What labor really costs.
Base wage is the start, not the end. Add FICA, FUTA, SUTA, workers’ comp, and benefits and you get the loaded hourly rate — the number your estimates need to use, or you’ll bleed money on every job.
Wage + premium
Tax burden (%)
Defaults are federal/typical. SUTA and WC vary by state, business, and class code — check your most recent quarterly returns.
Benefits
Loaded rate
The difference between base wage and loaded rate is usually 30–50%. If your estimates use base wage, you’re burying that gap in the bid — and it comes out of your gross margin.
Need this baked into your estimates? The Proposal Builder app does it automatically.
See contractor apps