FieldHive calculator
Tradesperson Day Rate Calculator
Work out the day rate you need to charge from what you want to earn, the days you can actually bill, your overheads and a profit margin — with the hourly equivalent.
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No email address required · Not financial or tax advice
What you want to earn
Your target take-home pay for the year, plus the profit the business should make on top.
Your running costs
Everything it costs to run the business for a year — not the cost of any single job.
Days you can actually bill
Start from the days you work, then take off the days you cannot charge for.
A practical guide, not tax or accounting advice. Figures exclude VAT.
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Day rates
A day rate has to cover more than your wage
The rate for a full day has to pay you, cover the cost of running the business and leave a margin — spread across only the days you can actually bill.
It is easy to set a day rate by copying what other trades charge. But if it does not recover your overheads and non-chargeable time, a busy year can still end with little profit.
This calculator works the rate out from your own numbers: what you want to earn, what the business costs to run, and how many days you can realistically charge for.
What you see
A rate you can stand behind
Enter four things and the calculator shows the full picture.
Day rate to charge
Hourly equivalent
Cost per chargeable day
Cost per working day
Profit built into the rate
Chargeable days per year
Worked example
How the day rate is built
A solo trade wanting to earn 42,000, with 14,000 of overheads and a 10% margin.
Earnings plus overheads
56,000
Chargeable days (232 minus 46)
186 days
Cost per chargeable day
301
Add a 10% margin
301 divided by 0.90
Day rate to charge
335
Hourly equivalent (8 hrs)
41.82
Chargeable days
The days you can bill drive the rate
Quoting, travel, admin and training are real work — but you cannot invoice them. The fewer days you can charge for, the higher each one has to be.
A solo trade who bills around 80% of working days needs a very different rate to a labour-only subcontractor who bills nearly every day. Both can be right.
Stay connected
Set the rate once, use it on every quote
This calculator sets the rate. FieldHive then keeps that rate on your reusable pricing, so every quote, booking and invoice uses the same figure.
That makes it easier to keep pricing consistent as the business grows — one connected record from first enquiry to final payment.
Enquiry
Quote
Booking
Invoice
Payment
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Who it is for
Who is this calculator for?
Sole traders setting a day rate for the first time
Subcontractors checking a labour-only rate
Solo trades reviewing an old rate against rising costs
Small trade businesses standardising pricing
It is a practical pricing guide, not tax, accounting or financial advice, and it excludes VAT.
Related tools
Price the whole job, not just the day
Use these alongside your day rate.
FAQ
Tradesperson day rate questions
Common questions about setting a daily charge-out rate.
Get started
Set a day rate that actually pays
Work it out from your own earnings, days and overheads — then keep it consistent on every quote with FieldHive.
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