Pricing guides
The method behind the calculators, one topic at a time. Written for owners who bid their own work.
How Much to Charge for Tree Removal: A Pricing Guide for Owners
What tree removal actually costs a crew by tree size and site, and how to turn that into a quote with a real margin. Written for tree service owners, not homeowners.
Tree ServiceLabor Burden for Tree Services: What a $25 Climber Really Costs
Payroll tax, workers comp, liability insurance and unbillable hours turn a $25 wage into a $45 cost. How to calculate your loaded labor rate for tree work.
Tree ServiceWhat a Chipper and Bucket Truck Really Cost per Hour
Ownership and operating cost per hour for a chipper, chip truck, bucket truck and stump grinder, with a formula you can apply to your own iron.
Tree ServiceWhat a Tree Service Estimate Should Include (and What to Leave Out)
The line items, exclusions and terms that belong on a tree removal estimate, and why a clean one-page quote wins more jobs than a low number.
Pricing BasicsMarkup vs. Margin: The Mistake That Costs Contractors a Quarter of Their Profit
Adding 30% to cost is not a 30% margin. The formula, a worked table, and how to set prices so the margin you want is the margin you get.
Junk RemovalHow to Build a Junk Removal Price List, From Minimum Load to Full Truck
How to set a junk removal price card by fraction of truck, with the cost math behind each tier, surcharges, and what to do about heavy material.
Junk RemovalWhat a Junk Removal Truck Costs per Hour (Not Just Fuel)
Ownership, insurance, interest, maintenance and fuel turn a $48,000 dump truck into a $26-an-hour cost. The formula and a worked example for hauling businesses.
Junk RemovalHow to Price a Garage Cleanout (With a Worked Example)
A one-car and two-car garage cleanout from walkthrough to quote: cubic yards, loads, hours, disposal, and the range to give the customer.
Junk RemovalLandfill Tipping Fees Explained: Per Ton, Minimums, Surcharges and the Drive
How transfer stations and landfills charge haulers: per-ton fees, minimum trip charges, item surcharges, weight tickets, and how to compare sites on true cost per ton.
Pricing BasicsHow to Calculate Your Overhead Rate per Billable Hour
What counts as overhead in a trade business, how to spread it across billable hours, and why the owner's unbilled time is the line everyone forgets.
Mobile DetailingWhat a Mobile Detailer Should Charge per Hour (and Why It Is Not Your Wage)
The true cost of an hour in the van: wage, burden, van, equipment and overhead per billable hour. How to turn it into a rate and a job price for mobile detailing.
Mobile DetailingDilution Ratios and Cost per Ounce: The Detailing Math Nobody Does
How to convert a bottle price and a dilution ratio into cost per ready-to-use ounce and cost per car, with a worked shelf and the mistakes that waste product.
RoofingRoof Pitch Multiplier: Getting Squares Right from a Ground Measurement
The pitch multiplier table, the formula behind it, how to go from footprint to roof squares to squares to order, and what quoting off the footprint costs.
Mobile DetailingHow to Build a Detailing Price Menu That Does Not Lose Money on Big Vehicles
Five packages, five vehicle sizes, one method: price each line from hours, chemicals and average drive at a 40% menu margin, then print size upcharges instead of one price for everything.
Junk RemovalHow Much Does an Estate Cleanout Cost? Average Prices by House Size and How Crews Quote Them
The average estate cleanout costs $1,500 to $5,000 for a house and $700 to $1,500 for an apartment. Prices by house size and truckload, and what adds cost.
Junk RemovalHow Much Does It Cost to Go to the Dump? Minimums, Per-Ton Rates and What a Load Weighs
A pickup load of household junk usually costs $20 to $60 at the dump; minimums run $10 to $35. Per-ton rates by region, heavy loads, item fees.
Tree ServiceStump Grinding Cost per Inch: Price Chart and How to Set Your Own Rate
Stump grinding prices per diameter inch, a chart by stump size, the minimum charge, and how to work out your own per-inch rate.
Junk RemovalJunk Removal Price per Cubic Yard: What It Costs and How to Set Your Rate
What junk removal costs per cubic yard, what a full truck runs, why heavy loads break per-yard pricing, and how to set your own rate.
Tree ServiceHow to Quote a Tree Removal Job: The On-Site Walkthrough, Step by Step
What to look at, measure and ask on a tree removal estimate visit, and how to turn the walkthrough into crew hours, equipment and a written price.
Junk RemovalHow Much Does a Cubic Yard of Junk Weigh? A Weight Chart for Haulers
Pounds per cubic yard for household junk, furniture, construction debris, shingles, concrete and dirt, and how many yards fit under a typical truck payload.
RoofingRoofing Price per Square: What Goes Into It, Line by Line
How a roofer's price per square is built from materials, labor, tear-off, equipment, permit and overhead, with a worked example and what a second layer adds.
RoofingRoof Tear-Off Cost per Layer: Weight, Dumpsters, Crew-Days and Price
What it costs to tear off one layer of asphalt shingles: debris weight, dumpster count, tear-off production rate, and the price per square each layer adds.
Mobile DetailingMobile Detailing Travel Fee: How to Price Drive Time and Set Service Zones
How to turn drive time and mileage into a travel fee for a mobile detailing business, with a three-zone example built from your cost per hour and per mile.
Tree ServiceHow to Estimate Crew Hours for a Tree Job (and Get Better at It Every Week)
A task-by-task method for estimating tree service crew hours, the padding to add for what you cannot see, and a simple log that makes estimates more accurate over time.
Junk RemovalHow Much Does Junk Removal Cost? Prices by Load, Item and Job
Junk removal usually costs $75 to $150 for a single item, $275 to $450 for a half truck and $500 to $850 for a full truck. Prices by load, item and job, and what adds cost.
Personal FinanceDebt Snowball vs Avalanche: Which Pays Off Debt Faster (With Real Numbers)
Snowball pays the smallest balance first, avalanche the highest rate. A worked example with six debts shows the interest, the payoff order and what an extra $100 a month does.
Personal FinanceHow to Make a Zero-Based Budget (With a Real Example)
Zero-based budgeting step by step: list your income by paycheck, give every dollar a job until nothing is left, and plan around bills that are due before payday.
Personal FinanceHow Much Should Be in an Emergency Fund? (And How Long It Takes to Build)
The usual guideline is three to six months of essential costs. Worked examples from $9,360 to $18,720, and how long it takes to build at $300, $500 or $750 a month.
Personal FinanceHow to Make a Yearly Budget: Plan 12 Months, Then Track Plan vs Actual
Plan every month of the year by category, catch the irregular bills, then compare plan vs actual each month and forecast where the year will end. With a worked example.
Small BusinessHow Much to Set Aside for Taxes When You Are Self-Employed
Most self-employed people set aside 25% to 30% of profit, more in higher brackets. How self-employment tax works, worked examples from $30,000 to $80,000, and the quarterly due dates.
Small BusinessMileage Log for Small Business: What Counts, What to Write Down and What It Is Worth
Business miles are one of the biggest deductions for trades and one-person businesses. What counts, the four things to log for every trip, and what 5,000 to 12,000 miles is worth.
Small BusinessSchedule C Expense Categories, Explained With Examples for Small Businesses
Which Schedule C line each business expense goes on, with examples for trades and makers, the meals 50% rule, and what is not a business expense at all.