What should be included in job cost?

Materials, burdened labor, subcontractors, equipment and rentals, plus a fair share of company overhead. Leaving overhead out is the most common cause of jobs that look profitable but aren't.

How do I allocate overhead?

A simple method is annual overhead divided by annual direct cost, applied as a percentage to each job. Larger companies allocate by labor hour instead.

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Job Cost Calculator

Roll up every cost bucket so you price from real numbers instead of a gut feel.

Your numbers

Materials ($)

Labor hours

Loaded labor rate ($/hr)

Subcontractors ($)

Equipment & rentals ($)

Overhead allocation (%)

Target net profit (%)

Results

Direct cost: $18,820
Overhead allocation: $2,258
True job cost: $21,078
Price to hit target profit: $24,798
Cost per labor hour: $234.20

Planning estimate only — based on the inputs above and typical industry rates, not a quote or a guarantee. Verify against your own costs before pricing work.

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