Sampling Travel Cost Calculator

Example data table

Formula used

• Distance per trip: D_trip = D_one-way × (RoundTrip ? 2 : 1)
• Total distance: D_total = D_trip × Trips
• Mileage vehicle cost: C_mileage = D_total × Rate
• Fuel quantity: Q_fuel = D_total ÷ Efficiency
• Fuel vehicle cost: C_fuel = Q_fuel × FuelPrice
• Vehicle overhead: C_overhead = C_base × (Overhead% ÷ 100)
• Labor: C_labor = (HoursPerTrip × Trips) × HourlyRate
• Trip items: C_tolls = TollsPerTrip × Trips, C_parking = ParkingPerTrip × Trips, C_perdiem = PerDiem × Trips
• Lodging: C_lodging = (NightsPerTrip × Trips) × NightRate
• Lab & equipment: C_lab = Samples × LabPerSample, C_equip = Days × DailyRate
• Subtotal: Sum of all cost components above.
• Contingency & tax: C_cont = Subtotal × (Cont% ÷ 100), then C_tax = (Subtotal + C_cont) × (Tax% ÷ 100)
• Grand total: Total = Subtotal + C_cont + C_tax

How to use this calculator

1. Enter the one-way distance and select if the travel is round trip.
2. Set the number of trips, then choose a vehicle cost method.
3. Fill in mileage rate or fuel inputs (or both) based on your policy.
4. Add job-specific items: tolls, parking, labor time, per-diem, and lodging.
5. Enter sample count and lab cost, plus any equipment rental costs.
6. Apply contingency and tax, then click Calculate.
7. Download a CSV or PDF report for approvals and records.

Planning sampling travel costs for construction work

1) Define the travel scope early

Start by fixing the route and visit count. A 35 km one-way site with round trips equals 70 km per visit. Over 4 visits, that becomes 280 km. This single step often drives the largest swing in the travel portion of your estimate. If the work requires split shifts, add trips instead of inflating distance.

2) Pick one vehicle costing policy

Some teams budget a flat mileage allowance, while others price fuel directly. If you use fuel, the calculator applies Fuel = Total Distance ÷ Efficiency. For example, 280 km at 10.5 km/L uses about 26.67 L. Multiply by fuel price, then add an overhead percentage for wear, insurance, and admin. If you use mileage, enter one rate per km/mi to cover fuel and running costs.

3) Labor and per-diem can exceed transport

Field sampling is time-heavy: travel, setup, chain-of-custody forms, and packing coolers. If labor is 3 hours per trip at 22 per hour, 4 trips produce 264 in labor alone. Add per-diem, tolls, and parking per trip to keep small recurring charges visible. For remote sites, lodging nights per trip can quickly become the second-highest line item.

4) Include testing and equipment as direct costs

Lab fees scale with sample count, not distance. Twelve samples at 45 each adds 540. Rentals for augers, GPS units, and meters should be priced by day; two days at 35 adds 70. Keeping these separate clarifies what changes when the sampling plan changes.

5) Protect the budget with contingency and tax

Sampling work is exposed to access issues, weather delays, and retests. A 10% contingency on the subtotal is a common buffer, applied before tax/VAT. Review the “cost per trip” and “cost per sample” outputs to negotiate scope, visits, or testing depth without guessing.

FAQs

1) Should I use Mileage or Fuel?

Use Mileage when your rate already covers fuel, maintenance, and depreciation. Use Fuel when you want consumption-based pricing. Choose Both only when policy requires fuel plus an additional per-distance allowance.

2) How do I enter fuel efficiency correctly?

Enter efficiency as distance per fuel unit. If distance is km and fuel is liter, use km/L. If distance is mi and fuel is gallon, use mi/gal. Keep the units consistent for accurate fuel quantity.

3) What does Vehicle overhead mean?

Vehicle overhead is an uplift applied to the base vehicle cost to cover indirect items like insurance, servicing, tyres, dispatch time, and administration. Set it to 0% if your mileage rate already includes these.

4) Does the calculator split costs by crew size?

Not directly. Add crew-related costs through labor hours and per-diem values. If multiple vehicles are used, increase trips or adjust the mileage/fuel inputs to reflect the total distance driven by all vehicles.

5) How is cost per sample calculated?

Cost per sample equals the grand total divided by the total number of samples. It includes travel, labor, per-diem, lodging, lab testing, rentals, contingency, and tax, so it reflects the true all-in unit cost.

6) When should I add lodging nights?

Add lodging when daily travel time is impractical or site access windows require early starts. Enter nights per trip and the nightly rate, and the calculator multiplies it across the number of trips.

7) Can I use the downloads for approvals?

Yes. Run the calculation, then download CSV for spreadsheets or PDF for a printable summary. Keep the Notes field updated to document assumptions like access fees, standby time, or client-specific reporting requirements.