About RateCraft
Who created RateCraft
RateCraft was created by Miguel Iglesias Valenzuela. It exists because pricing tools for contractors almost always hide the math behind a result — or gate it behind a signup wall. This site takes the opposite approach: every formula is shown, every example can be checked by hand, and nothing you type leaves your browser.
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What RateCraft is for
Free tools that help contractors and service businesses understand the numbers behind a price: labor and labor burden, materials, subcontractors, travel, overhead, markup, margin, job pricing and flat-rate pricing. Each calculator owns one link in that chain and links to the next.
How the calculations work
Every calculator shows the formulas it uses, a worked example with real numbers, and a step-by-step breakdown of your own result — instead of hiding the logic behind the answer. The formulas are standard business accounting definitions of markup, gross margin, labor burden and break-even, not invented ones. A test suite verifies the math on every change.
Transparency
- Results are planning tools, not accounting, tax, or legal advice.
- Real costs vary by trade, region, class code and business model — your own financials always beat any default or range shown here.
- Where typical ranges are cited (for example, labor burden of roughly 25–40% of wages), they are planning heuristics from industry writing, not invented benchmarks or verified statistics.
- Adapt every result to your market and situation before quoting — that judgment is yours; the arithmetic here just makes it honest.
Why the formulas are public
Pricing decisions cost real money, so every calculator states the formulas it uses, the assumptions behind its defaults, and what the results do and don't account for. If you disagree with an input or a formula, you can see exactly where — and tell us.
What this is
RateCraft is a set of free calculators and guides for contractors and small service businesses in the US: markup, margin, job pricing, labor burden, overhead and break-even. The goal is narrow — help you answer, with your own numbers: what should I charge for this job, and what will it actually leave me?
How the calculators are developed
- Standard formulas first. Tools are built on standard business accounting definitions of markup, gross margin, labor burden and break-even, not invented ones. Each formula is listed on its tool page.
- Trades-specific inputs. Inputs reflect how trades businesses actually incur costs: burdened labor, workers' comp class codes, non-billable hours, overhead recovery per job.
- Everything runs in your browser. Calculations happen client-side. No account, no data sent to a server, nothing stored.
How ranges and examples are handled
Where explanations cite typical ranges (for example, labor burden of roughly 25–40% of wages for trades businesses), they are planning heuristics gathered from industry writing, not verified benchmarks — and they're labeled as such. Your own financials always beat any published range. We don't invent statistics, regulations, or tax figures; where a topic depends on your jurisdiction or tax situation, we say so and point you to a qualified professional.
Limitations
- Results are estimates for planning, not accounting, tax, or legal advice.
- Defaults are illustrative starting points, not recommendations for your business.
- Tax treatment (payroll taxes, deductions) varies by state and situation — see our disclaimer.
Contact
Corrections, bug reports, and suggestions for tools are welcome — email contacto@ratecraft.site or use the contact page.