Sell with Code
Show them, don't tell them.
"Is that really required?" is the most expensive question in the trades. Answer it with the city's own rule, on your phone, in front of the customer. Then text them a link so they can read it again after you leave.
The problem
Code upgrades sound like upsells.
When a quote includes work the customer didn't expect, like a deeper sewer line, a different gas test, or a backflow device, it can sound like padding. The last contractor may have skipped it. Your word against theirs loses jobs and margin.
Trust gap
Customers can't check the code themselves, and most don't know every city adopts its own version.
Price pressure
Doing it right costs more than doing it cheap. Without proof, the cheaper bid looks just as good.
Failed inspections
Skipping a local requirement to win the bid can mean rework, re-inspection and a callback later.
How it works
Three taps at the kitchen table.
Pull up the exact local rule and hand them the phone. It's the city's rule, not your opinion.
Tap your city
GPS picks the jurisdiction you're standing in, or choose it from the list.
Tap the topic
Sewer depth, gas test, venting, backflow. Or just say it out loud.
Show the customer the official rule
The local amendment, the code section and the adopting ordinance, right on screen.
Then send it
A link your customer can read after you leave.
Big decisions get made after the truck pulls away, often with a spouse or landlord who wasn't in the room. Share with customer sends a clean page with the rule, a plain-English explanation, the official source and your name and number.
Talking points for techs
How to use it without sounding like a salesman.
Lead with the city, not the price
"Every city here adopts its own version of the code. Here's what [city] requires." It frames the work as their city's rule.
Hand them the phone
Let them read the rule and the ordinance number themselves. Proof they hold beats proof you describe.
Be honest about the status
If an amendment is marked Unverified, say so. Show them the source and the date it was checked.
Send the link before you leave
The share page answers the "let me think about it" conversation you won't be there for.
Do
- Show the local rule and its source
- Explain why it matters (freezing, safety, inspection)
- Point to the official code link for the final word
Don't
- Present a summary as legal advice
- Claim a rule is required if it's marked Unverified without checking
- Use it to pressure. Use it to explain.
From the field
Contractor stories
We'll share real experiences from Colorado contractors after launch, with their permission.
Win the job the honest way.
Show the rule. Send the link. Do it right the first time.