SDM — Strategic Decision-Making Model · Adapted from Phoenix Regional Fire Dept SOP M.P. 201.01 for residential trades. Use this on every property visit — arrival through signed contract. Speed of identifying critical factors is the key to achieving profitable objectives.
Property Visit — Field Guide
Free Estimate SOP · Blue Collar Pay SDM · Adapted from Phoenix Regional SOP M.P. 201.01
01
Arrive & Size Up
Appraise the magnitude of this property visit
Walk the entire property before touching anything. Identify what is critical. Disqualify what is not. Speed matters.
Professional arrival — branded van, uniform, introduce yourself
Walk full property before committing to anything
Identify every visible issue — don't just fix the obvious
Assess complexity — how many issues, how accessible?
02
Critical Factors
3 categories — identify what matters on this visit
Not all factors are critical on every visit. Identify which ones matter here. Equally important to disqualify what doesn't.
1. Customer
Availability & attitude
Communication style
Existing customer?
Do we have full story?
Is this the end user?
On the same page?
2. Trade Awareness
Water supply located?
Valves & controllers?
Walk system in 5 min?
Can isolate issue?
Accessible?
3. Request for Service
Scope defined?
Diagnose now?
Create plan now?
Warranty work?
Quote on site?
03
Strategic Decision
YES or NO — do we do business with this customer?
Are any critical factors blocking profitable objectives? Make the call. Both decisions are valid SDM outcomes.
✓ Offensive
→Make the contract
→Critical factors are clear
→Customer is aligned
→Scope can be defined
→Job is profitable
✕ Defensive
→Refuse service — protect company
→Customer not aligned
→Scope can't be defined
→System inaccessible
Defensive is not failure.
04
Profitable Objectives
Assign package · add materials · sign contract
Assign the right labor package to each scope item. Bundle where appropriate — your judgment call. Add materials at your markup. Present and close.
SC
Service Call ½-hr slot
A
Pack A 1-hr slot
B
Pack B 2-hr slot
C
Pack C Half day
D
Pack D Full day · 2-man
The Bid Rule — Round Up. Always.
These are time slots, not time estimates — each one covers the whole commitment: estimate trip, load-out, drive, work, pack-out, calls. 30–45 min of work bids as a 1-hr slot. 1½–1¾ hrs bids as a 2-hr slot. Work that eats the day is a day — bid the D. Never round down. Finish early? Call the office and add a smaller slot. Over-bid a small job and you shrink your own day — honest bidding is the best-paying move on the board.
Package Multipliers — Field Judgment
Multipliers price complications inside the slot — the digging that makes a 1-hour repair a harder hour. If the complication needs more time than the slot holds, that's not a multiplier — round up to the next slot. Size up first — price it in before the contract.
1.0×Standard — typical scope
1.25×Minor access or added complexity
1.5×Flooded box, tight access, unusual conditions
1.75×Ladder work, custom fit, significant extra time
Examples: Flooded valve box = Pack A × 1.5 · Elevated fixture with ladder = Pack A × 1.75 · Overgrown access = Pack A × 1.25 · Custom-fit on non-standard equipment = Pack B × 1.5
Labor Package+Materials × Markup=Total Invoice
Labor covers overhead + net profit + your commission — the price sits above the company's floor and yours. Discount the package and the discount comes out of your check. Materials are always separate.
💬
Communication first
Are we on the same page? Peace of mind established? Customer confident in scope and you as the contractor.
📋
Contract = profitable objective achieved
Overhead covered. Net profit target hit. Commission earned. Customer satisfied. That's the complete outcome.
↻ Forecast Loop
As new information emerges during the visit, re-enter the size-up. Critical factors can change — an offensive decision can become defensive. The SDM never stops processing. Same model as the fire ground. Different scene.