Free printable checklist

Annual Expense Checklist for Setting a Plumbing Hourly Rate

Fill this in from last year's books or this year's budget. Count each cost once. Then use the numbers with the plumbing hourly rate calculator.

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Crew and schedule (shared averages)

	Field techs (billable)Billable people, including the owner if you work in the field. Not office staff.
	Work hours per day, days per week, weeks per yearOne average schedule for the crew. Weeks are usually 52.
	Paid holidays and paid PTO / sick days per techDays paid but not worked.
	Unpaid days off per techAverage unpaid days per year. Kept separate from paid leave.
	Drive time per techHours per day, week, month or year that you do not bill.
	Other non-billable hours per weekShop time, meetings, callbacks.

Field labor and tools

	Average tech wageHourly pay averaged across all field workers, including your own.
	Labor burden %Employer taxes and benefits. Do not add paid leave wages twice.
	Field tools per tech per yearAssigned hand and power tools only. Not job materials.
	Profit margin target %Margin on revenue, not markup.

Shop and occupancy (annual amounts)

	Rent or mortgage, storage / yard rentOccupancy payments only.
	Water, sewer, garbage, electric, gas / heatingShop and office utilities.
	Property tax / building insurance, repairs and cleaning

Insurance, people and vehicles (annual amounts)

	General liability, commercial auto, workers comp feesSkip workers comp if it is already in labor burden.
	Office / admin payrollOffice wages, taxes and benefits. Not field pay.
	Owner payOnly owner pay not already included in average tech wage. Enter 0 if fully counted there.
	Vehicle fuel, maintenance / tires, registration / parking / tollsNot truck payments or insurance.

Office, sales and services (annual amounts)

	Software, phones / mobile data, internet
	Advertising, website / domain / hosting
	Licenses / bonds, memberships, trainingNot job permits charged to the job.
	Uniforms / PPE, office supplies / postage
	Shared tools / equipment, equipment rentalNot tools assigned to a tech.
	Bookkeeping, accounting / tax prep, legal, payroll service
	Bank / merchant fees, answering service

Debt and other (annual amounts)

	Truck loan / lease paymentsCash payments. Not an accounting expense.
	Other loan / lease paymentsNot mortgage or truck payments.
	Miscellaneous and up to four other expensesCount each cost once.

This checklist is a planning aid, not tax or accounting advice. Loan and lease payments make it a cash budget rather than an accounting profit and loss.

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Want the math done in Excel with these exact inputs? The PlumbRate Hourly Rate Calculator is $49, and ProPlus Price Book owners already have it.