About
The founder story, how the trade packs were researched, and how the engine guarantees the math — every price yours to adjust.
Where the numbers come from
Every price ScopeToSign shows comes from a resolver that computes in integer cents through a fixed pipeline — never a language model. Default prices live in two researched trade packs (28 plumbing tasks, 12 HVAC). This page explains where those defaults come from, how a scenario is computed, and what "researched defaults" means.
Where default prices come from
28
plumbing tasks
Water heaters, fixtures, drains, water service, gas, and sump/sewage — each with formulas, add-ons, and forgotten-item rules.
12
HVAC tasks
Cooling, heating, heat pumps, ductwork/IAQ, and maintenance — tonnage- and zone-parametric with Good/Better/Best tiers.
2
shipped packs
Plumbing and HVAC ship today. Each default is researched from published trade data and labeled a researched default.
When you install a pack, it becomes your price book — every labor rate, markup, and material price is editable. The defaults are a fast, honest starting point, not a ceiling.
How a scenario is computed
Money is integer cents from end to end — there is no floating-point arithmetic on a price. The resolver runs one fixed pipeline, in this order:
- cost, then sell price (labor and materials from your book)
- option overlays (the Good/Better/Best steps)
- discounts (as negative lines)
- fees and pass-throughs (a permit is billed at cost plus admin — never marked up)
- rounding
- taxable base, then tax, then total, then deposit
The same resolver runs live in the builder as you tap and again on the server before anything is stored — the server number is the one that counts.
A real example, line by line
Here is the exact output for a 50-gallon gas water-heater replacement with an expansion tank, drain pan, permit, and haul-away — priced by the actual engine from the plumbing pack. The total is $2,028.70. Notice the permit sits at cost plus admin with no markup, and the review engine flags the items a low quote “forgets.”
| Line item | Notes | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Labor — lead | $405.00 | |
| Gas tank water heater | $897.00 | |
| Water flex connectors (×2) | $46.20 | |
| Gas flex + valve | $52.80 | |
| Vent connector kit | $39.60 | |
| Expansion tank | commonly forgotten — caught by review | $95.70 |
| Labor — Expansion tank | commonly forgotten — caught by review | $54.00 |
| Drain pan + line | commonly forgotten — caught by review | $75.90 |
| Labor — Drain pan + line | commonly forgotten — caught by review | $67.50 |
| Permit | pass-through — at cost, never marked up | $225.00 |
| Haul-away / disposal | commonly forgotten — caught by review | $70.00 |
| Total | $2,028.70 |
These numbers are generated by the product and checked in code against the engine, so what you read here can never quietly drift from what the software actually computes.
Named quote scenarios, and what “researched defaults” means
How calculator scenarios are generated
The named scenarios on our calculators (Good at low labor, Better at high labor, and so on) are produced by running the real resolver with stated assumptions — the labor rate, tank size, venting, and code add-ons are all printed next to the number. Nothing is illustrative; each figure is a genuine engine result for the inputs shown.
What “researched defaults” means
Researched defaults are drawn from published trade pricing data and encoded into a pack, then computed by our resolver. They are a fast starting point, not a specific contractor’s quote — and the moment you install a pack, every one becomes editable in your own price book.
Written by Ashesh Dhakal · The numbers are real resolver output; every price is yours to adjust in your own price book.
Research sources & update cadence
Default prices are researched from published trade pricing data and published equipment and labor references, then encoded into a pack and computed by the resolver. Nothing is scraped from a competitor’s quote, and no figure is invented.
Content and pack defaults are updated on an evidence basis, not a schedule: a page changes when the numbers change, and we update the “last updated” date only when the content actually changed — we don’t re-date unchanged pages to look fresh. See our editorial policy for the full gate every page must clear.
Related
Editorial policy
The five-point editorial gate, our founder byline and sourcing policy, corrections policy, and AI-drafting disclosure.
Pricing
Free to build estimates and send three proposals; Pro is $49/mo or $490/yr for unlimited sends.