Free calculator · Updated 2026 · No sign-up
Am I charging enough?
Most self-employed UK tradespeople undercharge by 20–40%. This calculator works out the rate you actually need to charge to cover your costs, hit your take-home target, and stop running yourself ragged. Built on 2026 UK sole-trader survey data.
~20% basic rate, ~30% higher rate, ~40% additional rate after thresholds.
A 40-hour week usually only includes 25–30 paid hours. The rest goes on travel, quoting, admin, and chasing payments. Use your honest number.
Minimum rate to hit your take-home target after costs and tax.
Based on 2026 UK sole-trader survey ranges. Add £40–£100 for emergency call-outs. Subtract ~10% for rural areas with less competition but lower price expectations.
Send professional, branded quotes and invoices in 60 seconds via WhatsApp. No app, no laptop, no excuses for under-pricing yourself.
Start free, forever →Why most UK tradespeople undercharge
The classic mistake: you look at what your mate Bob charges (£40/hr), add a fiver, and call it a day. But Bob has been doing this for 15 years, owns his van outright, and his wife handles his books. You're driving a financed van, doing your own VAT, and your van insurance just went up £400. Your rate has to be different from Bob's.
The other classic mistake: counting working hours instead of billable hours. You work 9 hours today, but only 6 of those are paid. The travel between jobs, the wait at the merchants, the 40 minutes on the phone with a customer who's “just thinking about it” — none of that is paid by anyone. So your real hourly rate has to cover the unpaid time too.
What this calculator actually does
It works backwards from what you need to take home rather than guessing what to charge:
If the number that comes out feels uncomfortably high — that's the point. It means you've been working for less than you thought, and you're owed a pay rise from your future customers.
UK self-employed trade rate averages (2026)
Based on 2026 sole-trader survey data and industry salary reports. Use as market context, not gospel — your specific catchment, customer base, and specialism will move the number.
- Plumber — £45–£75/hr (London £60–£85). Day rate £350–£550.
- Electrician — £45–£75/hr (London £60–£90). Day rate £350–£550.
- Gas engineer — £50–£80/hr (London £70–£100). Day rate £400–£600.
- Builder / general — £35–£55/hr or £250–£400/day.
- Decorator — £25–£45/hr or £200–£350/day.
- Joiner / carpenter — £35–£55/hr or £250–£400/day.
- Tiler — £30–£50/hr or £200–£350/day.
- Handyman — £30–£50/hr or £200–£350/day.
- Driving instructor — £30–£45/hr (London £40–£55).
Add 20–40% for London and the South East. Add £40–£100 for emergency call-outs. Subtract ~10% for rural areas with less competition for jobs but lower customer expectations on price.
Got your rate? Now stop losing money on slow invoicing
Working out your rate is half the battle. The other half is actually getting paid for what you've done — quickly, professionally, and without a Sunday-night laptop session every week. Wedge turns invoicing into a 60-second WhatsApp conversation.
Frequently asked
- How much should a self-employed plumber charge per hour in the UK?
- Self-employed UK plumbers typically charge £45–£75/hour, with London and the South East running £60–£85 and northern regions £40–£60. Emergency call-outs add £40–£100 on top. Day rates run £350–£550 for an 8-hour day. Use the calculator above to work out the rate you specifically need based on your costs, take-home target, and billable hours.
- What's the average UK tradesperson day rate in 2026?
- Typical 8-hour day rates by trade in 2026: plumber £350–£550, electrician £350–£550, gas engineer £400–£600, builder £250–£400, decorator £200–£350, joiner £250–£400, tiler £200–£350, handyman £200–£350. Add 20–40% for London and the South East. Add £40–£100 for emergency call-outs.
- Why am I making so little even though I'm always busy?
- Because being busy includes hours you're not getting paid for: travel between jobs, quoting, admin, chasing late payments, unpaid call-outs. A 40-hour working week typically only includes 25–30 paid (billable) hours. The fix is either charging more per billable hour, or getting more efficient at the unpaid work — slow invoicing is the single biggest unpaid time-sink for most UK tradespeople.
- How do I work out my true minimum hourly rate?
- Add your annual business costs (van, fuel, tools, insurance, phone, accountant) plus your annual take-home target, then divide that total by (1 minus your tax + NI rate) to get the annual gross you need to invoice. Divide that by your realistic annual billable hours (typically 1,200–1,500 for a sole trader, not 2,000) and you have your true minimum hourly rate. The calculator above does this automatically.
- Should I match what other tradespeople charge?
- Be careful. The mate who charges £40/hr may have owned his van outright for ten years, have his wife handle his books, and be five years off retirement. Your costs, financing, and take-home target are different. Use the UK averages on this page as context for the market — but use the calculator to work out the rate that actually covers your specific cost base. Undercharging is the #1 reason UK self-employed tradespeople burn out.
- Are these UK rate averages accurate for 2026?
- The ranges are based on 2026 sole-trader survey data and industry salary reports, rounded to readable bands. They're meant as guidance, not gospel — your specific catchment area, customer base, and specialisation will move the number. London plus 20–40%; rural minus ~10%. Specialist trades (Gas Safe, NICEIC Part P, heritage skills) command higher rates than the generic trade average.