Builder Price Calculator
Builders often act as project managers. Your pricing must cover your own brickwork and structural labour, plus the risk and administration of coordinating multiple trades on site.
Key pricing factors
Weather Dependency
Brickwork and roofing are hostage to UK weather. Factor contingency days into your labour estimates.
Structural Materials
Steel RSJs, lintels, and bulk aggregates require heavy lifting and precise ordering.
Building Control
Time spent meeting building inspectors on site is admin time that must be accounted for.
Example: Knock-through & RSJ Install
- Labour (3 men, 2 days)
- £1200.00
- Structural Steel & Padstones
- £450.00
- Skip Hire
- £250.00
- Props & Acrow Hire
- £80.00
- Cost
- £1980.00
- Margin (20%)
- £396.00
- Final Quote
- £2376.00
Structural alterations carry high liability. The profit margin must reflect the risk taken by the builder.
Practical quoting guidance
- Never quote structural alterations without engineering calculations.
- Specify that plastering implies a "ready to paint" finish, but does not include decoration unless stated.
- Always include the cost of professional waste removal—rubble is incredibly heavy and expensive to tip.
Frequently asked questions
Should I markup subcontractors?
Yes. If you organise the plumber and electrician, you take responsibility for their work. Apply a 10-15% management markup.
How do I handle party wall agreements?
Advise the client in the quote that party wall agreements are their responsibility and must be in place before work commences.