Labor Burden Calculator
A painter on a 25 dollar wage does not cost you 25 dollars an hour. Payroll tax, workers comp, liability and paid time off all sit on top. This works out the real number to price against.
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True hourly cost
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Burden per hour
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Annual cost at 1,800 billable hours
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Yearly shortfall if you price on the raw wage
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Pricing jobs one at a time gets old fast.
PaintPricing stores your rates, burden and margin once, then applies them to every quote you send.
Try it freeFrequently Asked Questions
What is included in labor burden?
Payroll taxes, workers compensation, liability insurance, paid time off, and vehicle or phone allowances. Workers comp is usually the largest single piece for painting.
What is a typical burden rate for painting?
Commonly 25 to 45 percent depending on state and how your trade is classified. Painting carries a higher comp rate than many trades because of ladder and height work.
Why does this matter so much?
Because it compounds on every hour you sell. Pricing off a raw wage means every single job is underpriced by the burden amount, and it never shows up as one obvious loss.