Topic
Published Dispatch coverage connected to Gross Margin.
4 published stories
AnalysisBusiness, Finance & EconomicsThe Homeowner Is Getting Nervous Again. Contractors Need a Different Sales Play.Consumer sentiment slipped again in September as inflation expectations rose. For HVAC, plumbing and electrical contractors, the useful response is not a harder close. It is a clearer path through repair, replacement, financing and the fear of making an expensive mistake.TradeVulcan Dispatch Editorial Desk11 min
Breaking AnalysisBusiness, Finance & EconomicsDiesel Just Hit a Record $6.06. A 50-Truck Contractor Could Be Paying $153,000 More a Year.AAA's national diesel average reached a record $6.0556 a gallon on Sept. 11, up more than 63% from a year ago. Dispatch modeled what the increase means for 10-, 25-, 50- and 100-vehicle service fleets—and which operating levers contractors can still control.TradeVulcan Dispatch Editorial Desk13 min
Breaking AnalysisBusiness, Finance & EconomicsCopper Hit $6.89, Then Dropped More Than 4%. Contractors Should Treat the Volatility as a Pricing Problem.Copper futures hit a record near $6.89 a pound before falling more than 4% after a Reuters report that the White House has not made a final decision on refined-copper tariffs. For electrical, plumbing and HVAC contractors, the real risk is not predicting copper—it is quoting work with stale material assumptions.TradeVulcan Dispatch Editorial Desk13 min
AnalysisBusiness & OperationsHVAC Prices Are Going Up Again. Do You Actually Know Your Margins?Another round of HVAC equipment, parts and material increases is hitting contractors this fall. The bigger risk is not the increase itself — it is running a price book that no longer reflects what the work actually costs.TradeVulcan Dispatch Editorial Desk9 min