Blog

Notes from the trades

Real talk on pricing, hiring, marketing, and the software decisions that actually move a home service business forward.

Local guide

Running a home service business in Houston: a local market guide

How Houston home service companies win jobs, from Gulf Coast humidity to fast-growing suburbs like Katy and The Woodlands.

Local guide · July 2026
Local guide

Running a home service business in Dallas-Fort Worth: a local guide

How DFW home service companies handle explosive suburban growth across Plano, Frisco, Arlington, and beyond.

Local guide · July 2026
Local guide

Running a home service business in Atlanta: a local market guide

How Atlanta home service companies handle traffic, humidity, and sprawl from Marietta to Decatur.

Local guide · July 2026
Local guide

Running a home service business in Phoenix: a local market guide

How Phoenix home service companies handle extreme heat, pools, and monsoon season across Scottsdale, Mesa, and Gilbert.

Local guide · July 2026
Local guide

Running a home service business in Chicago: a local market guide

How Chicago home service companies handle freeze-thaw winters, old housing stock, and dense suburbs.

Local guide · July 2026
Local guide

Running a home service business in Tampa: a local market guide

How Tampa Bay home service companies handle humidity, hurricane season, and snowbird demand across St. Petersburg and Clearwater.

Local guide · July 2026
Local guide

Running a home service business in Denver: a local market guide

How Denver home service companies handle dry air, big temperature swings, and growth across Aurora, Lakewood, and Boulder.

Local guide · July 2026
Local guide

Running a home service business in Charlotte: a local market guide

How Charlotte home service companies ride explosive growth across Concord, Huntersville, Matthews, and Rock Hill.

Local guide · July 2026
Local guide

Running a home service business in Nashville: a local market guide

How Nashville home service companies handle a booming market across Franklin, Murfreesboro, and Brentwood.

Local guide · July 2026
Local guide

Running a home service business in Las Vegas: a local market guide

How Las Vegas home service companies handle desert heat, pools, and new builds across Henderson and Summerlin.

Local guide · July 2026
Business

Why am I always busy but not making money?

The busy-broke trap, and how to price your way out of it.

Business · July 2026
Marketing

How do I get more customers for my home service business?

Where new work actually comes from, ranked by return.

Marketing · July 2026
Business

How do I stop no-shows and last-minute cancellations?

Simple systems that keep your schedule full and your techs paid.

Business · July 2026
Business

Why do customers ghost me after I send a quote?

What silence after an estimate really means, and how to close more.

Business · July 2026
Business

How do I compete with the cheap guy without lowering my price?

Win on trust and speed instead of racing to the bottom.

Business · July 2026
Finance

How do I get paid faster on completed jobs?

Close the gap between finishing the work and seeing the money.

Finance · July 2026
Finance

How much should I charge for a service call?

A straight answer built from your real numbers.

Finance · July 2026
Business

How do I keep my techs busy in the slow season?

Smooth out the calendar so you are not scrambling in the off months.

Business · July 2026
Marketing

Why are my Google reviews not bringing in leads?

Having reviews is not enough. Here is what actually moves the needle.

Marketing · July 2026
Team

How do I know I am ready to hire another tech?

The signs it is time, and how to hire without gambling.

Team · July 2026
Software

What is field service software?

A plain-English guide to the software category home service businesses actually run on.

3 min read · July 2026
Software

The best field service software for growing HVAC companies

What to weigh when your HVAC shop outgrows a basic tool.

3 min read · July 2026
Software

Jobber vs Housecall Pro: an honest comparison

Two popular tools, how they actually differ, and a third option.

3 min read · July 2026
Software

The hidden costs of add-on pricing

Why the sticker price is rarely the whole story.

3 min read · July 2026
Software

How to migrate from Jobber without losing data

A calm, practical guide to switching tools cleanly.

3 min read · July 2026
Software

What a big software implementation actually looks like

Before you sign, understand the commitment.

3 min read · July 2026
Software

When your home service business outgrows a starter tool

The signs it is time to move up.

3 min read · July 2026
Software

AI tools for home service businesses: what actually works

Cutting through the hype to the useful parts.

3 min read · July 2026
Software

Mobile-first vs desktop-first software

Why where you work should decide what you buy.

3 min read · July 2026
Software

What to look for in software you can scale with

Buy for the shop you are becoming.

3 min read · July 2026
Software

The hidden cost of DIY onboarding

Why setting it up yourself is rarely free.

3 min read · July 2026
Software

Why white-glove onboarding changes the switching conversation

When setup is handled, the fear of switching fades.

3 min read · July 2026
Business

How to price an HVAC maintenance membership

Build a plan customers keep and that pays you every month.

3 min read · July 2026
Business

The four-truck problem: hiring your first office manager

The scaling breakpoint every growing shop hits.

3 min read · July 2026
Business

Why your invoices keep getting paid late

And the simple system that fixes it.

3 min read · July 2026
Business

Setting up recurring revenue for home service businesses

How to build income you can count on.

