What Should You Charge?

Calculate your ideal hourly and day rate based on your income goals, expenses, and desired profit margin.

Income Goals

What you want to take home after expenses

Working Schedule

Account for holidays & sick days

Billable hours only

Business Costs

Van, tools, insurance, fuel, phone, etc.

0%10%20%30%40%

Your Recommended Rates

Hourly Rate

$38.80

Day Rate

$310.39

Weekly Rate

$1,552

Hourly Rate Breakdown

Base Rate (Your Take-Home)
$26.60/hr
Business Expenses
$6.38/hr
Profit Margin
$5.82/hr

Annual Summary

Gross Income (at these rates)$72,941
Total Business Expenses-$12,000
Profit$10,941
Your Take-Home$50,000

Track your actual earnings with Cadobook

See how your quoted rates compare to actual income. Cadobook tracks every quote, invoice, and payment so you know exactly what you're earning.

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How to Price Your Trade Services

Pricing your services correctly is one of the most important decisions you'll make as a tradesperson. Charge too little and you'll struggle to cover costs; charge too much and you'll lose work to competitors.

The Three Components of Your Rate

Your rate needs to cover three things:

  • Your take-home pay — What you actually want to earn and live on
  • Business expenses — All the costs of running your trade business
  • Profit margin — Extra to reinvest, cover slow periods, and grow your business

Common Pricing Mistakes

  • Forgetting expenses — Many tradespeople only think about their take-home, not the van payments, insurance, and tools that eat into earnings
  • Not accounting for non-billable time — Quoting, admin, travel, and marketing all take time you can't charge for
  • Racing to the bottom — Competing on price alone leads to burnout and poor quality work
  • Inconsistent pricing — Random quotes damage your reputation and make it hard to forecast income

Use this calculator to find a rate that covers all your costs and gives you the income you deserve. Then stick to it consistently.

Frequently Asked Questions