What's the average ticket size by trade in 2026?

Average ticket size is the most-watched profitability metric in residential trade services because it captures pricing power, upsell discipline, and scope completeness in a single number.

Typical ranges (2026 US residential):

• HVAC service: $250-$450 per visit; $325-$550 average ticket including parts
• HVAC install/replace: $5,500-$12,500 (AC), $4,500-$10,500 (furnace), $7,500-$15,000 (heat pump)
• Plumbing service: $200-$400 per visit; $275-$475 average ticket
• Plumbing install (water heater, fixture, repipe): $1,200-$15,000 depending on scope
• Electrical service: $225-$425 per visit; $275-$500 average ticket
• Electrical install (panel, EV charger, generator): $1,500-$15,000 depending on scope
• Lawn care: $40-$80 per weekly mow; $1,500-$3,500 annual contract per residential property
• Pool service: $100-$200 monthly; $1,200-$2,400 annual; openings + closings $250-$500 each
• Pest control: $75-$125 per quarterly visit; $300-$500 annual residential contract
• Roofing service / repair: $400-$1,500 per visit
• Roofing replacement: $5,500-$12,500 (residential reroof)
• Cleaning (residential): $150-$300 per visit; $7,800-$15,600 annual at biweekly cadence
• Garage door repair: $250-$500 per visit; $750-$2,500 for opener replacement
• Pest control (commercial): $150-$400/month per location

What moves average ticket up:

1. Selling all options, not just the cheapest fix. Present customers with good/better/best — most pick the middle. 2. Adding scope when discovered. A tech doing a $200 repair who notices a $400 issue and quotes it is the difference between $200 and $600 average ticket. 3. Bundle pricing. "AC tune-up alone $150 / AC + duct cleaning bundle $325" lifts the bundle take rate. 4. Maintenance plan attach at completion. Convert one-off jobs to recurring contracts at job-end. 5. Premium service tiers. "Standard install" vs "premium install with smart thermostat + extended warranty" + 20-30%.

What suppresses average ticket:

1. Hourly billing on jobs that should be flat-rate. Hourly under-prices skilled work. 2. No upsell discipline. Techs that "just do what's asked" leave revenue on the table. 3. Ignoring discovered scope. Finding a $500 issue and not quoting it. 4. Pricing fear. Operating below market because you're afraid customers will say no. 5. Loss-leader pricing without conversion. "$49 service call" that doesn't reliably convert into substantial work.

The lift math:

A 5-truck residential service business doing 800 jobs/year at $400 average ticket = $320,000 revenue. Lift to $475 (still well within market for most trades) = $380,000 revenue. That's $60,000 incremental revenue with zero additional cost — pure margin, in a business with $80K-$150K of overhead.

Tracking:

FSM software surfaces average ticket per tech, per trade, per job type. Reporting tells you who's selling well and who's leaving money on the table. The single highest-leverage coaching surface in residential trade businesses.