Plumbing
Plumbing Labour Cost Calculator
Work out what an hour of plumber time costs once burden, vehicle and unsold hours are counted.
Result
Travel time is included in cost but not in what you charge, which is how most jobs are actually invoiced. That is precisely why short-distance routing matters so much to margin.
Get a Free Business AuditWhat moves the number
- Burden on the wage, including workers compensation at a trade classification.
- Billable share of the paid day, which travel and parts runs reduce.
- Van and stock, which follow the plumber rather than the job.
Where this one goes wrong
Costing at the wage. Once burden, vehicle and unsold hours are counted, an hour typically costs around double, and pricing from the wage loses money on every hour sold.
Questions
About this calculator
What should burden include?
Payroll taxes, workers compensation, liability insurance, benefits, holiday, training and licensing. Rates vary by state and classification, so calculate your own.
How many billable hours does a plumber produce?
Fewer than hours worked, because travel, parts collection and paperwork all consume paid time. Take the figure from invoices rather than from timesheets.
Should van stock be costed?
Yes. Stock on the van is capital tied up and it is what turns a two visit job into one. Both the cost and the benefit are real.
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How to use this calculator
- On-site hours. Enter your own figure; the page starts at 6.
- Travel hours. Enter your own figure; the page starts at 1.
- Plumber cost per hour (burdened) ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $62.
- Helpers. Enter your own figure; the page starts at 1.
- Helper cost per hour (burdened) ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $34.
- After-hours premium (%). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 0%.
The result updates as you type, so you can try a figure, see what it does to your labour cost, and change it back. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or saved.
A worked example
These are the figures the calculator opens with. Every number in the results column below is produced by the same calculation the page runs, so you can follow it through before putting your own figures in.
What goes in
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| On-site hours | 6 |
| Travel hours | 1 |
| Plumber cost per hour (burdened) | $62 |
| Helpers | 1 |
| Helper cost per hour (burdened) | $34 |
| After-hours premium | 0% |
| Rate you charge per hour | $145 |
What comes out
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Your labour cost main result | $672.00 |
| What you charge | $870.00 |
| Labour profit | $198.00 |
| Labour margin | 22.76% |
Labour costs you $672.00 and bills at $870.00, $198.00 of profit at a 22.76% margin.
How sensitive the answer is
Holding everything else steady and changing only plumber cost per hour (burdened), this is what happens to your labour cost. It is worth knowing which of your inputs the answer actually hinges on, and which barely move it.
| Plumber cost per hour (burdened) ($) | Your labour cost |
|---|---|
| $31 | $455.00 |
| $47 | $567.00 |
| $62 example above | $672.00 |
| $93 | $889.00 |
| $124 | $1,106.00 |
Every other input is held at the example value while this one changes, which is not how a real job behaves. Treat it as a guide to which number matters most, not as five separate quotes.
What each figure means
- On-site hours
- A number, between 0 and 500, starting at 6.
- Travel hours
- A number, between 0 and 100, starting at 1.
- Plumber cost per hour (burdened) ($)
- A money amount, starting at $62.
- Helpers
- A number, between 0 and 20, starting at 1.
- Helper cost per hour (burdened) ($)
- A money amount, starting at $34.
- After-hours premium (%)
- A percentage, between 0 and 200, starting at 0%.
- Rate you charge per hour ($)
- A money amount, starting at $145.
What the results tell you
| Result | What it is |
|---|---|
| Your labour cost | The headline result. A money figure. |
| What you charge | A money figure. |
| Labour profit | A money figure. |
| Labour margin | A percentage. |
Before you rely on this number
Pipe sizing, flow and pressure figures depend on the actual fittings, the run, the material and local code. Code requirements vary by jurisdiction and override any general calculation, so check what applies where the work is happening.
Keep going
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