FREE CALCULATORS

Quick answers.
Straight from the van.

Pricing and markup for every trade, plus the sums for HVAC, plumbing, electrical, building, outdoor work, cleaning, systems, garage doors and appliances. Free, no sign-in, and nothing you type leaves your browser.

Every trade

What should I charge per hour?

Work back from what you want to take home, your overhead and the hours you can really bill.

Hourly rate to charge–
Revenue you need this year–

Before taxes on your own income. Billable hours are fewer than hours worked: driving, quoting and paperwork are not billable.

Every trade

Markup and margin

What to charge for parts and materials, and what you actually keep.

Charge the customer–
Your profit–
Margin on the sale–

Markup is on cost; margin is on the price. A 35% markup is a 26% margin.

Every trade

Quick job price

Labor, materials with markup, and sales tax, added up.

Labor–
Materials with markup–
Sales tax–
Quote total–

Sales tax rules differ by state and by what you sell. Leave it at 0 if you are unsure and check with your accountant.

HVAC

Airflow and capacity (HVAC)

Sensible heat moved by an airflow and temperature difference.

Sensible capacity (BTU/h)–
Roughly (tons)–

Uses BTU/h = 1.08 × CFM × ΔT at standard air. A field check, not a load calculation: sizing a system needs a proper load calculation and the manufacturer’s data.

Electrical

Voltage drop (electrical)

How much voltage a run of wire loses under load.

Voltage drop (volts)–
Of the circuit voltage–
Against the common 3% guide–

Single-phase: 2 × K × amps × length ÷ circular mils. The 3% figure is a common design guide, not a requirement for every circuit. Conductor sizing must follow the code in your jurisdiction.

Plumbing

Water in a pipe run (plumbing)

How much water a length of pipe holds, to plan flushing, draining or fill.

Water held (gallons)–
In liters–

Inside diameter, not nominal size: it varies with pipe material and schedule.

Painting

Paint needed for a room

Gallons of paint for the walls, after doors and windows.

Gallons to buy–
Paintable wall area (sq ft)–

Takes 20 sq ft off for each door or window and leaves the ceiling out. Use the coverage on the can; rough or dark surfaces need more.

Flooring, tile and siding

Flooring, tile or siding to order

Area plus waste, rounded up to whole boxes.

Order (sq ft)–
Boxes–

Use 10% for simple rooms and 15% or more for diagonal layouts, small rooms and patterned tile.

Drywall

Drywall sheets

How many sheets to cover a wall or ceiling area.

Sheets to order–

Subtract large openings first. Taping compound and screws depend on the finish level.

Concrete and masonry

Concrete for a slab

Cubic yards for a pour, or bags for a small job.

Cubic yards to order–
Or 80 lb bags (0.6 cu ft each)–

Ready-mix is ordered in cubic yards, usually with a minimum load. Bags suit pours under about a yard.

Roofing

Roofing materials

Roof area from the footprint and pitch, in squares and bundles.

Squares to order–
Roof area (sq ft)–
Shingle bundles (3 per square)–

One square is 100 sq ft. Add starter, ridge and valley materials separately. Complex roofs waste more.

Decks and patios

Deck boards

How many boards cover a deck.

Boards to order–

Allows a 1/8 inch gap between boards. Add framing, fasteners and railings separately.

Fencing

Fence posts and sections

Posts and sections for a straight run.

Posts–
Sections–

Add gate posts and corner posts as needed. Check local rules on height and boundary.

Landscaping and lawn care

Mulch, soil or gravel

Cubic yards to cover an area to a depth.

Cubic yards–
Or 2 cu ft bags–

Order a little extra for settling. Gravel and soil are sold by the ton in many places; ask your supplier.

Irrigation and sprinklers

Sprinkler zones

How many zones a set of heads needs on your water supply.

Zones needed–
Heads per zone (about)–

Measure available flow at the supply with a bucket test or a flow gauge. Keep a safety margin under the maximum.

Pool and spa service

Pool volume

Gallons in a rectangular pool, for dosing and fill.

Volume (gallons)–
In liters–

Rectangles only. For round or kidney shapes use the manufacturer’s volume. Dose chemicals by the product label.

Paving and asphalt

Asphalt tonnage

Tons of asphalt for an area and thickness.

Tons (about)–

Assumes about 145 lb per cubic foot compacted. Plants quote by the ton, so confirm their density and add for waste.

Cleaning, pressure washing and more

Bid by area and speed

For work priced by size: cleaning, pressure washing, painting, lawn cutting.

Price to quote–
Time on site (hours)–
Your labor cost–

Use your own measured production rate, not a guess. Add travel, supplies and disposal fees if they apply.

Pest control, lawn care and cleaning

Mix ratio

How much concentrate goes into a tank or bucket.

Concentrate (fl oz)–
In milliliters–

Always follow the product label and safety data sheet. The label rate is the rule, not this tool.

Generators

Generator size

Watts to carry what must run, including motor start-up.

Size to look at (kW)–
Watts needed–

Motors draw several times their running watts for a moment at start-up. Transfer switches and installation must follow the code.

Solar installation

Solar system size

A rough array size from a customer’s electricity use.

Array size (kW)–
Panels–

A first estimate. Real designs depend on roof, shade, orientation, utility rules and a proper site survey.

Water treatment

Water softener load

Grains of hardness a household removes.

Grains a day–
Grains a week–

Test the hardness on site. Add 1 grain per gallon for each 1 ppm of iron where the maker advises.

Well and pump

Water stored in a well

Gallons in the water column of a well casing.

Stored water (gallons)–
Gallons per foot–

Uses 0.0408 × diameter² gallons per foot. It is storage, not the well’s yield, which needs a flow test.

Handyman, remodeling and general contracting

Remodel price with contingency

Direct costs plus contingency, overhead and profit.

Price to quote–
Contingency–
Profit in dollars–

Overhead and profit are taken as shares of the price, so 12% and 10% leave 78% to cover direct costs and contingency.

Garage door · planned trade

Spring life (garage door)

How long a spring should last at how often the door is used.

Expected spring life (years)–
Openings a year–

Rated cycles are on the spring label or maker’s data; 10,000 is common for standard springs. Heavy use or wear shortens life. Springs are under high tension: replace them only with the right tools and training.

Garage door · planned trade

Door opening and materials (garage door)

Opening area and the trim and weatherstrip you need around it.

Opening area (sq ft)–
Weatherstrip around it (feet)–
Panels at 21 in each–

Weatherstrip is two sides plus the top. Panel height varies by door: check the manufacturer’s sections.

Appliance repair · planned trade

Repair or replace? (appliance)

A rule-of-thumb check to talk through with the customer.

Rule of thumb says–
Repair as a share of new cost–
Share of typical life used–

A common guide: repair if the cost is under about half the price of new and the appliance is under about 70% of its typical life. A guide only: the customer’s situation, parts and efficiency matter.

Appliance repair · planned trade

Running cost (appliance)

What an appliance costs to run, to compare old and new.

Cost per year–
Cost per month–
Energy per year (kWh)–

Use the nameplate or the measured draw. Many appliances cycle on and off, so average hours matter more than the clock.

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These calculators give estimates for planning. They are not engineering, code-compliance, tax or legal advice. Check results against the applicable code, manufacturer data and a qualified professional before you rely on them.

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