Subcontractor Charge-Out Calculator
This subcontractor charge-out calculator shows what a sub really costs you and what to charge for them. A subcontractor costs more than the rate you pay: add your on-costs, then set the price that keeps your margin.
What you pay the subcontractor
The rate you agree with the sub, and how long you need them for.
Your on-costs and margin
Using a sub takes your time to manage and carries insurance and risk. Add those, then the margin you want to make.
A practical guide, not tax or accounting advice. Figures exclude VAT.
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Leave an honest Google reviewReviews are optional. Please only review based on your genuine experience.A subcontractor costs more than their rate
The day rate you pay a sub is only the start. Managing them, insuring the work and carrying the risk all cost you too — and the price to the customer has to cover it.
If you simply pass a sub through at the rate you pay, you do all the arranging, managing and standing-behind for nothing — and one problem job can wipe out the margin on several.
This calculator adds your on-costs to the sub’s rate, then works out the charge-out price that leaves you a fair margin.
The real cost and the right price
Enter what you pay the sub and your on-costs, and the calculator shows the full picture.
How the charge-out price is built
A sub at 180 a day for 5 days, with 12% on-costs and a 15% margin.
900
108
1,008
1,185.88
237.18
The hidden cost of using a sub
Beyond their rate, a sub takes your time to find, brief and manage, plus insurance, admin and the risk that their work is on you if it goes wrong.
Those on-costs are real even when you cannot see them on an invoice. Most trades add somewhere around 8–15% of the sub cost to cover them — more if you closely supervise or guarantee the work.
You are selling a finished result
The customer is not buying the subcontractor — they are buying a completed job from you, with you responsible for it.
That responsibility is worth a margin. A markup of roughly 15–35% on the sub’s rate is common; the exact figure depends on how much you manage the work and how much risk you carry.
Who is this calculator for?
Keep the sub, the cost and the charge together
This calculator prices the sub. FieldHive keeps that on the job record, so what you pay the sub and what you charge the customer stay linked.
Price your own work and the job
Use these alongside your subcontractor pricing.
How to Price Building Work
Where subcontractor attendance fits in a builder's price.
Read the building guide →Free tools for the job
Put these numbers to work — free FieldHive tools, no sign-up.
CIS & VAT Invoice Generator
Construction invoices with the VAT reverse charge and CIS deduction handled correctly.
invoice CIS work →True Labour Cost Calculator
Work out what an hour of labour really costs before you price it.
cost your own labour →Tradesperson Day Rate Calculator
Turn an annual target into the day rate you need to charge.
set your day rate →Subcontractor charge-out questions
Quick answers to the questions people ask most.
Charge for subs without losing margin
Add your on-costs and a fair margin to the sub’s rate, and keep the whole job connected with FieldHive.
