"The Price Is The Price."

"We Don't Haggle. Here's Why."

"No Fluff. No Games. No Negotiation."

What We Believe (The Short Version)

→ Our first number is our final number — itemized, transparent, and verifiable.

→ Haggling assumes someone is lying. We'd rather just be honest from the start.

→ When you squeeze a price, you're not squeezing a spreadsheet — you're squeezing real people.

→ Scripture, the Quran, and secular law all agree: dishonest weights are wrong.

→ We show our work. Check our math against manufacturer pricing and industry standards.

→ Proper funding creates proper attitudes. Spirit determines quality more than skill.

Not convinced? Keep scrolling. We'll show you the receipts.

"Before we talk numbers, we need to talk philosophy."

If you're the kind of person who believes every price is a starting point … that the real number only emerges after a few rounds of back-and-forth … we should probably shake hands and part ways now. No hard feelings. Genuinely. We're just not going to be a good fit.

We don't haggle. We don't negotiate. We don't "sharpen our pencil" over the weekend and come back with a different number.

The first number is the final number. It's also the best number. It's itemized, transparent, and verifiable. You can check our material costs against the manufacturer's published pricing. You can run our labor rates against industry standards. You can ask your AI of choice if we're being fair.

We welcome the scrutiny. We just don't welcome the fight.

Why would anyone run a business this way?

Because haggling assumes something ugly about both of us.

If you come back with a counteroffer, you're saying — whether you realize it or not — that you believe we came in high. That we padded the numbers. That there's fat to trim. That we're here to take more than is right.

And if we cave and lower the price? Now we've confirmed it. We've just admitted we were trying to overcharge you. What does that say about us? What does that say about every other number on the proposal?

We don't play that game because we didn't build our proposal that way. There is no cushion. There is no buffer. The number is the number because the materials cost what they cost, the labor takes what it takes, and the company has to keep operating.

Two good people can do good business. But only if both sides believe the other one is being honest.

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"What Haggling Actually Reveals"

"The Hidden Cost of Needless Negotiation"

"Why Haggling Hurts Everyone"

Haggling feels normal. It's how business has been done for centuries in bazaars and boardrooms alike. It feels savvy. Strategic. Like you're protecting yourself.But let's slow down and look at what's actually happening when you push back on a price.

Haggling is an accusation.

When you counter a proposal, you're making a claim — whether you say it out loud or not: "I believe you came in higher than you needed to. I believe there's room to move. I believe you're trying to take more than is fair."

That's an accusation. You're saying the other person's motives are impure.Now flip it around. If the contractor caves and drops the price, what just happened? They confirmed your suspicion. They admitted the first number wasn't real. So now you're doing business with someone who just proved they were willing to overcharge you.

How does that build trust? How does that relationship go well over months of construction and years of warranty service?

Haggling requires someone to lie.

For haggling to work, at least one party has to be dishonest.Either the seller inflated the price knowing they'd negotiate down — which means the original number was a lie. Or the buyer pushes for a discount on a price that was already fair — which means they're asking the seller to eat a loss or cut corners.

There's no version where both sides are telling the truth and haggling still makes sense. The math doesn't work. If the price was honest, there's nothing to negotiate. If there's room to negotiate, the price wasn't honest.

We'd rather just be honest from the start. Haggling costs more than it saves.

Think about what negotiation actually burns:

Here's what actually happens when a job gets haggled down: The materials don't change much — manufacturers set those prices. The company overhead doesn't disappear. So where does the cut come from?

The crew.

Maybe they lose their production bonus. Maybe lunch doesn't show up. Maybe we're running one helper short. Maybe we're pushing guys to work early or stay late to make up for lost margin.

The guys on the crew know when they're working a squeezed job. They feel it. And that feeling matters more than most people realize.

We believe spirit determines quality more than skill does. A motivated crew with average skill will outperform a demoralized crew with elite skill every single time. Attitude drives craftsmanship. When guys know they're being taken care of, they bring their best. When they're stretched thin on a job that got hammered on price? They frown. They rush.

It's not usually the materials that fail on a roof. It's the manpower. Lack of care. Lack of focus. Proper funding determines service quality. The dopamine trap.

Here's the uncomfortable truth: haggling feels good. There's a little rush when you "save" a few thousand dollars. Gotta walk away with the trophy.

But what did you actually win? A contractor who either lied to you initially or is now underwater on the job. A relationship that started with conflict. A crew that knows they're working a squeezed contract. That dopamine hit costs more than it's worth.

