Free tool
True hourly rate
what an hour really costs.
The wage is not the cost, and paid hours are not billable hours. Work out your break-even rate and the rate you should actually be charging.
Your numbers
$/hr
%
Payroll taxes, insurance, benefits.
$/yr
Annual truck, fuel, phone, tools.
$/yr
Insurance, office, software, admin, advertising.
/yr
hrs
%
Drive time, shop time, and quoting are not billable.
%
Your rate
Paid hours per year1920 hrs
Billable hours per year1344 hrs
Loaded labor cost$58/hr
Overhead recovery$15/hr
Break-even rate$73/hr
Charge at least$91/hr
At 20.0% net margin. Anything billed below $73/hr loses money once overhead is counted.
How this works
Why your rate is higher than it feels
- Billable share is the number most owners overestimate. Drive time, shop time, quoting, and warranty callbacks are all paid but not sold — 60-75% is typical for field trades.
- Labor burden covers payroll taxes, workers' compensation, liability insurance, and benefits. Combined with vehicle and tool costs, it commonly adds 30-60% to the wage.
- Overhead is spread across every billable hour your whole field team sells, which is why adding a productive person lowers the overhead each hour has to carry.
- The break-even rate keeps the lights on and nothing more. The charge rate adds the margin that funds equipment, slow months, and the risk you carry as the owner.
Know your rate. Then quote from it.
SimpliPilot keeps your rates and services priced once so every estimate holds the margin.
No credit card required · Full access during the trial · Cancel anytime