These guides exist so that an owner can work out the economics without us. Each one takes a single question a boiler company faces, walks through it step by step with illustrative numbers, and ends with the mistakes we see most often. Read them before you call, or instead of calling; either way, you should come away with a figure you did not have before.
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What a boiler install is allowed to cost to win
Start from the contribution an install leaves after direct costs, decide what share you will spend to win it, then divide back through your close rate and visit rate. The result is a cost-per-lead ceiling for each boiler type.
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Parts margins, repair pricing and the ads that carry them
A boiler repair pays when its price covers the part, the technician, the truck and a margin. Your marketing should promise only what that structure can deliver, and should fund the repair searches whose contribution clears the cost of winning them.
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Does your boiler service agreement pay for itself?
An agreement breaks even when its fee covers the cost of delivering the included work. Its real value depends on renewal rate and on the repairs members bring, and both decide what you can spend to sign a new member.
What an install is allowed to cost to win
The allowable cost per install guide starts with the contribution a replacement leaves after direct costs, then works backwards through close rate and booking rate to a cost-per-lead ceiling for each boiler type.
It teaches three things in particular:
- why a combi replacement, a system boiler with indirect tank and a hydronic retrofit each need their own ceiling
- why revenue is the wrong starting point and contribution the right one
- which levers, such as close rate, booking rate or option structure, raise the ceiling most cheaply
If you only read one guide, read this one. It is the method behind our install pricing and unit-economics tracking work.
Whether your service agreement pays
The service agreement break-even worksheet costs the included visit, sets it against the annual fee, adds the effect of repair discounts and renewals, and arrives at a lifetime contribution per member.
From that figure it sets a ceiling for signing a new member and shows which lever matters most. In the illustrative example, renewal rate outweighs a fee increase, which is why renewal reminders deserve real attention. It also covers the consent rules that apply to those reminders under Canada's anti-spam law.
The worksheet is the basis of our service agreement programs.
How parts margins shape repair marketing
The parts margins and repair pricing guide breaks a repair invoice into part, labour, truck and contribution, then shows how that structure should decide which repair searches to fund and how repair ads should be worded.
It explains why "any repair" discounts tend to cost more than they bring in, how brand specialisation protects first-visit fix rates, and how advertised prices must respect the Competition Bureau's rules on drip pricing. It connects directly to our parts and repair margin service.
How to use the guides with your own numbers
The guides share one approach, and it works best in this order.
- Gather rough figures: sold prices by install type, your loaded labour rate, your plan fee and a sample of repair invoices.
- Work the install guide first, because its ceilings frame the rest.
- Run the agreement worksheet and note how much an agreement adds to each install.
- Review repair contribution and sort your repair searches against the ceiling.
- Write the ceilings down and judge every campaign against them for a full season.
Each guide labels its numbers as illustrative, and each one is a marketing planning method rather than accounting or tax advice. Your accountant should confirm cost figures and how to treat them.
What the guides deliberately leave out
The guides do not cover marketing channels in detail. That is intentional. Once you know what an install, an agreement and a repair may cost to win, the choice of channel becomes a measurement question rather than a matter of opinion, and the services overview explains how we answer it.
Where the guides stop
The guides cannot tell you what your costs are, what your market will pay, or how your province's licensing rules apply to your work. For costs, your books and your accountant are the source. For local context, our areas page outlines how fuel mix, regulators and programs differ across the country. For a second opinion on your own figures, call, text or email through the contact page.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need accounting software to use these guides?
No. A pencil, last year's invoices and a rough idea of your labour cost are enough for a first pass. Your accountant can help sharpen the cost figures later.
Are the numbers in the guides real market prices?
No. They are illustrative and chosen to keep the arithmetic easy to follow. Prices and costs vary by province, equipment and labour, so always substitute your own.
Which guide should I read first?
Start with the allowable cost per install guide, because the other two build on its method. If your biggest worry is a service plan that seems to lose money, start with the break-even worksheet instead.