Example Data Table
This sample shows how multiple roles roll into a single estimate.
| Role | Hours | Rate | OT Hours | Travel Hours | Direct Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Field Technician | 8.00 | $ 35.00 | 2.00 | 1.00 | $ 385.00 |
| Design Engineer | 10.00 | $ 55.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | $ 550.00 |
| Project Manager | 6.00 | $ 65.00 | 0.00 | 0.50 | $ 422.50 |
Formula Used
Loaded = Direct × (1 + B/100) × (1 + O/100)
Total = Loaded × (1 + P/100)
GrandTotal = SumTotals + FixedAdders
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter your currency, burden, overhead, and markup percentages.
- Add one or more labor lines for each role or craft.
- Use overtime hours and multiplier for premium pay rules.
- Add travel hours if travel is paid at the base rate.
- Enter fixed adders for per diem, mobilization, or permits.
- Press Estimate Labor Cost to view totals and exports.
Labor planning for engineered workpacks
Engineering projects often fail on effort forecasting, not design intent. This estimator converts role hours into bid-ready labor totals, letting you compare crews across phases like survey, installation, commissioning, and documentation. When scope changes, you can update a single line and instantly see new totals. Using consistent assumptions reduces rework and supports faster approvals. For early feasibility, plug conservative hours; later, refine using task lists, weekly benchmarks, and historical norms.
Rate structure and pay rules
Hourly rates should represent the cost basis you control: wage plus any known premiums already baked in. Overtime is calculated with a multiplier (commonly 1.5 or 2.0) applied only to overtime hours. Travel time is treated as paid time at the base rate. Splitting normal, overtime, and travel clarifies which policy drives variance.
Burden and overhead modeling
Labor burden captures benefits, payroll taxes, and insurance. Many teams model burden between 15% and 35%, depending on location and benefits mix. Overhead covers supervision, tools, facilities, and administration, often 5% to 25% for field-heavy work. This calculator applies burden and overhead multiplicatively to direct labor, producing a loaded cost suitable for internal budgeting.
Markup and bid readiness
Markup reflects profit and contingency, typically 5% to 20% in competitive contracting, but higher for riskier schedules. Applying markup after burden and overhead keeps pricing consistent with common estimating practice. You can run sensitivity checks by changing markup in small steps, then exporting reports for review. Documenting assumptions helps align finance, engineering, and sales.
Role mix and productivity assumptions
Accurate estimates depend on role mix and realistic productivity. A crew with one senior engineer may reduce rework and shorten commissioning, even if the rate is higher. Travel hours can represent mobilization, site access delays, or remote coordination. Add fixed adders for per diem or permits so they stay visible and don’t distort hourly productivity metrics.
Reporting, auditing, and change control
Exportable summaries support audit trails, especially when clients request backup for labor charges. Use CSV for spreadsheets and PDF for quick sharing with stakeholders. Keep a baseline estimate, then save revised inputs for each change order. Comparing totals by role highlights where scope growth occurs and which teams need added capacity to protect delivery dates.
FAQs
What is the difference between direct, loaded, and total cost?
Direct cost is paid time multiplied by rates, including overtime and travel. Loaded cost adds burden and overhead. Total cost applies markup to the loaded amount, then fixed adders are included in the grand total.
How do I pick a realistic labor burden percentage?
Use your payroll records or finance policy. Burden commonly reflects benefits, payroll taxes, and insurance. If you lack data, start with a conservative range such as 15–35% and refine after comparing to actuals.
Does the calculator handle different overtime rules?
Yes. Enter overtime hours and set the multiplier per role, such as 1.5 for time-and-a-half or 2.0 for double time. Keep base hours separate so you can audit premium pay impacts.
How should I treat travel time and mobilization?
Enter paid travel hours on each line if travel is compensated at the base rate. Add fixed adders for mobilization fees, per diem, permits, or rentals so they remain visible and don’t distort productivity.
Can I use this for multi-phase engineering work?
Yes. Add separate lines for phases or disciplines, like survey, design, installation, testing, and documentation. You can also duplicate roles with different rates or hours to reflect shifting staffing across phases.
Why is my grand total higher than expected?
Check three drivers: high overtime hours, elevated burden or overhead percentages, and markup. Also confirm fixed adders. The Plotly chart helps you see which roles and components contribute most to the total.