Day Rate Calculator
Most tradespeople price a day rate by guessing, or by copying what everyone else charges. This works backwards instead: start from the income you actually want, and see the rate that gets you there.
Van, insurance, tools, fuel, phone, accountant — everything the business pays for.
52 minus holidays, sick days and slow weeks.
Days actually on a paid job — not quoting, admin or travel.
Why this number is usually higher than people expect
A day rate isn't just your target income divided by 365. It has to cover the weeks you're not working — holidays, sick days, the quiet patch every trade has — and the days you are working but not earning: quoting jobs, chasing invoices, doing the books, travelling between sites. Most tradespeople bill somewhere between 3 and 4 days out of a 5-day week once all of that is accounted for.
It also has to cover the overheads that run whether you're on a job or not — van, insurance, tools, fuel, phone. Leave those out and the rate looks lower than it actually needs to be to keep the business standing still, never mind paying you.
Quotr turns your day rate into a fully itemised, VAT-correct quote straight from a WhatsApp voice note — no spreadsheet required once you know the number. Try it free →