Free Calculator · Updated 18 May 2026
Build a directional quote in seconds — combines hourly rate, job hours, materials with markup, travel time, callout fee, and GST. Sanity-check your numbers before you send a formal quote.
Heads up: This calculator gives an indicative figure based on common AU tradie pricing patterns — it is not a quote, not advice, and not a substitute for a written quote with scope of work. Always inspect the job and document inclusions before committing to a price.
How to use this calculator
The trade dropdown loads a starting hourly rate and callout fee from typical AU 2026 ranges. You can override every field — the presets are just a sensible starting point so you're not staring at a blank form.
Enter your honest on-site estimate — including a contingency for things going sideways. Most tradies underbid hours; if a job feels like 2.5 hours, quote 3. Travel goes in the separate travel field so the breakdown is transparent.
Drop in the trade price you actually pay for parts and consumables, then apply your markup (15–25% is typical). The breakdown shows the markup as a separate line so you can see how the materials contribute to the bottom line.
Tick GST if your business is registered (turnover ≥ $75,000) — the calculator adds 10% to subtotal. Cross-check the grand total against what you'd charge from gut feel. If it feels low, you're probably under-pricing your hourly rate.
Understanding the quote
A $110/hr rate covers vehicle, tools, insurance, super, leave, downtime, admin, accountant, marketing, training. After all business overhead, a solo tradie keeps maybe 40–55% as personal income. That's why the gap between an employee's wage and their employer's charge-out feels so big.
The 15–25% materials markup isn't pure profit — it covers the time spent sourcing, carrying inventory, financing the parts purchase, and the risk of faulty product. Bake it in or line-item it, but don't skip it: tradies who pass materials through at cost lose money on every job.
A callout fee or minimum charge stops you losing money on the 15-minute fix that took 45 minutes of travel. Most tradies bill a minimum 1-hour callout even if the work itself takes 10 minutes — the cost of getting there hasn't changed.
Once registered for GST (turnover ≥ $75,000), every invoice has 10% added. Residential customers see the full incl-GST total; commercial customers claim the GST back so the "net" cost to them is the ex-GST figure. Either way, GST flows straight to the ATO — it's not your money.
Charge-out rates in 2026 generally sit in the $70–$120/hr ex GST range for residential work. Electricians and plumbers trend toward the upper end ($110–$130) because of licensing, insurance and compliance overhead. Carpenters, painters and tilers sit in the middle ($75–$95). Handymen are typically $60–$80. Commercial work, after-hours and emergency callouts run 1.5–2× standard rates. These are charge-out rates, not take-home — they need to cover vehicle, tools, insurance, super, leave, downtime and admin.
15–25% is the industry norm for parts you buy at trade price and on-sell to the customer. Markup covers the time you spend sourcing, the cost of carrying inventory in your van, and the financial risk if a part is faulty or the customer doesn't pay. Some tradies go higher (30–40%) on small-ticket consumables where the markup dollar value is still trivial. Going above 50% on visible line items risks customer pushback — better to bake it into the labour rate.
Yes, but how depends on the job size. For small jobs, a flat callout fee (typically $80–$150) covers the first hour including travel. For larger jobs, you can either build travel into the hourly rate (set a higher rate, no separate travel line) or charge travel hours separately at your normal rate. Quoting travel transparently as a line item is the cleanest approach for commercial customers; flat callouts are friendlier for residential. Be consistent so customers can compare quotes.
Always charge a callout for emergency, after-hours, weekend, or jobs less than ~2 hours. The callout protects you from sub-economic jobs where the travel and admin would otherwise wipe out the margin. For larger scheduled jobs (full day or multi-day), most tradies waive or absorb the callout because the hourly billing covers it. Some businesses charge a 'diagnostic fee' for emergency callouts that's credited against the repair if the customer proceeds.
You must register for GST once your business turnover hits $75,000 in a 12-month period (rolling, not calendar year). Once registered you add 10% GST to every invoice and claim GST back on your business purchases. Plenty of solo tradies register voluntarily below the threshold — it lets you claim GST credits on tools, vehicle running, materials, and looks more legitimate to commercial customers who themselves claim the GST back. The downside is the admin: quarterly BAS lodgement.
Fixed-price wins for well-defined jobs where you can scope confidently (new powerpoint, fence panel, tile a bathroom) — customers prefer certainty and you keep upside if you're efficient. Hourly wins for diagnostic and unknown-scope work (intermittent fault, water leak source, renovations behind plaster) where a fixed price means padding heavily to cover risk. Many experienced tradies hybridise: a fixed callout to diagnose, then a fixed quote for the repair once they've seen the job.
OneBookPlus is the all-in-one platform for Australian tradies — quoting, job scheduling, photo evidence, materials tracking, GST-ready invoices. Free to start, no card required.
Last reviewed and updated: by Bishal Shrestha
About the author
Founder & CEO, OneBookPlus
Bishal has over a decade of experience in digital marketing, web development, and small business consulting across Australia. Bishal has built quoting workflows with Australian tradies that bundle hourly rate, materials markup, travel and callout fees correctly under GST.
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