Trade Job Quote Calculator
Enter the hours, your rate, what the materials cost you and the markup you put on them. Add a call-out fee and tax if they apply. You get a quote broken down line by line, the deposit to take before you start, and the quote as text to paste into a message.
Your numbers
Appears on the copied quote. Not saved anywhere.
Covers sourcing, collecting and carrying them.
A fixed charge for turning up. Leave at 0 if it is built into your hourly rate.
Taken when the customer accepts, before you buy materials.
Result
Quote total
$618
$185.40 deposit, $432.60 on completion.
- Labour, 6 hrs at $55
- $330
- Materials, including $48 markup
- $288
- Deposit to book the job
- $185.40
- Balance on completion
- $432.60
Quote to send
Quote Labour (6 hrs at $55/hr): $330 Materials: $288 Total: $618 Deposit to book: $185.40 Balance on completion: $432.60
Whether you must add tax, and at what rate, depends on your registration and where you trade. Check with your accountant. This is an estimate to quote from, not tax advice.
Send quotes customers can accept and pay
BookingMachine turns the same numbers into a quote the customer accepts online, takes the deposit at acceptance and invoices the balance when the job is done.
What goes into a trade quote
Labour is your hours at your rate, including the hours that are not on site: collecting materials, a second visit for a part, the paperwork. Materials go on at your cost plus a markup, which pays for the time spent sourcing them, the money tied up until the customer pays, and the odd item that is wrong and has to go back.
A call-out fee covers turning up for a small job. If you have one, state it; if your first hour is priced to cover it, leave it at zero. Tax is added last, on the whole subtotal, where you are registered for it.
Taking a deposit on a trade job
A deposit does two jobs: it covers the materials you buy before you start, and it confirms the customer is serious. A share of the total large enough to cover materials is the usual approach. On a labour-only job a smaller deposit still filters out the customers who cancel the night before.
Say when the balance is due, ideally on completion. The quote text the calculator writes includes both figures, so the customer agrees to them before you order anything.
Questions
What markup should I put on materials?
Enough to pay for the time and risk of supplying them. Many trades work between 10% and 30%, with higher markups on small items where the time to source them is large compared with the price. The calculator shows the markup as its own figure so you can see what it is earning you.
Should I show materials and labour separately on a quote?
For most domestic jobs, a single total with a short breakdown is enough and avoids haggling over each line. If the customer asks, or the job is large, itemise. The copied quote lists labour, materials and call-out as separate lines with one total.
Do I have to add VAT or sales tax?
Only if you are registered for it where you trade. Rates and thresholds differ by country and sometimes by state. Choose the tax in the calculator if it applies to you and check the rate with your accountant.
How much deposit should I ask for on a trade job?
At least what the materials cost you, so a cancelled job does not leave you out of pocket. Between 25% and 50% of the total is common. For a labour-only job, 10% to 20% is enough to confirm the booking.
Is a quote legally binding?
A quote is normally a fixed price for the work described, while an estimate can change. Rules differ by country. Describe the work clearly, state what is excluded, and put a date the quote is valid until. This tool is not legal advice.
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Send quotes customers can accept and pay
BookingMachine turns the same numbers into a quote the customer accepts online, takes the deposit at acceptance and invoices the balance when the job is done.