice takes seconds when you're selecting from a list, not typing from memory.
Accuracy. No more fat-fingered prices or forgotten line items.
Analysis. Want to know which services generate the most revenue? Your Pricebook makes that data possible.
What's in the Pricebook
Services
Work you perform for customers.
| Example | Industry |
|---|---|
| AC Diagnostic | HVAC |
| Deep Tissue Massage (60 min) | Wellness |
| Lawn Mowing – Basic | Lawn Care |
| Haircut – Men's | Salon |
| Project Planning Session | Creative Agency |
| Private Dance Lesson | Dance Studio |
Services are the core of what you do. They're labor, expertise, time.
Materials
Physical items you provide or install.
| Example | Industry |
|---|---|
| Refrigerant (per lb) | HVAC |
| Hair Color – Full Head | Salon |
| Fertilizer Application | Lawn Care |
| Pool Chemicals | Pool Service |
| Canvas Print (16x20) | Photography |
Materials often have a cost and a sell price, so you can track margin.
Fees
Additional charges that don't fit neatly into services or materials.
| Example | Use case |
|---|---|
| After-hours fee | Work outside normal hours |
| Travel fee | Jobs far from your base |
| Rush fee | Expedited timeline |
| Setup fee | One-time onboarding |
Pricing units
Different services need different pricing models. HeyChief supports:
| Unit | Use case | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Each | Flat-rate services | "$89 diagnostic fee" |
| Hour | Time-based work | "$150/hour labor" |
| Visit | Per-appointment pricing | "$45/visit mowing" |
| Square foot | Area-based work | "$3.50/sq ft flooring" |
| Linear foot | Length-based work | "$8/linear ft pipe" |
| Custom | Quote required | "Call for pricing" |
When you add a line item to a job, you specify the quantity and the total calculates automatically.
Categories
Organize your Pricebook with categories. This makes finding items faster, especially if you offer many services.
Example categories:
| Business | Categories |
|---|---|
| HVAC | Diagnostics, Repairs, Installations, Maintenance |
| Salon | Haircuts, Color, Treatments, Styling |
| Lawn Care | Mowing, Edging, Fertilization, Cleanup |
| Photography | Sessions, Prints, Albums, Add-ons |
Categories are flexible—structure them however makes sense for your business.
Item details
Each Pricebook item has:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | What you call it ("AC Tune-Up") |
| Description | Optional detail shown on quotes/invoices |
| Category | For organization |
| Price | Your standard rate |
| Unit | How it's measured (each, hour, sq ft, etc.) |
| Cost | Your cost (for margin tracking, optional) |
| Taxable | Whether tax applies |
| Active | Whether it shows in the Pricebook |
| Duration | For appointments, estimated time |
Using the Pricebook
On Jobs
When you create or edit a Job, add line items from your Pricebook:
- Click "Add line item"
- Search or browse your Pricebook
- Select the item
- Adjust quantity if needed
The price, description, and tax settings pull in automatically.
You can also add custom line items for one-off charges that don't belong in your standard Pricebook.
On Quotes
When you generate a Quote from a Job, line items carry over. The customer sees a professional document with itemized pricing.
On Invoices
Same story. Generate an Invoice, and line items flow through. No re-entering.
Adjusting prices
Your Pricebook prices are defaults, not locks. You can always adjust on a specific Job:
- Give a loyal customer 10% off
- Charge more for a complex variation
- Add a discount line item
The Pricebook sets the baseline. You decide when to deviate.
Cost tracking and margins
For materials especially, you can track your cost separately from your sell price:
| Item | Cost | Price | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Refrigerant (lb) | $30 | $45 | $15 (33%) |
| Pool Chemicals | $25 | $40 | $15 (37%) |
| Hair Color | $12 | $45 | $33 (73%) |
HeyChief can report on margins by item, by job, or overall—so you know where you're making (or losing) money.
Building your Pricebook
Start simple. You don't need to add everything on day one. Start with your top 10-20 services and expand from there.
Be consistent with names. "AC Tune-Up" and "A/C Tune-up" and "Air Conditioner Tuneup" should all be the same item. Pick one name and stick to it.
Set realistic prices. Your Pricebook should reflect what you actually charge, not aspirational pricing.
Review quarterly. Costs change. Competition changes. Update your Pricebook to stay current.
Import and export
Have a price list in a spreadsheet? You can import it:
- Format with columns: Name, Description, Category, Price, Unit
- Upload the CSV
- Review and confirm
You can also export your Pricebook anytime—useful for sharing with accountants or reviewing offline.
Tips
-
Use descriptions for clarity. "Mowing – Basic" is okay. "Mowing – Basic (up to 5,000 sq ft, includes edging)" is better.
-
Don't delete, deactivate. If you stop offering a service, mark it inactive rather than deleting. Historical jobs will retain the link.
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Track time-based services accurately. If you charge hourly but estimate 2 hours for a job, add 2 as the quantity. This makes revenue per service hour reportable.
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Ask Chief. "What's my most popular service?" or "Which services have the highest margin?" Chief can answer from your Pricebook and job data.