Free tool · Loaded Rate
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
Loaded hourly cost
What every paid hour actually costs. Use this for estimating, not base wage.
Adjusted wage
Base + premium
Tax burden
Loaded annual cost
2,080 hours / year
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.
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Need this baked into your estimates? The Proposal Builder app does it automatically.
See contractor apps