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Price the job like it's a business
Labour is not profit. This calculator builds a quote price the way an estimator would: your time, materials with a proper markup, the boring costs everyone forgets, and a margin on top for carrying the risk.
Markup on materials covers collection, wastage and warranty risk — trade norm is 10–25%. Margin is your profit for carrying the job, on top of paying yourself the day rate.
Quote this job at
£1,774
no VAT applied
Indicative guide, not financial advice
Where the money goes
| Your labour (3 days) | £900 |
| Materials (inc 15% markup) | £518 |
| Other costs | £0 |
| Overhead share | £90 |
| Profit margin | £266 |
Margin isn't your wages
Your day rate pays you for turning up. Margin pays the business for the risk: the callback, the material price jump between quote and start date, the day the plasterboard delivery doesn't come. Jobs priced at zero margin only break even when nothing goes wrong — and something always goes wrong.
Mark materials up, always
You collect them, store them, wheel them in, and warranty them. 10–25% is the trade norm. Clients who insist on supplying their own materials are also supplying their own delays — price the labour accordingly.
Guide only, ex VAT unless toggled. Check your day rate first with the day rate calculator.