What does the default job cost at different margins?
The default two-hour drain job costs $154.22 to do. The price you charge depends on the margin you target, and a higher margin needs a much larger markup on cost.
| Target margin | Price | Profit | Markup on cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20% | $192.78 | $38.56 | 25.0% |
| 25% | $205.63 | $51.41 | 33.3% |
| 30% | $220.31 | $66.09 | 42.9% |
| 40% | $257.03 | $102.81 | 66.7% |
Calculated with the same maths as the calculator, using the default numbers below. Your own costs will give different prices.
How does the plumbing pricing calculator work?
It follows the standard pricing formula in five steps:
- Labor: the wage plus taxes and benefits, divided by the share of hours you bill, times the hours on the job.
- Parts: your cost plus your markup.
- Overhead: monthly overhead divided by monthly billable hours, times the hours on the job.
- Total cost: labor plus parts plus overhead.
- Price: total cost divided by one minus your target margin, plus any access or permit add-on.
The after-hours multiplier applies to the labor line only, and the access add-on applies to the final price. Both are simplifications based on the ranges Housecall Pro lists, so adjust them to your market.
Where do the default numbers come from?
Every default is either a government figure or a published example, and each is listed below with its source.
| Input | Default | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Technician wage | $30.67 an hour | BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters median $63,800 (May 2025) over 2,080 hours. |
| Taxes and benefits | 43.8% | BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, construction, June 2026: $51.96 per hour worked against $36.13 in wages. |
| Share of hours billed | 100% | Set to match the guide's example. Housecall Pro says to build drive time, supply runs, and setup into the rate, so a lower figure is more realistic. |
| Hours on the job | 2 | Jobber's two-hour clogged-drain example. |
| Parts and supplies | $50 | Jobber's example. |
| Markup on parts | 0% | Set to match the guide's example. Housecall Pro says most shops use 40 to 60 percent, citing Simpro. |
| Overhead | $4,000 a month over 500 billable hours ($8 an hour) | Jobber's example. |
| Target margin | 25% | The margin used in Jobber's and Housecall Pro's examples. |
The benefit load is an industry average across construction, so check it against your own payroll. Our guide explains why burdened labor is the line most shops underprice.
Plumbing pricing calculator FAQ
How do I calculate the price of a plumbing job?
Add burdened labor, marked-up parts, and your share of overhead to get total cost, then divide by one minus your target margin. A job that costs $750 sells for $1,000 at a 25 percent margin.
How do you estimate plumbing costs?
List the hours and the parts, price each with your burdened labor rate, markup, and overhead per hour, then divide the total by one minus your target margin. The calculator above does these steps for you.
How much should a plumber charge?
Housecall Pro's 2026 guide says most residential plumbers charge $80 to $130 an hour, and emergency work $150 to $300. It names no dataset, so use it only as a check on the rate your own costs produce.
Why divide by one minus the margin instead of adding a percentage?
Margin is a share of the selling price, not of cost. Adding 25 percent to a $750 cost gives $937.50, which is only a 20 percent margin. Dividing $750 by 0.75 gives $1,000, a true 25 percent.
Where do the default numbers come from?
The wage is the BLS median for plumbers ($63,800 a year, May 2025). The benefit load comes from BLS construction employer costs for June 2026. Overhead, parts, and hours come from Jobber's worked example. Replace all of them with your own.
Does the calculator save or send my numbers?
No. Everything is calculated in your browser, and nothing you type is stored or sent to FieldCompare.
Does the price include sales tax, permits, or a service call fee?
Not automatically. Enter parts at your cost including any tax you pay. Use the add-on field for permits or extra days. A service call fee is charged separately, so add it to the price shown.
Keep reading
- How to price a plumbing job: the formula, markup, and margin explained with sources.
- Plumbing business owner salary: what owners earn, and how margin turns into pay.
- Best plumbing estimate apps: software that stores a flat-rate price book.
How we built this calculator
The author is a software reviewer who covers the trades and has never run a plumbing company. This calculator is arithmetic on published figures, not advice tailored to your shop. Check the results against your own costs before you quote a customer.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (median $63,800, May 2025; page modified August 27, 2026), retrieved October 1, 2026, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/plumbers-pipefitters-and-steamfitters.htm
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, June 2026, Table 4 (construction: total compensation $51.96, wages and salaries $36.13 per hour worked), retrieved October 1, 2026, https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.t04.htm
- Jobber, How to Price Plumbing Jobs: Simple Formula for Estimates (two-hour drain example; $4,000 overhead over 500 billable hours; updated May 3, 2026), retrieved October 1, 2026, https://www.getjobber.com/academy/plumbing/how-to-price-a-plumbing-job/
- Housecall Pro, 2026 Plumbing Price Guide (price formula and $750 example; 40 to 60 percent parts markup; 1.5 to 3 times after-hours rates; add-ons for access and permits; updated September 16, 2026), retrieved October 1, 2026, https://www.housecallpro.com/resources/marketing/how-to/how-to-price-plumbing-jobs/