Guides
Deep dives on contractor pricing and estimating — worked examples, real numbers, and links to the calculator for each decision.
How to Calculate Labor Burden (And Why $25/hr Isn't $25/hr)
Payroll taxes, workers' comp, benefits — and the billable-hours divisor most explanations skip. Build your true hourly labor cost step by step.
7 min read
How to Write an Estimate: What Every Line Is For
An estimate isn't a form to fill in — it's the visible half of your costing math. What each section must contain, and the mistakes that lose jobs or lose money.
8 min read
General Contractor Markup: What's Typical and What Yours Should Be
Published GC markups range from under 10% to 50% — which tells you the number is a decision, not a fact. What the ranges actually reflect, and how to set yours.
7 min read
Flat Rate vs Hourly Pricing: Which Should You Use?
The trade-offs everyone lists, plus the part software blogs skip: the same job priced both ways, so you can see exactly where each model wins and loses.
7 min read
Minimum Service Charge: How to Set the Floor Price for Showing Up
A trip costs what it costs. Build your service-call floor from burdened labor, the truck, overhead and margin — instead of copying the shop across town.
6 min read
Markup vs. Margin: The Pricing Difference That Costs Contractors Money
The two words get used interchangeably on job sites, and the confusion is expensive. Here's the difference, the conversion, and the worked numbers.
6 min read
How to Price a Job: A Complete Method for Contractors
A repeatable five-step method for pricing any job: burdened labor, real material costs, overhead recovery, margin-correct pricing, and a sanity check before you hit send.
8 min read