Free Project Labor Cost calculator with clear step-by-step results.
Labour is the line item that decides whether a job makes money, and the wage rate alone understates it. Hours × rate × crew size gives the wage bill, overtime is added at time and a half, and payroll burden — taxes, insurance, holiday, tools and supervision — is applied on top. The fully loaded hourly figure is the number to quote against, because it is what an hour of that crew actually costs you.
Wage bill
Wages = (hours × rate + overtime × rate × 1.5) × workers
Loaded cost
Total = wages × (1 + burden); loaded rate = total ÷ total crew hours
Overtime rules, minimum wages and mandatory employer contributions are set by law and vary by jurisdiction. Confirm your obligations with a payroll professional before pricing or paying work.
For employees it is commonly 20-40% once statutory contributions, insurance, paid leave, training and small tools are included. Subcontracted labour usually has a much lower burden because the sub carries it.
Time and a half is the most common premium and the default here. If your jurisdiction or agreement uses double time or a different threshold, enter the equivalent hours to match your actual cost.
No. It is labour cost only — material, plant, and your margin are separate lines in a quote.