Free trade costing tool

Labour cost calculator for UK trade and construction jobs.

Estimate the labour cost of a job from team size, hours, direct hourly cost, overheads, travel, and allowances before you add markup and prepare the quote.

UK £ pricingTeam hoursLabour overheadTravel allowance

Inputs

Cost the labour

Labour cost summary

See the labour cost before you add margin.

Total labour hours48.0
Base labour cost£1,152.00
Labour overhead£172.80
Travel and allowances£120.00

Indicative total labour cost

£1,444.80

Use this as a planning aid. Your true cost may include employer contributions, paid non-productive time, subcontractor terms, plant, travel, and other job-specific allowances.

From labour cost to quote

The labour number is one part of the job cost.

Use the calculator to get a starting point, then keep each role, rate, allowance, and scope item visible in the estimate. That makes it easier to review the work and protect margin when the job changes.

See job costing for trades
Estimate realistic hours
Use the right rate for each role
Include travel and non-productive time
Account for employer overhead
Add materials and subcontractors
Apply markup after cost is complete

Labour cost calculator FAQs

What should a labour cost include?

Start with the hours and direct labour cost, then consider employer costs, paid non-productive time, tools, travel, allowances, subcontractor terms, and other costs that belong to the job.

Should I use pay rate or charge-out rate?

Use the direct labour cost when you are calculating what the job costs the business. Apply overhead and profit separately so you can see the difference between cost and the client price.

Can this calculate a whole team?

Yes. Enter the number of people and the hours per person. For different roles or rates, run separate calculations or use a structured estimate with one labour line for each role.