This is a strategic decision that depends on your business model and market position. Let me break down the pros, cons, and your options.
The Benefits of Including Pricing
When you include pricing information in your FAQs, you gain several advantages:
Transparency builds trust. Homeowners appreciate knowing what to expect before they pick up the phone. When you're upfront about costs, you position yourself as honest and customer-focused, which matters in the home services industry where trust is everything.
AI visibility is becoming critical. Search engines and AI assistants like ChatGPT, Google's AI Overviews, and voice assistants increasingly pull from FAQ content. When someone asks "How much does a plumber cost in [your city]?" and your FAQ has that information, you have a chance to appear in those AI-generated results. Without pricing, you're invisible in these searches.
You pre-qualify leads. When prospects see your pricing upfront, those who call are more likely to be serious buyers within your price range. This saves your team time on unqualified leads and improves your conversion rate.
The Drawbacks to Consider
You might price yourself out prematurely. Some customers will see your range and assume the worst-case scenario without understanding the value you provide or the variables that affect pricing.
Competitors can use it against you. If you're priced higher than competitors, they can point to your published rates. If you're lower, you might be leaving money on the table or attracting only price-shoppers.
Pricing changes over time. You'll need to maintain and update your FAQs regularly as costs, labor rates, and material prices fluctuate.
Your Four Options
Option 1: Provide a Price Range
Example: "Water heater replacement typically costs between $1,200 and $3,500, depending on the type of unit, installation complexity, and whether any additional plumbing work is needed."
Best for: Services with predictable variables where you can confidently bracket the price. This gives transparency while accounting for differences in scope.
Option 2: Use "Starting At" Pricing
Example: "Drain cleaning services start at $150 for standard residential clogs."
Best for: Services where you have a clear minimum but significant variables. This anchors expectations while leaving room for upsells or complexity. It still helps with AI search visibility.
Option 3: "Contact Us for a Quote"
Example: "Every plumbing situation is unique. Contact us for a free, no-obligation quote tailored to your specific needs."
Best for: Highly customized work or when you compete primarily on value rather than price. However, this is the least recommended option because it provides no information for AI search results and creates an extra barrier for customers who want quick answers.
Option 4: Remove Pricing FAQs Entirely
Best for: Premium service providers in markets where pricing discussions happen only after relationship-building, or when your pricing structure is so complex that ranges would be misleading.
What Should I Do About Pricing?
For most home service businesses, Option 1 (price ranges) or Option 2 ("starting at") will serve you best if you want to appear in results for pricing-based queries.
Here's why:
You can reach homeowners during their consideration stage, when they're comparing options and gathering quotes. This gives you an opportunity to get your pricing in front of them early and potentially win their business.
The AI search landscape is changing rapidly. Homeowners are increasingly asking voice assistants and AI chatbots for pricing information before they ever visit a website. If you're not in that conversation with at least a range or starting point, you're losing opportunities to businesses that are.
You can mitigate the risks by including context around your pricing. Explain what factors affect the final cost, emphasize your value (licensed, insured, guaranteed work, same-day service, etc.), and make it clear that you provide free estimates for precise quotes.
A practical approach: Include pricing ranges in your FAQs with qualifying language, and use your website design to emphasize your value proposition alongside the numbers.
For example:
"How much does it cost to replace a water heater?" "Professional water heater replacement typically ranges from $1,200 to $3,500. The final cost depends on the type of heater (tank vs. tankless), capacity, installation complexity, and any necessary upgrades to meet current code. All our installations include a 1-year labor warranty, licensed and insured technicians, and same-day service in most cases. Call us for a free, exact quote: [phone number]."
This gives AI systems the pricing data they need, provides transparency to customers, qualifies your value, and still encourages contact for the exact quote.