About Trade Owner HQ
Trade Owner HQ makes free tools for people who run a trade business: plumbers, electricians, HVAC techs, cleaners, lawn crews and painters. The goal is simple: help you price your work so the business pays you.
We don't ask for your email to see an answer. We show our math and where every number comes from. When a number is our guess, we say so.
Where do the numbers come from?
Wages come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey. Tax rules come from the IRS. Each page lists its own sources at the bottom.
How do we check our numbers?
- Every number has a source. Wages, tax rates, mileage rates, paint coverage and software prices link to where they came from, at the bottom of each page.
- Guesses are labeled. Anything we can't source, like how many square feet you clean in an hour or how long prep takes, is marked as a starting guess or an example. Your own numbers will beat ours, so every guide tells you to time your own jobs.
- The math is written out. Each guide shows a worked example step by step, so you can check it with a pencil and follow it without our calculators.
- Prices that change get rechecked. Software plan prices are rechecked each month, and wage data is updated each year when the government releases new figures. Each page shows the month it was last updated.
What will you find here?
- Hourly rates: what a plumber or electrician should charge, with wage data for your state.
- Pricing a job: lawn mowing, house cleaning, painting a room and pressure washing, plus markup vs margin for materials.
- Software costs: what Housecall Pro and Jobber really cost a small crew.
Who makes Trade Owner HQ?
Trade Owner HQ is made by Web Design Nerd, a small web studio in Summit County, Ohio. Two of our other free sites may help a trade owner too:
- What an LLC costs in each state, if you're setting up your business.
- Follow-up email checker, for chasing a quote the customer hasn't answered.
How do I reach you?
Found a number that looks wrong, or want a tool for your trade? Send a note through the Web Design Nerd contact page and mention Trade Owner HQ. Corrections are fixed and the page's "Updated" date changes.
How is the site paid for?
By ads from Google AdSense. They are clearly labeled and sit below the tools, never above them. There are no paid placements, and any link that pays us will say so.