Tradie Quote Calculator — Australia

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.