We're not here to fight you.

We don't assume you're trying to hurt us. We assume you're a reasonable person who wants a fair deal and a good outcome. All we ask is that you extend the same assumption to us.

We're not here to gouge. We're not here to pad. We're here to do good work at a fair price. If you believe that, we can do business. If you don't, we understand — but we're probably not your contractor.

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Three Doors. Same Conclusion.

We did the homework. We dug into the ethics of haggling — not just from a "this is how we feel" perspective, but from a "what do the actual authorities say" perspective.

Turns out, every major moral framework lands in the same place. Holy books, philosophers, federal regulators — they all agree that dishonest weights and squeezing people because you can is wrong.

Pick the door that fits your worldview. They all lead to the same room.

What Scripture Says

The Bible doesn't whisper about this. It uses the word "abomination" — which literally means something that makes God sick to His stomach.

Open This Door →

What the Quran Teaches

There's an entire surah that opens with "Woe to those who give less than due." The command is clear: full measure, just weights.

Open This Door →

What Law & Ethics Demand

Not religious? The FTC, philosophers from Kant to Rawls, and consumer protection law all land in the same place.

Open This Door →

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DOOR ONE

God Has an Opinion on Your Business Practices

If you believe the Bible carries authority — if you think God's opinion on how humans treat each other actually matters — then you should know what He says about honest weights, just measures, and the way the rich tend to treat the poor.

He's not neutral on this. The word "abomination" shows up a lot.

That's a strong word. In Hebrew, it carries the idea of something that makes God sick to His stomach. Something He finds disgusting. Not just "frowned upon" — disgusting. And He uses it repeatedly when talking about dishonest business practices.

"A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is His delight."
— Proverbs 11:1

"Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the LORD."
— Proverbs 20:10

"Divers weights" means having different standards for different people. One price for the rich guy, another price for the poor guy. God says both are equally disgusting to Him.

"Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small... But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have: that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee."
— Deuteronomy 25:13-16

The rich oppressing the poor. Scripture doesn't just condemn dishonest scales in the abstract. It specifically warns about power dynamics — about those with leverage using it to squeeze those without.

"Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate: For the LORD will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them."
— Proverbs 22:22-23

"Because he is poor" — meaning, because it's easy. God says don't do it precisely because you can.

"He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth Him hath mercy on the poor."
— Proverbs 14:31

"Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth."
— James 5:4

What about the tax collectors? Tax collectors in Jesus' day were notorious for padding their collections. John the Baptist's instruction was simple:

"Exact no more than that which is appointed you."
— Luke 3:13

Fixed pricing. Just weights. Exact what is right and not a penny more. The pattern is clear. God wants one standard for everyone. Honest measures that don't shift based on who's buying or selling. No exploitation of those with less power or knowledge.

Exact pricing — not inflated, not negotiable, just right.

If you believe the Bible, this isn't ambiguous. Fixed, just pricing aligns with God's heart. Haggling does not.

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DOOR TWO

The Quran Opens a Whole Surah With This

If you follow Islam, you already know that business ethics aren't optional. They're woven into the faith. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was a merchant. Trade is honored. Commerce is legitimate.

But commerce has rules.

Surah Al-Mutaffifin — "The Defrauders". This is Surah 83. It opens with a warning:

"Woe to those who give less than due, who, when they take a measure from people, take in full. But if they give by measure or by weight to them, they cause loss."
— Surah Al-Mutaffifin 83:1-3

"Woe" — that's not a suggestion. That's a curse. And it's aimed at people who demand full measure when they're receiving but shortchange others when they're giving.

Full measure. Just weight. No exceptions.

"Give full measure and do not be of those who cause loss. And weigh with an even balance. And do not deprive people of their due and do not commit abuse on earth, spreading corruption."
— Surah Ash-Shu'ara 26:181-184

"And O my people, give full measure and weight in justice and do not deprive the people of their things and do not commit abuse on the earth, spreading corruption."
— Surah Hud 11:85

The repetition matters. When the Quran repeats a command across multiple surahs, it's establishing a principle.

Justice applies to everyone.

One thing you won't find in the Quran: a carve-out for dealing with non-Muslims.

"O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm for Allah, witnesses in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness."
— Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:8

Even if you hate someone — even if they've wronged you — you must still deal justly with them. Justice isn't conditional on whether you like the other party.

"Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression."
— Surah An-Nahl 16:90

"And do not consume one another's wealth unjustly or send it in bribery to the rulers in order that they might aid you to consume a portion of the wealth of the people in sin."
— Surah Al-Baqarah 2:188

The verdict. Some people assume there's a loophole — that Islamic business ethics apply only between Muslims. That's not what the text says. The command is universal: full measure, just weight, don't deprive anyone of what's due. No exceptions based on the other party's faith.

Fixed, just pricing aligns with Quranic ethics. Haggling — demanding full value while giving less — does not.

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DOOR THREE

No Holy Book Required

Maybe you don't believe in God. Maybe you think holy books are ancient literature with no bearing on modern commerce. That's fine. We're not here to convert you.But we are here to show you that the case against haggling doesn't require faith. The secular world — law, philosophy, economics — lands in the same place.

The legal framework.

Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. §45)

Prohibits "unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce." Variable pricing that isn't clearly disclosed can be considered deceptive.

Robinson-Patman Act

Established that price discrimination can be illegal when it harms competition. Variable pricing based on customer leverage isn't just unethical — it can be unlawful.

Indiana Deceptive Consumer Sales Act

Right here in Indiana, the law prohibits "unconsented to" and "deceptive" acts in consumer transactions.Professional ethics codes.

Better Business Bureau Standards

BBB accreditation requires businesses to advertise honestly, tell the truth, and honor promises. Variable pricing based on negotiation pressure violates the spirit of these standards.

National Roofing Contractors Association Code of Ethics

The industry's own professional body requires members to deal fairly and honestly with customers, provide accurate estimates, and avoid bait-and-switch pricing. Contractors who inflate proposals expecting to negotiate down are violating their own industry's ethical standards.

The philosophers weigh in.

Immanuel Kant — The Categorical Imperative

"Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law." If every business haggled, commerce would collapse into chaos. You'd never know the real price of anything. Fixed pricing passes Kant's test. Haggling doesn't.

John Rawls — The Veil of Ignorance

What rules would you choose if you didn't know which position you'd occupy? If you didn't know whether you'd be the savvy negotiator or the uninformed customer? You'd want fixed, just pricing.

Jeremy Bentham — Utilitarianism

Fixed pricing saves everyone time, reduces conflict, creates market efficiency, and eliminates exploitation of the uninformed. Haggling does the opposite.

The economic argument.

Every negotiation has transaction costs: time spent haggling, emotional labor, information asymmetry exploitation. Studies in the Journal of Marketing Research show that transparent pricing increases customer trust, reduces anxiety, and improves satisfaction scores.

The historical argument.

Fixed pricing in America didn't happen by accident. It was a reform. In the 19th century, most retail involved haggling. Prices varied based on the customer's race, class, or appearance. Department stores like Woolworth's adopted fixed pricing specifically to eliminate discrimination. One price for everyone. No exploitation of the uninformed.

‍Fixed pricing was a moral advancement. Going back to haggling is going backward.

The efficiency argument.

Let's do the math. If haggling adds 30 minutes to each transaction: your time wasted ($50-100), our time wasted ($50-100), combined loss per transaction ($100-200). Over 100 customers per year, that's $10,000-20,000 lost to haggling.
Not in discounts — in pure waste. Time that could have been spent on actual work.

The reputation argument.

What do customers complain about most? "They quoted X but charged Y." "Price kept changing." "Felt like I was being taken advantage of." Consumer Reports recommends avoiding businesses that won't provide written estimates or have "negotiable" pricing. Your reputation depends on consistency. Haggling destroys consistency.

Haggling is the primitive option. Fixed pricing is civilization.

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"We Show Our Work"

"Check Our Math. Seriously."

"Big-Ticket Transparency for Every Job"

Here's a dirty little secret about commercial roofing: if your job is under $300,000, most contractors hand you a bundled number. One line. Take it or leave it. Itemization is a courtesy reserved for the big dogs.

We think that's backwards.

Three categories. That's all there is.

We welcome the audit.
Run our numbers through Claude. Ask ChatGPT if our pricing is reasonable. Google the manufacturer's published cost. Check our labor rates against industry standards.
We're not scared of scrutiny. We built the proposal to survive it.

An apology on behalf of the industry.
We're sorry. On behalf of every contractor who ever underestimated a job and came back asking for more money. On behalf of every contractor who overestimated and you never knew you overpaid.

Don't think of us as just another contractor. We're trying to be different. We're trying to be ethical.

One thing we ask: when you're checking our numbers, compare fairly. We don't install 1988 technology. We don't put rubber on roofs — that's expired chemistry. We don't spray silicone. We have a whole website about why that's silly: siliconeissilly.com.

