Practical tools for measured work
Loaded Labor Rate & Crew Cost Calculator
Build the fully-loaded hourly cost and bill rate behind a bare wage, with a visual cost-stack breakdown.
Calculate the layout, check the diagram, then print the result for the shop or jobsite.
FICA, FUTA/SUTA and similar, as a % of base wage.
% of base wage - varies heavily by trade class.
Health insurance, retirement match, etc., as a % of base wage.
Paid time not worked but still costed, as a % of base wage.
% of the loaded labor cost, covering trucks, insurance, shop, admin.
Margin on the bill rate, not markup on cost.
This is a cost model from the assumptions you enter, not an accounting or payroll figure - confirm your actual payroll-tax, workers'-comp and benefits rates with your accountant or insurer.
How it works
Why bare wage under-prices a job. A crew member's $28/hr wage is only the base of the cost stack. Payroll taxes, workers' compensation, benefits and paid time off are real costs tied to every hour worked, and overhead (trucks, insurance, tools, shop, admin) has to be recovered from billable hours too. Bidding off the bare wage alone is a common way contractors lose money on jobs that look profitable on paper.
Calculation. Loaded wage = base wage + (payroll tax % + workers' comp % + benefits % + PTO %) × base wage. Cost rate = loaded wage + overhead % × loaded wage. Bill rate = cost rate ÷ (1 − target profit %) - profit is entered as a margin on the bill rate, not a markup on cost, since those two produce different numbers for the same target.
Reading the stack. The bar breaks the bill rate down from base wage at the bottom through burden, overhead and target profit at the top, so you can see exactly which layer to challenge if a bid is coming in too high - burden and overhead are usually fixed by your business and insurance, while profit margin is the one deliberate lever.
Current-input example
The result above uses these exact values. This snapshot is included when the page is printed so the output can be checked against the original measurements.
- Base wage
- 28 $/hr
- Payroll tax
- 9 %
- Workers' comp
- 12 %
- Benefits
- 8 %
- PTO / holidays
- 6 %
- Overhead recovery
- 25 %
- Target profit margin
- 15 %
- Crew size
- 3
- Hours per day
- 8
Primary result: Loaded hourly rate (cost): 47.25 $/hr.
Before using the result
- Measure from the datum or reference edge described by this tool, and do not mix inside, outside and centerline dimensions.
- Keep inputs in the displayed units and preserve more precision than the final cutting or purchasing tolerance requires.
- When the result is close to a limit, verify it with a test piece, field measurement, manufacturer drawing or qualified project professional.
Limitations
This is a simplified linear cost model for estimating, not a payroll or tax calculation. Real payroll tax and workers' comp rates vary by state, trade classification, payroll size and claims history - get current figures from your accountant, payroll provider or insurer before pricing work off this tool.
Overhead recovery here is a flat percentage; a full overhead study (annual overhead ÷ annual billable hours) will usually be more accurate for an established business than a percentage assumption.
Frequently asked questions
Why is profit calculated as a margin, not a markup?
A 15% markup on a $50 cost rate gives a $57.50 bill rate (15% of cost), but a 15% margin gives a $58.82 bill rate (profit is 15% of the bill rate itself). Margin is what most contractor pricing guides mean by "profit percentage," so this tool uses margin to match.
Should overhead be a % of loaded wage or a flat $/hr?
Both are used in practice. A percentage scales naturally with crew size and wage tiers, which is why it's used here - if your shop tracks a flat $/hr overhead figure instead, divide it by your loaded wage and enter it as a percentage.
Related tools
Roofing Piece Rate
Calculate roofing labor and material cost per square from roof area, piece rate, crew capacity and waste factor.
Bid Price Builder
Build a bid price from labor, material, other cost, overhead, contingency and target profit margin, with a visual cost stack.
Crew Cost Per Day
Blend a mixed-role crew's daily labor cost and compare it against expected piece-rate revenue for the day.
Painting Labor
Price painting application labor per square foot per coat and estimate crew time from an editable productivity rate.