3 min read · July 2026
Business

How to handle emergency callouts profitably

After-hours work should pay for the disruption.

3 min read · July 2026
Business

Going from five to fifteen techs: what changes

The systems that have to grow with your headcount.

3 min read · July 2026
Business

How to build standard operating procedures for home service businesses

Write down how you win, so everyone can repeat it.

3 min read · July 2026
Business

Building a dispatch function that scales

Turn scheduling from a scramble into a system.

3 min read · July 2026
Business

Cash flow management for growing home service businesses

Growth eats cash. Here is how to stay ahead of it.

3 min read · July 2026
Business

Should you buy another home service business?

A grounded look at growth by acquisition.

3 min read · July 2026
Business

Franchising vs independent ownership for home service businesses

The trade-off between a playbook and your freedom.

3 min read · July 2026
Business

How to set and hit revenue targets

Turn a big number into a daily plan.

3 min read · July 2026
Marketing

Getting more Google reviews for home service businesses

Timing, wording, and follow-up that actually work.

3 min read · July 2026
Marketing

Local SEO basics for HVAC companies

How to show up when neighbors search.

3 min read · July 2026
Marketing

Facebook ads for plumbing companies

A simple structure that does not waste money.

3 min read · July 2026
Marketing

How to write service descriptions that convert

Plain words that turn readers into calls.

3 min read · July 2026
Marketing

Direct mail that still works for home service businesses

An old channel that still delivers when done right.

3 min read · July 2026
Marketing

Building a referral program for home service businesses

Turn happy customers into your best salespeople.

3 min read · July 2026
Marketing

Nextdoor and neighborhood marketing for home service businesses

How to win the recommendation threads.

3 min read · July 2026
Marketing

How much should a home service business spend on marketing?

A sane way to set your budget.

3 min read · July 2026
Marketing

Website basics for home service businesses

What your site actually needs to do.

3 min read · July 2026
Marketing

Growing through partnerships with realtors and property managers

Steady work from people who need you often.

3 min read · July 2026
Team

Hiring your first technician

The move that turns a job into a business.

3 min read · July 2026
Team

Managing dispatchers in a growing shop

Give your dispatcher the authority and the tools to win.

3 min read · July 2026
Team

How to handle tech callbacks

Treat callbacks as data, not drama.

3 min read · July 2026
Team

Paying technicians fairly: hourly vs commission

The pay model shapes the behavior you get.

3 min read · July 2026
Team

Training programs for home service companies

Grow your own talent instead of only buying it.

3 min read · July 2026
Team

How to conduct a ride-along interview

See the real person before you hire.

3 min read · July 2026
Team

Reducing tech turnover in a hot labor market

Keeping good people is cheaper than replacing them.

3 min read · July 2026
Team

Building a culture that attracts good techs

Reputation as an employer is a growth strategy.

3 min read · July 2026
Team

The role of a general manager in a home service business

When and why to hire above yourself.

3 min read · July 2026
Team

Handling difficult customer conversations

Turn tense moments into loyalty.

3 min read · July 2026
Trade

Pricing strategies for HVAC companies

Flat rate, seasonality, and protecting your margin.

3 min read · July 2026
Trade

How plumbing companies can charge more for emergency calls

Price the emergency, not just the wrench.

3 min read · July 2026
Trade

Roofing material margin tracking

Where roofing profit quietly leaks.

3 min read · July 2026
Trade

Garage door spring replacement pricing

Price the lifecycle, not just the part.

3 min read · July 2026
Trade

What HVAC, plumbing, roofing, and garage door owners have in common

Different trades, the same business.

3 min read · July 2026
Trade

A2P registration explained for home service businesses

Why your texts do or do not get delivered.

3 min read · July 2026
Trade

Electrical contractor pricing in a competitive market

Compete on value, not the lowest number.

3 min read · July 2026
Trade

Landscaping business seasonal cash-flow planning

Smooth out the feast and famine.

3 min read · July 2026
Trade

Cleaning business recurring service agreements

Turn one-time cleans into steady income.

3 min read · July 2026
Trade

Pest control recurring revenue playbook

The trade built for subscriptions.

3 min read · July 2026
Finance

Tracking gross margin in a home service business

The number that tells you if the work is worth it.

3 min read · July 2026
Finance

QuickBooks vs purpose-built trades software

Accounting is not field service.

3 min read · July 2026
Finance

Tax strategies for growing home service companies

Keep more of what you earn, legally.

3 min read · July 2026
Finance

Labor burden: what you actually pay per hour

Your tech costs more than their wage.

3 min read · July 2026
Finance

Benchmarking your callback rate against the industry

Know your number and where it should be.

3 min read · July 2026
Finance

Reading your P&L as a home service business owner

The one report you should actually understand.

3 min read · July 2026

See it on your own jobs.

Book a working session with the Lakehouse team. Bring a real job, a real estimate, and a real question about running your business. We will show you how Lakehouse handles it.

Book a demo