Margin One
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Insights for home service contractors
Jul 26, 2026
What Is a Healthy Technician Billable Utilization Rate?
Healthy technician billable utilization is 60 to 75 percent or higher; it is the share of paid hours that actually earn revenue, and it drives your labor cost.
Read postJul 26, 2026
Before and After M1COS: From Operating Chaos to Calm Control
Two desks, one business: the storm of scattered numbers before M1COS, and the calm of one reconciled dashboard after. Here is exactly what changes.
Read postJul 25, 2026
What Is a Good Revenue Per Technician for Home Services?
A good revenue per technician for home services commonly runs $250,000 to $350,000 or more per year, depending on trade and service-vs-install mix.
Read postJul 25, 2026
What Is a Good Maintenance Agreement Penetration Rate?
A good maintenance agreement penetration rate is 30 percent or more of your customer base on a recurring plan — members are the backbone of predictable revenue.
Read postJul 25, 2026
How Much Should Home Services Contractors Spend on Marketing?
Most home services contractors should spend about 5 to 10 percent of revenue on marketing, adjusted for how fast they want to grow.
Read postJul 25, 2026
What Is a Good Net Profit Margin for a Home Services Business?
A healthy net profit margin for a home services business runs 8 to 15 percent; sitting below about 5 percent is a warning sign.
Read postJul 24, 2026
What Is a Good Gross Margin for a Home Services Business?
A healthy gross margin for an HVAC, plumbing, or electrical business runs 50 to 60 percent, and dropping below 42 percent is your warning floor.
Read postJul 22, 2026
What Is Loaded Labor Cost? Formula, Example, and Calculator
The wage on the paycheck is the smallest part of what an employee costs. Loaded labor cost adds every employer cost and divides by the hours you can actually bill.
Read postJul 20, 2026
What Is a Good Cost Per Lead (CPL) for Home Services?
A healthy cost per lead for HVAC, plumbing, and electrical runs $50 to $150 depending on trade and channel, and the math is simpler than most owners think.
Read postJul 18, 2026
What Is a Good Estimate Close Rate for Contractors?
A good estimate close rate for contractors is 50 percent or better; below that, marketing spend is filling your board with work that never books.
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