Where the rate figures come from
The hourly and day rates shown on our trade and city pages are indicative market ranges, not survey results or a live price feed. They are built from four inputs:
- Market observation: advertised rates and quoted prices visible on UK job platforms and trade directories, checked across regions rather than just London.
- Trade body and industry publications: published day-rate and labour-cost guidance from trade associations, merchant surveys, and construction cost indices.
- Job platform data: what jobs actually advertise for skilled sole traders in each trade, which tends to anchor the realistic bottom of each range.
- Direct conversations with tradespeople: the site is run by someone who builds websites for UK tradespeople, which means regular, first-hand conversations about what real businesses charge and why.
Figures are reviewed and adjusted annually, with the main review each April at the start of the new tax year. Pages show the year their figures apply to.
What “typical range” means
A typical range covers what a competent, insured, experienced sole trader charges for standard work in normal hours. It is deliberately a range, not a single number, because real prices vary with experience, qualifications, specialisation, and local demand.
The ranges exclude emergency and out-of-hours premiums (often 1.5–2× standard rates), specialist or heritage work, and materials unless stated. Roughly speaking, the bottom of a range reflects newer or rural tradespeople and the top reflects experienced tradespeople in higher-cost areas.
City pages apply a local adjustment to the national range based on regional labour cost differences, then round to sensible increments. London typically runs 30–50% above the national average; northern England and the Midlands typically sit below it. No range on this site is a quote — for a real price, get three quotes locally.
The 207 billable days logic
Our day rate and hourly rate calculators are built around one idea most generic salary calculators miss: a self-employed tradesperson cannot bill every working day. A standard year has 260 weekdays, but a realistic year looks like this:
| Working weekdays | 260 |
| Holiday | − 25 |
| Sick days | − 5 |
| Training days | − 3 |
| Admin, quoting, and travel days | − 20 |
| Realistic billable days | 207 |
Dividing a target income by 260 days instead of 207 understates the required day rate by about 20%. That gap is one of the most common reasons tradespeople undercharge, and it is the default assumption in every rate calculator on this site. You can change the inputs to match how you actually work.
Which tax year the calculators use
All tax calculations use 2026/27 HMRC figures: the £12,570 personal allowance, 20% basic rate income tax to £50,270 and 40% above, Class 4 National Insurance at 6% between £12,570 and £50,270 (2% above), and the £90,000 VAT registration threshold. These are updated each April when the new tax year begins.
What these figures are not
The rates on this site are indicative market context, not quotes, valuations, or financial advice. Your own rate should be based on your actual overheads, your target income, and your billable time — that is exactly what the calculators work out. For tax decisions, talk to a qualified accountant.
Spotted a figure that looks wrong? Tell us. The fastest way to keep these pages honest is tradespeople pointing at numbers that don't match reality — reach out via stellarcoredesigns.com and it will be reviewed.
Last reviewed: June 2026 · Maintained by Sam, founder of WhatToCharge.co.uk