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How much can you spend to win one job?

The 5x rule: everything a job costs you in marketing should stay under one fifth of its gross profit. Enter your average job, margin and close rate to see your ceiling per signed job and per sit-down, ads included.

$14,000
$2K$100K
35%
10%70%
30%
5%80%
You can spend up to $294 per sit-down, ads included
Gross profit per job
$4,900
Max marketing per signed job
$980
Sit-downs per signed job
3.3

The 5x rule: marketing per job stays under one fifth of its gross profit. A planning tool, not a quote.

Roofing example

$14,000 job · 35% · 30%

Up to about $294 per sit-down.

 HVAC example

$12,000 system · 40% · 35%

Up to about $336 per sit-down.

 Remodeling example

$45,000 kitchen · 30% · 25%

Up to about $675 per sit-down.

How to read the result

  • Gross profit per job: average job × margin.
  • Max marketing per signed job: one fifth of that profit. Ads, agency fees and leads all count.
  • Sit-downs needed per job: 1 ÷ your close rate.
  • Max per sit-down: what you can pay for each homeowner who meets your team and still keep 5x.

Use it to compare offers

Convert any offer (per lead, per appointment, monthly retainer) into cost per sit-down using your real numbers from last month, then compare it with the result above. Read the 5x rule explained and pay per lead vs pay per appointment.

Why 5x?

Below 5x, marketing eats too much of the profit once overhead, callbacks and warranty work are counted. Between 5x and 10x most owners keep investing with confidence. It's a planning rule, not a guarantee of results.

Want appointments priced inside your 5x?

We set your price per sit-down from your numbers. One company per trade, per city.

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