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Home service cost guides

A cost guide answers the first question every homeowner asks: what should this actually cost? These guides break a project into line items so you can see where the money goes.

Each one calls out the permit fees and rebates that move the total, because the headline price is rarely the whole story.

How we price a project

A cost guide breaks a job into the line items a contractor actually bills: equipment, labor hours, permit fees, and the add-ons that show up on the final invoice. For a Level 2 EV charger install, that means the charger, the circuit run, any panel work, and the city permit, each as its own number.

We pull the ranges from real quotes in the metros we cover, then note where a line moves. A long conduit run from a detached garage, or a 100-amp panel already at capacity that needs an upgrade, can add more than the charger itself, so the guide flags those before the invoice surprises you.

Where the rebates change the math

The headline price is rarely what you pay. Federal credits like the 25C energy efficient home improvement credit and utility programs from APS, SRP, or TECO can cut a project by hundreds or thousands, and each carries its own eligibility rules.

Each guide names the programs that apply and what they require, such as a minimum SEER2 rating or a specific panel amperage. Knowing the rebate before you sign lets you ask the contractor to size the job so it qualifies.

Cost guides: common questions

Where do your cost ranges come from?
From the quotes our matched contractors send homeowners in the metros we cover, refreshed for the year the guide carries. They are not manufacturer list prices or national survey averages, which tend to run low once permits and local labor are added.
Why is the range so wide on some projects?
Because a few line items swing the total. A panel upgrade, a long wire run, or a permit in a strict jurisdiction can change a number by a wide margin. The guide breaks out those drivers so you can see which apply to your home.
Do the prices include permits and rebates?
The line items include permit fees where the jurisdiction requires them, and we list rebates separately so you see both the gross and net cost. Rebate eligibility depends on the equipment you choose, so we name the requirement rather than assume you qualify.
Will a contractor honor these numbers?
A cost guide is a sanity check, not a quote. Use it to judge whether a bid sits in a fair range. A number near the middle is normal; one far above it is worth a second quote from another pro we match you with.
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