What if your customers could buy a fully installed HVAC system, water heater, or generator directly from your website — at 2 a.m. — without ever talking to a salesperson?
In this episode, Justin Deese sits down with Paul Redman, Co-Founder of Contractor Commerce, the home services industry’s first true e-commerce platform for HVAC, plumbing, and electrical contractors. After 10 years working inside a major manufacturer, Paul saw how broken the buying process was for homeowners — and built the solution.
We dig into why putting pricing on your website is no longer optional, how AI is replacing the in-home sales visit, and why contractors who resist this shift are losing leads to ChatGPT, Claude, Angi, and Thumbtack before the phone ever rings.
🔑 What You’ll Learn:
– Why “competitors will steal my pricing” is a myth (and what the auto industry already proved)
– How online pricing actually INCREASES close rates above 80% on in-home appointments
– The real reason homeowners want pricing upfront — and it’s not what you think
– How Contractor Commerce customers are selling water heaters with zero sales involvement
– Why $3M–$5M+ contractors hit “escape velocity” and get the most from e-commerce
– The sales and marketing cost savings (20%+ of revenue) hiding in plain sight
– What’s coming next: AI salespeople that work 24/7 on your website
💡 Key Quote:
“There’s no going back. You’ve got to have pricing online. It is non-negotiable.” — Paul Redman
👤 About the Guest:
Paul Redman is the Co-Founder of Contractor Commerce, the platform powering online transactions for thousands of HVAC, plumbing, and electrical contractors — from scrappy startups to billion-dollar private equity platforms.
🔗 Connect with Paul & Contractor Commerce:
– Website: ContractorCommerce.com
– Book a demo: ContractorCommerce.com (click “Talk to Sales” or “Watch Demo on Demand”)
– LinkedIn: Search “Paul Redman Contractor Commerce”
⏱️ Chapters:
00:00 – Intro: Meet Paul Redman
01:06 – The moment Paul realized contractor sales were broken
03:04 – What Contractor Commerce actually does
05:01 – The ideal contractor size for e-commerce success
07:34 – Why contractors fear posting prices online (and why they shouldn’t)
10:50 – The car dealership lesson every contractor needs to hear
13:05 – How online pricing pushed close rates above 80%
15:00 – The Amazon experience… for a water heater
16:31 – Knowing who your customer is (and isn’t)
17:29 – The real ROI: sales, marketing, and labor savings
20:00 – Why AI may replace the in-home salesperson
22:07 – What’s next for Contractor Commerce
23:09 – How to connect with Paul
24:01 – Final thoughts: the future of contractor sales
🎯 Who This Episode is For:
HVAC contractors, plumbing company owners, electrical contractors, home services business owners, private equity operators in the trades, and anyone running a $3M+ contracting business looking to modernize their sales process and reduce customer acquisition costs.
#HVAC #Plumbing #HomeServices #ContractorBusiness #HVACContractor #PlumbingBusiness #ContractorCommerce #HomeServicesMarketing #AIinHomeServices #ContractorPodcast