FieldHive calculator
Subcontractor Cost & Charge-Out Calculator
A subcontractor costs more than the rate you pay them. Work out the real cost with your on-costs, then the price to charge the customer so you keep a margin.
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No email address required · Not financial or tax advice
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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Subcontractors
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.
What you see
The real cost and the right price
Enter what you pay the sub and your on-costs, and the calculator shows the full picture.
Direct subcontractor cost
Your on-costs
Total cost to you
Profit at your margin
Customer charge
Markup on the sub’s rate
Worked example
How the charge-out price is built
A sub at 180 a day for 5 days, with 12% on-costs and a 15% margin.
Direct cost (180 x 5)
900
On-costs (12%)
108
Total cost to you
1,008
Add a 15% margin
1,008 divided by 0.85
Customer charge
1,185.88
Charge per day
237.18
On-costs
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.
The margin
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.
Stay connected
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.
That makes it easier to see the real margin on subcontracted work as the business grows — one connected record from enquiry to final payment.
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Who it is for
Who is this calculator for?
Trades who bring in subcontractors
Main contractors pricing sub labour
Solo trades scaling up with help
Small teams standardising sub charge-out
It is a practical pricing guide, not tax, accounting or financial advice, and it excludes VAT and CIS.
Related tools
Price your own work and the job
Use these alongside your subcontractor pricing.
FAQ
Subcontractor charge-out questions
Common questions about costing and charging for subcontractors.
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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.
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