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Labour CostEstimator
Calculate the total UK labour cost for any job in 2026 — including National Insurance, travel allowances, and a suggested overhead markup for your customer quote.
Labour cost estimator
Include employer NI (13.8%)
For employed workers (PAYE) — not for self-employed subbies
HMRC approved mileage: 45p/mile for first 10,000 miles.
Labour cost summary
Total Labour Cost
£3,600
80 total hours
Cost Per Day
£720
£360/worker
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Cost breakdown
Suggested labour charge to customer
15% overhead markup
£4,140
25% overhead markup
£4,500
Markup covers insurance, PPE, tools, training, and overhead not captured in the hourly rate.
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How labour costs are calculated
Labour costing is the foundation of every profitable trade quote. Get it wrong — by omitting NI, travel, or your own overhead rate — and you're handing money back to customers without knowing it.
Basic labour calculation
The starting point is straightforward: workers × hours/day × days × hourly rate. A team of 2 bricklayers working 8 hours/day for 5 days at £42/hour costs 2×8×5×£42 = £3,360 in basic labour. This is the floor, not the ceiling — additional costs must always be added on top to avoid undercharging.
Employer National Insurance
Employer NI is charged at 13.8% on earnings above the secondary threshold (£9,100/year; £175/week as of 2026). For a worker earning £42/hour × 40 hours/week = £1,680/week, the employer pays NI on £1,680 − £175 = £1,505 × 13.8% = £207.69 per worker per week. On a 5-day job this adds approximately £207 per employee — a cost that is invisible until you forget to include it and wonder why the job made less than expected.
Travel and subsistence
Travel is a hidden cost on longer jobs. HMRC's approved mileage rate is 45p/mile for the first 10,000 miles per year. A team driving 25 miles each way per day in two vehicles costs (25×2) × 2 × 45p = £45 per day, plus the time cost of 1–2 hours of driving. On a 10-day job that's £450 in mileage alone — never absorbed into the hourly rate.
Overhead markup
The 15–25% suggested markup covers the real cost of employing or subcontracting people: PPE, tools, training, liability insurance allocated to the job, subcontractor management time, and the risk of having people on your books. For PAYE employees, this also covers sick pay, holiday pay, and pension contributions (minimum 3% employer contribution under auto-enrolment rules). These are real costs that must be recovered from every job.
WORKED EXAMPLE
A 2-week groundworks job in Bristol
Rachel runs a groundworks business in Bristol. She has 3 employed workers for a 10-day job. Rate: £38/hour. She drives 20 miles each way daily (2 vans). She needs to cost the job accurately before quoting.
Basic labour (3×8×10×£38)
£9,120
Employer NI
≈ £621
Travel (2 vans × 40mi × 45p × 10 days)
£360
Total true cost
£10,101
Labour charge to customer (20% markup)
£12,121
£2,020 overhead margin · materials quoted separately
Plug your own team size, rate, and days into the calculator above. Materials, plant hire, and skip costs are quoted separately — this tool covers labour only.
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Key figures
The legal minimums and on-costs behind a labour rate in 2026/27, with a link to each source.
£12.71
National Living Wage per hour for workers aged 21 and over from 1 April 2026. It rises to £13.21 in April 2027.
Source: GOV.UK, National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates
£8.00
Minimum hourly rate from 1 April 2026 for apprentices aged under 19, or aged 19 or over in the first year of their apprenticeship.
Source: GOV.UK, National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates
15%
Employer National Insurance on pay above £5,000 a year per employee in 2026/27. Employment Allowance can cut the bill by up to £10,500.
Source: GOV.UK, Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027
3%
Minimum employer workplace pension contribution (8% in total with the worker's 5%) on qualifying earnings from £6,240 to £50,270.
Source: GOV.UK, Workplace pensions
20% or 30%
CIS deduction a contractor takes from a subcontractor's labour: 20% if registered, 30% if not, nothing with gross payment status.
£811.20
Median weekly pay for full-time employees in the UK in April 2026, up 5.8% on a year earlier.
Last reviewed: . Figures are the latest official releases at that date; follow each link for the full data and any later update.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about labour costing for tradesmen.
How do I calculate total labour cost for a job?
Multiply the number of workers by hours per day by the number of days, then multiply by each worker's hourly rate. Add National Insurance contributions if you employ staff (13.8% on earnings above £9,100/year), and any daily travel allowances. The calculator above does all of this automatically and shows a suggested markup range for your customer quote.
How much is employer National Insurance in the UK 2026?
Employer NI is 13.8% on employee earnings above the secondary threshold (£9,100/year, approximately £175/week as of 2026). Sole traders and the self-employed do not pay employer NI — only Class 4 NI on profits. If you are employing workers (PAYE), this NI cost must be factored into your quote or you will undercharge on every job.
Should I include travel in my labour cost estimate?
Yes — for multi-day jobs, daily travel costs can be significant. A crew of 3 driving 30 miles each way at HMRC's approved mileage rate (45p/mile) costs £27/day just in vehicle costs, plus time. The calculator lets you add a per-day travel allowance across the whole team so it's included in your quote before you send it.
What markup should I add on labour costs when quoting?
For subcontracted labour, a 10–20% management markup is standard practice. For your own employees, factor in overhead recovery (insurance, tools, training, PPE, sick pay) by adding 15–25% on top of direct labour. The calculator shows both markup scenarios so you can present a customer-facing charge that covers your true cost of employing or subcontracting people.
What is the minimum wage for construction workers in the UK 2026?
The National Living Wage for workers aged 21+ is £11.44/hour as of April 2024, with further increases expected in 2025/2026. Most experienced UK tradesmen earn £20–£50/hour. The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) and trade union agreements set recommended rates for various skill levels — CSCS card-holders typically receive £15–£25/hour on commercial sites, rising to £30–£50+ for fully qualified tradesmen.
How do I calculate labour cost per square metre?
Divide the total labour cost (workers × hours × rate + NI + travel) by the total area in square metres. For example, if a 2-person team spends 3 days plastering a 100 m² area at £45/hour, the basic labour cost is 2×8×3×£45 = £2,160, giving £21.60/m² for labour. Adding 20% overhead markup brings it to £25.92/m² — this is the labour-only rate to include in your quote.
When do I need to use CIS (Construction Industry Scheme) for subbies?
The Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) applies when a contractor pays subcontractors for construction work. If you are a contractor using subbies for qualifying construction work in the UK, you must deduct 20% (or 30% if unverified) from the labour portion of their invoices and pay this to HMRC. Materials are not subject to CIS deductions. Sole traders using self-employed subbies should register as contractors with HMRC if they use subbies regularly.
How do I quote labour for a job lasting several weeks?
For multi-week jobs, use the calculator to set the daily cost rate, then multiply by the number of working days. Factor in: weekend breaks (5-day vs 6-day working week), any planned days off, weather delays for outdoor work, and material delivery days when labour may be underutilised. A contingency of 5–10% on the labour total is good practice for jobs of 3 weeks or more to cover unforeseen delays.