Most tradies set their rate on gut feel or what competitors charge. That is how you end up busy but broke.
Enter your real numbers. Get the minimum you need to charge and the rate you should actually be quoting.
Click a profile to load realistic defaults, then fine-tune for your market.
(Salary + Overheads) ÷ (1 − Profit Margin %) = Revenue Needed
Revenue Needed ÷ Annual Billable Hours = Your Hourly Rate
Current inputs: ($57,000.00 ÷ (1 − 15%)) ÷ 900 = $74.51/hr.
Self-employed tradespeople usually need to charge 2x to 3x an employee equivalent rate because they carry all business risk and unpaid hours.
If you miss overhead and non-billable time, your real required rate is commonly 30% to 50% higher than what you quote.
Salary plus costs equals break-even only. Profit is the reward for carrying liability, risk, downtime, and growth investment.
Rates vary by region, experience, and specialisation. Metro areas are often 20% to 30% higher. Click any row to load a matching scenario.
| Trade | Typical Range | Day Rate |
|---|---|---|
| $65–$110/hr | $500–$850 | |
| $70–$120/hr | $550–$950 | |
| $75–$130/hr | $600–$1,000 | |
| $50–$85/hr | $400–$650 | |
| $45–$75/hr | $360–$580 |
You need 2x to 3x an employee rate to cover overhead, risk, unpaid time, and business volatility.
Most tradies bill 20 to 30 hours. Travel, quoting, supplier runs, and admin still take real time.
Set a gross salary target in this calculator. Net take-home targets understate what the business must produce.
Salary plus overhead only gets you to break-even. Margin is what funds growth and covers bad months.
Your rate is not set-and-forget. Costs creep up, and if you are not reviewing, you are subsidising customers without noticing.
Most solo tradespeople bill around 20 to 30 hours a week once travel, quoting, admin, and callbacks are accounted for.
Yes. A common baseline is 1.5x for evenings and weekends, and 2x to 3x for public holidays or true emergencies.
Your hourly rate covers labor time and business overhead. Material markup covers procurement effort, warranty risk, and handling.
Check your assumptions first, then sell outcomes and reliability. Underpricing to match low quotes usually leads to cashflow strain.
Yes. Apply the same model with each person's wage cost, allocated overhead, realistic billable hours, and target margin.
Be explicit about scope, workmanship quality, communication, and warranty. Clear scope and reliable delivery justify professional rates.
Workmate helps you log time on every job and see your real effective hourly rate, not the one you planned on paper. Know which job types make you money and which ones drain margin.
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