Free tool
Quote vs cost
Put in what you would charge and what the job actually takes. It returns true job cost, what is left over, and what you really made per hour of your own time.
Owner labor is counted as opportunity cost — what an hour of you is worth — not as a Schedule C wage. A sole proprietor cannot pay themselves a deductible wage. Cash cost is what actually leaves the business: $0.76/mi after July 1 2026, chemicals, dump, and the card cut.
Free tool · estimate only
Quote vs cost
Mileage: $0.725/mi before Jul 1 2026, $0.76/mi on or after. Owner labor is opportunity cost, not a Schedule C wage.
Job inputs · yellow = you type
Pre-filled with an example gutter job so the math is visible. Overwrite every cell. This is not a saved job log.
Quote covers true cost
Quoted price covers cash out of pocket plus your target labor. Still an estimate — not a bid template and not tax advice.
- Mileage rate (2026-10-12)
- 0.760 / mi
- Owner labor (economic)
- $180.00
- Helper labor
- $0.00
- Mileage cost
- $16.72
- Chemicals / materials
- $35.00
- Dump / disposal
- $25.00
- Card / app fee
- $12.33
- Cash leaving the business
- $89.05
- True job cost
- $269.05
- Contribution margin
- $155.95 (36.7%)
- Effective hourly on your time
- $83.99
True job cost = owner labor + helper + miles + chemicals + dump + card fee. Contribution = quoted − true cost. Effective hourly = (quoted − cash cost) ÷ owner hours. Cash cost excludes owner labor.
This math, saved per job, is sheet 3 of the $97 Field Kit.
Workbook
Save this math per job
This math, saved per job, is sheet 3 of the $97 Field Kit — Quote vs Cost with the rest of the Schedule C workbook around it.