Siding labour calculator
Lap siding over wrapped sheathing, cut and nailed by the square foot of wall.
Siding
Lap siding over wrapped sheathing, cut and nailed by the square foot of wall.
Default 22 sq ft an hour, or $2.40 a foot. Corners and trim slow a crew down more than field runs. Price excludes sales tax.
$7,467
$5.15 / sq ftPrice excludes sales tax.
How this calculator prices a job
Lap siding over wrapped sheathing, priced by the square foot of wall. Corners and trim are what slow a crew, not the field runs.
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 sq ft/hr |
| Per-unit rate | $2.40 per sq ft |
| Labour rate | $65/hr default |
| Payroll burden | 22% of base labour |
| Crew | 3 people, eight-hour days |
| Target margin | 30% |
Pro tips
Cut-up elevations with dormers and corners can halve production. Walk the elevation before you trust the field rate.
Fibre cement is heavy and slow compared with vinyl. If you are pricing off a vinyl job, roughly halve the production rate.
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 siding installation labour cost?
About $2.40 a square foot of wall for lap siding labour. At 22 sq ft an hour with burden, the hourly basis lands close to the same figure.
Do I deduct openings from siding labour?
Deduct the big ones from the quantity, but remember they add cutting time. Openings often cost more labour per foot than the field does.
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.