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You know you’re flat out. But is your rate actually making you money?
Most tradies and small business owners set their hourly rate by guessing, copying a competitor, or charging whatever the last customer expected to pay. This calculator works it out properly.
Enter your real numbers — wages, super, leave, workers comp, your vehicle, tools, insurance and overheads — and get an instant answer:
• Your break-even rate: the minimum you can charge without losing money
• Your recommended rate at 10%, 20% and 30% profit margin
• A straight answer on whether your current rate is below break-even, covering costs, or supporting a healthy profit
No accounting jargon. No 40-tab spreadsheet. Just the number you need.
What’s included:
• The calculator (Excel — works in Excel, Google Sheets and Numbers)
• A short “Read This First” guide explaining what’s assumed and how to read your results
• Two short video walkthroughs (how to use it, and how to interpret what comes out)
Built for: tradies, contractors and small service businesses — plumbers, electricians, builders, landscapers, cleaners, and anyone else who charges by the hour and has never actually sat down and worked out if that number is right.
Why this matters: a rate that’s even $10/hr too low doesn’t feel like much on one job. Multiply it across a year of billable hours and it’s the difference between a business that pays you properly and one that quietly runs you into the ground.
This tool provides general guidance only and isn’t financial, tax or legal advice — see the included guide for full details.
You know you’re flat out. But is your rate actually making you money?
Most tradies and small business owners set their hourly rate by guessing, copying a competitor, or charging whatever the last customer expected to pay. This calculator works it out properly.
Enter your real numbers — wages, super, leave, workers comp, your vehicle, tools, insurance and overheads — and get an instant answer:
• Your break-even rate: the minimum you can charge without losing money
• Your recommended rate at 10%, 20% and 30% profit margin
• A straight answer on whether your current rate is below break-even, covering costs, or supporting a healthy profit
No accounting jargon. No 40-tab spreadsheet. Just the number you need.
What’s included:
• The calculator (Excel — works in Excel, Google Sheets and Numbers)
• A short “Read This First” guide explaining what’s assumed and how to read your results
• Two short video walkthroughs (how to use it, and how to interpret what comes out)
Built for: tradies, contractors and small service businesses — plumbers, electricians, builders, landscapers, cleaners, and anyone else who charges by the hour and has never actually sat down and worked out if that number is right.
Why this matters: a rate that’s even $10/hr too low doesn’t feel like much on one job. Multiply it across a year of billable hours and it’s the difference between a business that pays you properly and one that quietly runs you into the ground.
This tool provides general guidance only and isn’t financial, tax or legal advice — see the included guide for full details.