Most Contractors Underprice Labor by 30–40%
Your $30/hour employee likely costs $50–$60/hour once payroll taxes, workers comp, insurance, and downtime are included. ContractorMath helps electricians, plumbers, HVAC companies, and other trades instantly calculate their true labor burden so they can price jobs profitably.
The ContractorMath Pricing Toolkit
ContractorMath calculators work together to reveal the real cost of labor and help contractors price jobs profitably. Each tool builds on the previous one so you can move from employee cost to accurate job pricing in minutes.
Labor burden calculator
Calculate the true hourly cost of every employee including payroll taxes, workers compensation, insurance, benefits, downtime, and overhead.
Hourly Rate Calculator
Determine the hourly rate your company must charge to maintain healthy profit margins.
Job Pricing Calculator
Estimate total job costs using real labor burden numbers so bids stay profitable.
Profit Margin Calculator
Quickly calculate margin and markup to ensure every job meets your profit targets.
Overhead Recovery Calculator
Understand how much overhead must be recovered per labor hour to keep your business healthy.
Why Contractors Struggle With Job Pricing
Many contractors stay busy but still struggle with profit because they underestimate their real labor cost. When payroll taxes, insurance, downtime, and overhead are ignored, hourly rates end up far too low.
Underestimated Labor Cost A contractor paying an employee $30/hour often assumes their labor cost is $30/hour. After payroll taxes, workers comp, insurance, and downtime, the real cost may be closer to $50–$60/hour.
Common Contractor Mistake
Pricing Jobs Too Low Many contractors base job pricing only on wages and materials. Without understanding real labor burden, profit margins shrink quickly even when work volume is high.
Pricing Jobs Too Low
The ContractorMath Solution ContractorMath calculators reveal the true cost of labor and help contractors price jobs based on real numbers instead of guesswork.
Guessing Instead of Knowing
Built by a Contractor Who Runs a Real Contracting Business
ContractorMath was created by Kyle Gillett after seeing firsthand how often contractors underestimate their true labor costs. As the owner of a multi-million dollar electrical contracting company, he built these calculators to solve the same pricing challenges contractors face every day.These tools were originally built for internal use to improve job pricing and protect profit margins. ContractorMath now makes those same tools available to contractors across all trades.• real contractor• real business• real problem solved internally first