What an honest upsell is
An upsell isn’t a pitch — it’s the work that genuinely belongs with the job you’re already doing. The driveway you’re plowing has walks that ice over. The lot you’re sealcoating has cracks that’ll eat the new coat from underneath. The gutters you just cleared will fill again unless guards go on. Naming that isn’t pushy; it’s the pro doing their job.
SideWRK turns it into a checkbox instead of a sales conversation. Add the extra as its own line, mark it optional, and when the customer opens the approval link they check the add-ons they want — the total updates live as they pick. The good-better-best close, without you standing there closing.
The add-on, by trade
On the route: walks, salt, and bins
Snow: the driveway’s plowed, so offer the walks and the salting as their own lines. Trash-bin route: the extra bin or the deodorizing rinse. Small adds, every visit, all season.
Before the finish: crack fill and prep
Sealcoating: crack fill goes on the estimate as its own line before the coats — the customer sees why the number moved and what it protects. Same story for concrete finish upgrades and a second coat of paint.
While the ladder’s up: guards, screens, stain
Gutter cleaning: downspouts and guards. Window cleaning: screens, tracks, hard-water treatment. Fence: staining and sealing the fence you just built. The trip’s already paid for — the add-on is pure sense.
Finish the job all the way: stumps and takedown
Tree work: the stump grind as a checkable line. Detailing: the engine bay or the wax package. Seasonal lighting: the takedown and storage. The customer picks, and you’re not leaving money on the truck.
How to offer an add-on
- 1
Spot it while you’re quoting
You already see it — the cracks, the bare walks, the screens. Add each one to the estimate as its own line, so the base job and the extras read separately.
- 2
Mark the line optional
Flip the line to optional. The base price stays the base price; the add-on is the customer’s call, not a padded quote.
- 3
They check what they want at approval
On the approval page the customer checks or unchecks each optional line and watches the total update live — then signs and taps Approve on the number they built.
- 4
Find more mid-job? Add work
If the extra shows up after you start — more rot, a second crack — add the work and the customer authorizes the new total before you do it.
- 5
Watch what the add-on really made
Every add-on line carries its own cost and price, so the Money tab shows what the upsell actually earned you, not just the bigger total.
Why the checkbox beats the pitch
Most operators hate upselling because it feels like selling. So the crack fill goes unmentioned, the walks stay icy, and the money stays on the table — even though the customer would’ve said yes if it was easy to say yes. An optional line at approval makes it easy: they see it, they pick it, no pressure on either side of the conversation.
It’s also better business than discount-hunting for new customers. The add-on rides on a trip you’re already making and a customer who already trusts you — the cheapest revenue there is. Put the deposit on the approved total (see deposits) and price each line the way your trade bills (see adding work), and the whole thing runs itself.
Upsells & add-ons — common questions
Isn’t upselling pushy?
A pitch is pushy. An optional line on the estimate isn’t — the customer sees the add-on, what it costs, and checks it themselves at approval. If they don’t want it, they leave it unchecked and the base job proceeds as quoted.
How do optional add-ons work in SideWRK?
Add the extra as its own line and mark it optional. On the approval page the customer checks or unchecks each optional line, the total updates live, and they sign on the final number. Their picks are part of the logged approval.
What if I find the extra work mid-job?
Use Add work. The new line goes on the job and the customer is asked to authorize the new total before you continue — so the add-on is approved, not argued about at the end.
Which add-ons should I offer?
The ones that genuinely belong with the job: salting on a plow route, crack fill before a sealcoat, guards after a gutter clean, the stump after a tree, stain on a new fence. If it saves the customer a second visit or protects the work you just did, it belongs on the estimate.