Millwork labour calculator
Base, casing and crown cut and installed by the running foot.
Millwork
Base, casing and crown cut and installed by the running foot.
Default 22 linear feet an hour, or $2.75 a foot. Crown build-ups run half that. Price excludes sales tax.
$1,751
$5.15 / linear ftPrice excludes sales tax.
How this calculator prices a job
Base, casing and crown cut and installed by the running foot. Crown build-ups run at roughly half the rate of base.
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 | 22 linear ft/hr |
| Per-unit rate | $2.75 per linear ft |
| Labour rate | $65/hr default |
| Payroll burden | 22% of base labour |
| Crew | 3 people, eight-hour days |
| Target margin | 30% |
Pro tips
Count openings, not just wall footage. Casing a door is far more time per foot than running base down a hallway.
Paint-grade forgives; stain-grade does not. If it is stain-grade, drop production and say so in the quote.
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 should I charge for trim work?
About $2.75 a running foot for base and casing labour. Crown, especially two-piece build-ups, runs closer to double.
How fast can one carpenter run trim?
Around 22 linear feet an hour for base in open rooms. Small rooms, stairs and returns pull it down sharply.
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.