Cover every cost first
Materials, your labour at a proper day rate, and the extras that eat into profit, like skips, parking, and permits. Miss one and the margin comes out of your pocket.
Free calculator
Trade Job Pricing Calculator
Guessing a price is how good jobs turn into bad ones. Add your costs, set the profit margin you want, and get a price to quote that actually leaves money in your pocket.
The job
Adjust these to match the job. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
What the materials for this job cost you.
£
Uplift for sourcing and guaranteeing materials. Set to 0 to pass them on at cost.
%
How many days the job takes.
days
Not sure? Use the day rate calculator to work it out.
£
Skip hire, plant, permits, parking, subcontractors.
£
Profit as a share of the final price. Most trades aim for 15-30%.
%
Price to quote
£1,240
Covers £990 of costs plus your 20% margin.
Your profit on the job
£250
What you keep after every cost above.
Total cost
£990
Materials, labour, and other costs combined.
Cost breakdown
- Materials (inc. 10% markup)
- £550
- Labour (2 days × £220)
- £440
- Other costs
- £0
- Total cost
- £990
A clear, professional website lets you quote your real price with confidence. Buyers who have seen your work and reviews are far less likely to haggle you down.
Disclaimer: These calculators are provided for general guidance only. Results are estimates based on the figures you enter and may not reflect your full costs, tax position, legal obligations, or business circumstances. They are not financial, tax, legal, or professional advice. You should check the figures yourself and speak to a qualified adviser where needed. Kwise Web accepts no liability for decisions made using these tools.
How the price is built up
Add margin, not just markup
Margin is the share of the final price you keep. Pricing to a margin means the profit holds up even as job sizes change.
Quote with confidence
When you know the number is right, you stop dropping the price to win work, and start winning the work worth having.
How this is calculated
Every result comes straight from these formulas, with no hidden assumptions.
Materials (inc. markup)
Materials cost × (1 + Materials markup %)
Labour
Labour days × Your day rate
Total cost
Materials (inc. markup) + Labour + Other costs
Price to quote
Total cost ÷ (1 − Profit margin %), rounded up to the nearest £5
Your profit on the job
Price to quote − Total cost
Questions
How do I work out what to quote for a job?
Add up every cost the job carries: materials, your labour, and any extras like skip hire or parking. Then add the profit you want on top. This calculator does that for you and shows the price to quote plus the profit you keep.
What is the difference between markup and margin?
Markup is the percentage you add on top of a cost. Margin is profit as a share of the final price. A £100 cost sold at £125 is a 25% markup but only a 20% margin. This tool uses margin for your profit so the number you set is the share of the quote you actually keep.
Should I mark up materials?
Most trades do. Sourcing, collecting, and guaranteeing materials is work, and a 10-20% uplift covers that time and the risk of price changes. Set the materials markup to zero if you pass materials on at cost.
What profit margin should a tradesperson aim for?
It depends on your trade and overheads, but many aim for 15-30% net margin on a job once labour and materials are covered. Price too thin and one problem job wipes out the profit on several others.
Related resources
Price the job, know your rate, and win work that pays it.
Day rate calculator
Work out the day rate to plug into the labour field so your job price is built on a real number.
Markup vs margin calculator
Nail the difference between markup and margin so the profit percentage above is the one you mean.
Website cost recoup calculator
See how few properly-priced jobs it takes for a website to pay for itself.
Websites for trades
See how a fixed-price website helps you win work at your real price instead of the lowest.