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Tradie quote calculator: work out your real hourly rate and price a job
Most underpriced quotes come from one mistake: starting with what other tradies charge instead of what your business actually costs to run. Here's a simple method to work out your own number.
Step 1: start from the income you want
Write down what you want to earn for the year before tax, as if you were paying yourself a wage. Then add your yearly business costs: vehicle, fuel, insurance, tools and repairs, phone, software, licences, advertising, accountant fees and so on. That total is what your billable hours have to cover.
Step 2: count your billable hours honestly
You won't bill 52 weeks a year. Take out holidays, public holidays, sick days and rain days. Then take out the unpaid hours inside each week: quoting, driving between jobs, picking up materials, invoicing and admin. Many tradies find their billable hours are well below the hours they actually work.
| Line | Your figure |
|---|---|
| Weeks you'll work | e.g. 52 minus leave and down time |
| Hours on the tools per week | your real number, not the hours you're away from home |
| Billable hours per year | weeks × hours on the tools |
Step 3: divide
Hourly rate = (income goal + yearly costs) ÷ billable hours. That's your break-even charge-out rate before any profit margin. If you're registered for GST, you add 10% GST on top of your price when you quote.
Step 4: build the quote from a price list
Once you have a rate, keep a price list of the jobs and materials you quote often, with your markup on materials. A quote is then labour hours × your rate, plus materials, plus any call-out or travel charge, plus GST if registered. Keep each quote on one page with a clear scope ("what's included" and "what's not"), how long the price is valid and your payment terms.
Step 5: log every quote
Track each quote you send and whether you won it. If you win almost every job, your price may be too low. If you win very few, look at the scope and how fast you follow up, not just the price.
Want it done for you? Tradie Quote & Price Calculator (.xlsx)
Our spreadsheet does the steps above: it works out your hourly rate from your income goal and costs, then builds a one-page A4 quote from your price list, GST on or off.
- Rate Calculator, Price List, Quote Builder and Quote Log tabs
- 15 quote lines, 100 price-list items, 200 logged quotes
- No macros; formula cells locked (no password)
- Example prices are samples, not market rates
US$10.99 one-time on Whop. Instant download.
See it on Whop →Related guides
- Tradie invoice template for Australia: what a tax invoice must show
- Markup vs margin: how to price products after fees and GST
- How much should I charge as a sole trader in Australia?
General information only, not financial or tax advice. Example figures are illustrations, not market rates. Last checked 16 Nov 2026.