Pricing Calculator Methodology

Start with the entered cost of the job

Labor cost is crew size × estimated job hours × labor cost per worker/hour. Direct cost adds chemicals, equipment allocation, fuel, travel and other job expenses. Total cost adds allocated overhead and any additional overhead percentage applied to direct cost. Avoid entering the same expense in more than one allowance.

Required revenue accounts for fees and margin

Use decimal percentages: 3% is 0.03. Cost here includes the entered job expenses and overhead, before processing. Processing and target margin must add to less than 100%; otherwise the calculation is invalid.

Example: $200 ÷ (1 − 0.03 − 0.30) = $298.507… . The quote rounds up to $298.51 so rounding does not undercut the target.

Minimum, urgency and discount order

The base price is the greater of the required margin price and minimum job charge. An urgency surcharge increases that base. A discount is applied to the price including the surcharge. The final quote cannot fall below the minimum and is rounded up to cents.

Example: $400 base + 15% urgency = $460. A 10% discount removes $46, giving $414. A 20% discount would give $368, so a $400 minimum holds the final quote at $400.

Margin is different from markup

Actual profit = final revenue − entered costs − processing fee on final revenue. Margin = actual profit ÷ revenue. In these tools, markup = actual profit ÷ entered cost before processing. A 30% margin is not a 30% markup.

Profit per labor hour divides actual profit by total labor hours: crew size × estimated job hours. It is the job’s profit after the entered labor cost, not an employee wage or owner take-home pay.

Scope and defaults are assumptions you control

All starting numbers are editable examples. Material, condition, access, staining, stories and treatment selections do not apply hidden price multipliers. They describe the scope and remind you to adjust actual time, chemicals or equipment allowances.

Enter your own business costs. Results do not guarantee profit and exclude income tax and any expenses you omit. Confirm applicable sales tax, scope and payment terms before sharing a quote. The customer printout includes scope and price; your internal costs and margins remain in the contractor view.