Why QuoteFormula exists
Many small contractors price work by adding a familiar percentage to materials and labor, then discover after the job that overhead, payroll burden or an optimistic estimate consumed the apparent profit. QuoteFormula makes those hidden costs explicit. It walks through loaded labor, overhead recovery, true job cost, target margin, bid checking and an estimate-versus-actual review using the same formulas at every step.
Who it serves
Electricians, plumbers, HVAC contractors, painters, landscapers, handymen and other service businesses that quote project work. The tools are designed for owners and estimators who know their trade but may not have a full-time finance team. No account is required, and the numbers entered stay in the browser.
How the numbers stay transparent
- Every calculator shows its formula and a worked example with clearly illustrative figures.
- Calculations are deterministic TypeScript functions, not an AI model choosing a price.
- Target margin is treated as a share of selling price, never as a markup added to cost.
- Sample values are labelled as sample values and are never presented as local averages.
- Production wage presets remain disabled until a documented source review is approved.
How the content is reviewed
Guides show an owner, last-reviewed date, review frequency, status and formula version. They are reviewed quarterly and whenever a formula or source changes. The full process, source rules and corrections approach are published in the editorial policy. The arithmetic itself is documented in the calculation methodology.
Independence and funding
QuoteFormula is free to use. The planned business model is display advertising, not lead sales, paid calculator placement or affiliate recommendations. Advertisers do not review formulas, results or editorial conclusions. Advertising must remain visually separate from inputs, results and download controls.
What QuoteFormula does not do
It does not promise a market price, replace an accountant, collect leads, arrange financing or guarantee profit. It does not provide tax, legal, accounting, payroll or insurance advice. It does not bundle live city wage data, competitor bids or benchmark pricing. It helps an owner calculate from their own current costs and make a more informed commercial decision.
Where to start
Build a cost profile with the labor burden calculator and overhead calculator, then cost a job with the job cost calculator. The pricing guides explain the reasoning behind each number.