Pricing was one of the hardest things for Colby Davis to figure out when he started Davis Painting. He knew he didn’t want to be the cheapest option, but he also didn’t want to price himself out of the market. Over time, he developed a framework that’s worked really well.
First, Colby stopped competing on price alone. There will always be someone willing to go cheaper, and that’s a race to the bottom he doesn’t want to be in. Instead, he focused on delivering more value: better communication, higher quality work, cleaner job sites, and faster turnaround times. When customers see that value, price becomes less of an issue.
Second, he got really clear on costs. Colby knows exactly what it costs to run a crew for a day, what their overhead is, and what margin they need to reinvest in the business and take care of the team. That gives him confidence when pricing jobs because he’s not guessing. He’s working from real numbers.
Third, Colby learned to walk away from bad-fit customers. If someone is only focused on getting the lowest price and doesn’t care about quality or service, they’re not a good fit for Davis Painting. He’d rather pass on that work and focus on customers who appreciate what they do.
Pricing is about more than just covering costs. It’s about positioning your business in the market and attracting the right kind of customer. Colby charges what his company is worth, and he sleeps well at night knowing they deliver on their promises.