Builder versus service mix

Definition

New-construction installs against repair calls on doors that already exist.

Why It Matters

Builder work arrives in volume, pays late, and disappears with a housing cycle; service work arrives one call at a time, pays on the day, and does not care what rates are doing. A book weighted to builders is a bet on a market, and it prices lower for exactly that reason. Ask for revenue and margin split for three years, and read a heavy builder share in a strong year as the cyclical exposure it is.