A followable field guide for plumbing contractors who still price from the truck.

It answers one stubborn question: what does this job actually cost, and what will you miss if you guess?

You get four bid types (service call, water heater or repipe, remodel sub-bid, commercial or TI from drawings), the cost stack (loaded labor, marked-up materials, overhead, profit), 2026 national sanity-check ranges, the walkthrough misses that wipe a commercial job, and print-ready checklists.

This is not a get-rich trades course. It is a decision-ready book you open before you send the number. Ranges are national 2026 planning figures. Your supply house, wage, and AHJ still win.