Traditionally, only the $300,000+ jobs get full itemization. Complete transparency. Line-by-line breakdowns. We're bringing that standard down to every job we do.Your 15,000 square foot facility gets the same detailed breakdown as a 100,000 square foot distribution center.

You shouldn't have to spend a quarter million dollars to deserve honesty.

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You're Not Negotiating With a Corporation

When you push back on a price, you're not sticking it to some giant corporation with a stock ticker. You're not outsmarting a machine. You're taking money out of someone's grocery bags.

This is Luis.

Luis is our lead installer. He's got a wife and four kids — number five just arrived 2 months ago. He shows up at 7 AM. He works past dark when the job requires it.When a job gets squeezed, Luis feels it. Maybe not directly in his paycheck, but in the tension on the job site. In the corner-cutting he's asked to ignore. In the lunch that didn't show up.

Why would you want to squeeze him?

Proper funding creates proper attitudes.

When a job is funded properly: guys get production bonuses, lunch shows up, we have the right equipment, the crew goes home on time to see their families.
When a job gets haggled down: bonuses disappear, guys buy their own lunch, equipment gets improvised, guys work late and come back resentful.

Same crew. Same skills. Completely different results.

We're not hiding behind a logo.

This isn't a franchise. There's no distant ownership group. No shareholders demanding quarterly returns. No private equity firm skimming off the top. It's us. Real people. Trying to run an ethical business in an industry that doesn't always reward ethics.

We're asking you to see us.

Not as vendors. Not as a line item in your capital expenditure budget. Not as an adversary to be defeated. Just as people. Trying to do good work. Trying to take care of our families. That's all.

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Your Turn

We've been talking for a while now. You've heard our stance, our reasoning, our convictions. Now we want to hear from you.

Not because it's polite. Because we actually want to know what you think.

We might be wrong.

If you've built a thriving business on the backbone of hard negotiation — if haggling has served you well for decades — we want to hear that story. Genuinely. If there's a hole in our logic, show us. We're not fragile. We can handle disagreement.

Tell us your story.

Maybe you've been burned by a contractor who padded their numbers. Maybe you learned to haggle because you had to — because everyone was trying to take advantage of you and fighting back was survival. We get it. We're not judging your past. We're just asking you to consider a different future.

Come on the podcast.

If you disagree with everything on this website, we'll hand you a microphone. Literally. Come make your case. We'll be respectful. We'll let you talk. Then we'll have an actual conversation — not a debate where we're trying to win, but a dialogue where we're both trying to understand. The invitation is real.

Or just say hello.

You don't have to have a hot take. Maybe you just read this whole thing and thought, "Huh. I never looked at it that way." Cool. Tell us that. The door is open. Real people will read what you write and respond like humans.

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Thoughts on ethical business, transparent pricing, and treating people right in commercial construction.

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Your Questions Answered

Real questions from real people about pricing, haggling, and how we do business differently.

Why won't you negotiate on price like other contractors?

Because negotiation assumes our first number was inflated. If it was, why would you trust anything else on the proposal? We give you the real number first — itemized, transparent, and verifiable.

How do I know I'm getting a fair price if I can't negotiate?

You know because we show you everything. Every line item. Every material cost. Run our numbers through Claude or ChatGPT. Google the manufacturer's pricing. We welcome the audit.

What if I find a cheaper quote from another contractor?

Make sure you're comparing apples to apples. If their quote is a bundled number with no itemization, you don't know what you're buying. That 20% savings has to come from somewhere.

What's included in your pricing? Any hidden fees?

Everything is included, nothing is hidden. Materials, labor, and company operations — all itemized. No surprise fees. The number we quote is the number you pay.

Why do you bring religion into business?

We don't force it — that's why we built three doors. Scripture, Quran, and secular law all land in the same place. If you're not religious, door three shows the FTC and philosophers agree too.

Why don't you install rubber roofs or spray silicone?

Because it's 2024 and there's better technology. Rubber is 1988 chemistry. We install modern systems with real warranties we actually stand behind.

Every contractor negotiates. Why are you different?

Because the negotiation game is broken. If a contractor's first number isn't real, what else isn't? We opted out entirely. Our first number is calculated from actual costs — no cushion to negotiate away.

Who actually does the work? Do you subcontract?

Our crew does the work. Real people with names and families — like Luis, our lead installer. We don't subcontract to random crews. The people on your roof are people we've trained and stand behind.