What does an hour of labor really cost you?
The wage on the check is never the real number. Add payroll taxes, workers’ comp, benefits, and the hours you pay for but can’t bill — and you get the rate you actually need to beat on every quote.
Your true loaded cost per billable hour
That’s your break-even — bill below it and the job loses money.
Turn this into a quote
The estimate template uses this exact math.
Flooring Estimate Calculator Pro
Loaded labor cost, materials, waste factor, and markup in one print-ready sheet — so the rate you just calculated flows straight into a client estimate.
View on Etsy →Email yourself this result + the matching template.
Drop your email and we’ll send a copy of your numbers plus the estimate template that uses them. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Quick answers
Labor burden FAQ.
What is a labor burden rate?
It’s the total cost of an hour of labor beyond the base wage — payroll taxes, workers’ comp, benefits, and the cost of non-billable paid time. Dividing fully-loaded cost by your billable hours gives the rate you must clear on every quote to break even.
What’s a typical burden multiplier?
Most trades land between 1.5× and 1.9× the base wage once non-billable time is included. Higher workers’ comp rates and lower utilization push it up. The calculator shows yours live as you change the inputs.
Why does billable utilization matter so much?
You pay for 40 hours but might only bill 28–30. That non-billable time has to be recovered across the hours you do bill, which is why a $50 loaded cost can come from a $28 wage. Tightening scheduling and drive time is one of the fastest ways to lower your real cost.