Doors and windows labour calculator
Openings set, shimmed, fastened and trimmed, counted rather than measured.
Doors & windows
Openings set, shimmed, fastened and trimmed, counted rather than measured.
Default half an opening an hour, or $185 an opening. Prehung units go quicker than slabs. Price excludes sales tax.
$4,305
$226.57 / openingPrice excludes sales tax.
How this calculator prices a job
Openings set, shimmed, fastened and trimmed — counted rather than measured, so the quantity is a unit count and never a waste percentage.
The formula
hours = quantity ÷ production rate base = hours × labour rate (or quantity × per-unit rate) burden = base × burden % cost = base + burden price = cost ÷ (1 − margin)
Assumptions and defaults
| Production | 0.5 openings/hr — about 2 hr each |
| Per-unit rate | $185 per opening |
| Labour rate | $65/hr default |
| Payroll burden | 22% of base labour |
| Crew | 3 people, eight-hour days |
| Target margin | 30% |
Pro tips
Prehung units go quicker than slabs. If you are hanging slabs in existing jambs, halve the production rate.
Out-of-square openings are the hidden hours. In an older house, price a shimming allowance rather than discovering it.
Burden is not optional. Payroll taxes, workers' comp, liability and paid time run 20 to 35 per cent on top of the wage you quote — a crew at $65 an hour costs you nearer $80 before a single overhead dollar.
Margin divides, it does not multiply. A 30 per cent margin on $1,000 of cost is $1,429, not $1,300 — the second number is a 30 per cent markup and only a 23 per cent margin.
Common questions
What does it cost to install a door?
About $185 an opening in labour, or roughly two hours each at crew rates with burden on top.
Why are openings counted instead of measured?
Because you install a door, not a square foot of door. The quantity is a unit count, which is also why waste percentages never apply here.
How do I price labour to hit a target margin?
Divide, never multiply: price = cost ÷ (1 − margin). An all-in labour cost of $2,000 at a 30 per cent margin is $2,857. Multiplying by 1.30 gives $2,600, which is only a 23 per cent margin.
What is payroll burden?
Everything you pay on top of the wage: payroll taxes, workers' comp, liability insurance, holiday and any benefits. Twenty-two per cent is a reasonable starting point for a small crew — check yours against last year's numbers and change the field.
Does this include materials?
No. This tool prices labour only, so the number stays honest when material prices move. Work the quantities out in the material calculator and add them as their own line.