Rate Transparency

What's Actually Driving the Increase

Four real, verifiable cost pressures shaping the market we're all operating in right now — blended into one fair, defensible number. Print and direct mail still deliver the ROI they always have; this simply keeps our pricing honest with the market.

You've likely done the same with your own pricing these past few years — this simply keeps us keeping pace with you.

+41%
Postage
USPS Forever stamp, 2021→2026
+16–41%
Materials
Tariffs on steel, aluminum, copper, drywall & concrete — with energy and freight pushing them higher still
+23%
Inflation
CPI, cumulative since 2021
+21%
Labor
Skilled trades wages since 2021
↓ here's how that compares to what we've actually charged ↓
The Real Comparison
+28%
Blended avg.: postage, materials, inflation & labor since 2021
vs.
~20%
Our own Portland-market rates, same 5 years — real rate-card history
We've kept pace, not led. This year's ask is the next small step: just 4–6% more.

Find the Fair Number

Enter a client's current rate — the fair range updates instantly.
$
Market Ceiling
+6%
$0
+$0
Recommended
+5%
$0
+$0
Conservative
+4%
$0
+$0

For Context
Digital isn't getting any cheaper either.
+45%
Google Ads CPC
Home improvement category: $5.75 → $8.33/click, 2021→2026
+20%
Meta / Facebook CPM
2025 alone, cross-industry benchmark
—
Our Cost Per Homeowner
At the recommended rate, reaching 0 homeowners this issue
Direct mail keeps pace with rising digital costs — while still reaching real homes for pennies apiece.
And that's before counting bot traffic, ad fatigue, and click fraud chipping away at those digital numbers — a conversation for another day.

Every number above is real and sourced — not a guess. The full range reflects true market conditions, and many accounts will land below the ceiling. The goal is trust, not maximum extraction.

Sources: USPS rate filings · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (CPI-U, OEWS) · Associated General Contractors of America / BLS Producer Price Index (materials, including embedded energy & freight costs) · WordStream Google Ads Benchmarks (2021, 2026) · Triple Whale Meta Ads Benchmark Report (2025), Jan.–Aug. 2026 · TheHomeMag PNW Portland-market rate cards (2021, 2026)