1. Build the options around a real customer decision
Ask what the customer is trying to improve before creating three prices. On a repaint, the decision might be whether to refresh the walls alone, include the ceiling, or also repaint the trim. Those choices answer a visible scope question.
The SBA's market research guidance encourages understanding demand, customer needs and alternative prices. Apply that thinking to the conversation: learn which differences matter here, rather than attaching three labels to an unchanged job.
If there are only two sensible scopes, offer two. Three packages are an organizing choice, not a required sales formula. An unsuitable third option wastes the customer's time and makes your recommendation harder to trust.
2. Give every option a complete, suitable baseline
Write the common requirements first: the identified surfaces, necessary preparation, protection, compatible products, cleanup and access arrangements. A lower-priced option should still be suitable for the work it includes. Do not make required preparation or safe work practices an upgrade.
For our hypothetical living-room repaint, all options include the specified preparation and protection for their included surfaces. Each uses the coating system assessed as suitable for that surface. Major repairs, doors, closet interiors and furniture moving remain excluded from every package.
Confirm measurements before building the alternatives. The small-room estimating guide explains why floor area alone does not define the wall scope.
3. Show complete package prices, not a running total
The following names, costs and prices are hypothetical. They illustrate three different scopes for the same room, not local rates. “Good, better, best” appears as a grouping aid; the descriptive names tell the customer what changes.
| Option | Included surfaces | Direct cost | Complete selling price |
|---|---|---|---|
| A — Walls / Good | Identified room walls only | $675 | $900 |
| B — Walls and ceiling / Better | Same walls plus the identified ceiling | $900 | $1,200 |
| C — Walls, ceiling and trim / Best | Same walls and ceiling plus the listed baseboards and window trim | $1,200 | $1,600 |
If the customer chooses B, the project price is $1,200. It is not $900 + $1,200. If they choose C, the price is $1,600, not the $3,700 sum of all three alternatives.
Each illustrative price uses a 25% gross-margin target: cost divided by 0.75. The amount above direct cost still has to cover overhead and other expenses. The margin calculation guide explains that boundary.
4. Cost the added work before setting the upgrade difference
Moving from A to B adds $225 of modeled direct cost and $300 to the selling price. Moving from B to C adds $300 of direct cost and $400 to the price. Those differences come from separate takeoffs and task allowances, not an arbitrary percentage applied to a premium label.
Shared setup should be counted once inside each complete package. The extra ceiling work may also require additional protection or equipment. Trim may add masking and detail time. Include those effects when calculating the alternative instead of pricing only the extra paint.
For the internal worksheet, cost each complete package independently and then compare the differences. That makes it easier to detect an option that accidentally omits a task included in its advertised scope.
5. Explain product differences without promising an invented lifespan
You can build alternatives around a meaningful product choice instead of added surfaces, but describe the difference specifically. The Sherwin-Williams sheen guide explains how finish affects appearance and performance. A finish selected for frequent cleaning may look different from the finish the customer prefers visually.
Name the actual product and sheen in each option. Verify suitability, coverage and application requirements for that product. Do not claim that a more expensive package lasts a certain number of extra years unless reliable product information supports that exact statement in the relevant conditions.
Keep product choices separate from scope choices where possible. Changing surfaces, finish, colors and schedule all at once makes it difficult for the customer to understand the price difference.
6. Ask for one clear selection
Please choose one complete option: A — Walls, $900; B — Walls and ceiling, $1,200; or C — Walls, ceiling and listed trim, $1,600. These are alternatives and are not added together. The selected option will be confirmed with its included work, exclusions and final project total.
Identify the estimate version and record the selected option by name, not just “the middle one.” If the customer wants a mixture, prepare a revised scope and total rather than asking them to add and subtract package prices.
An independent add-on can be listed separately, but label it as an addition and confirm compatibility with the selected package. Use the painting estimate fields to keep the final agreed scope together.
Options checklist before sending
- Each option answers a genuine customer need.
- Every package includes the necessary work for its own scope.
- Surface names, products and exclusions are specific.
- Each option shows its complete price.
- Shared mobilization is counted once per package.
- Alternatives are clearly separated from optional additions.
- The customer can select one option and identify the final total.
Check the final version with the contractor estimate checklist, including any applicable separately stated charges.
Questions about alternative estimates
Does the most expensive option have to be recommended?
No. Recommend the option that matches the customer's stated needs and explain why. Extra surfaces or a different finish may be unnecessary for their goal.
Should I write “most popular” on the middle package?
Only if you have accurate, relevant evidence for that claim. Otherwise use a descriptive scope label. The customer needs to understand the work, not an unsupported popularity claim.
What if the customer selects two alternatives?
Clarify whether they want one package or a custom combination. Confirm one coherent scope and total before scheduling. Do not interpret two selections as permission to add duplicated work.
Can the customer remove an item by subtracting the upgrade price?
Not necessarily. Shared setup and the remaining work may change the cost. Recalculate the requested scope and send a revised total.
Sources and further reading
About this article
Prepared for the Quote Your Jobs blog. Worked examples use illustrative assumptions, not customer case studies or local market rates. Replace them with the actual scope, supplier information and costs for your job.
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