Freelancers search this after a supplier or a sub comes back higher than the figure they baked into a fixed price. Time-overrun tables answer a different question — extra hours. This page holds hours still and moves only overhead plus subcontractor cost.
Open the Quote Margin Check calculator and keep your own price, hours, and target rate. The table below uses the page defaults: $2,400 quoted, 24 delivery + 5 admin + 6 revision hours, $180 overhead, $300 subcontractor, $75/hour target.
As quoted, $480 of direct costs leaves $54.86/hour and a $705 gap below the $3,105 target price. A 25% rise in those costs is $120 more cash out — not 25% of the $2,400 quote. The effective rate falls to $51.43/hour. Holding $75/hour would take $3,225.
| Cost rise | Direct costs | Effective rate | Price to hold $75/hour | Gap to target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| As quoted | $480.00 | $54.86/hour | $3,105.00 | −$705.00 |
| +10% | $528.00 | $53.49/hour | $3,153.00 | −$753.00 |
| +25% | $600.00 | $51.43/hour | $3,225.00 | −$825.00 |
| +50% | $720.00 | $48.00/hour | $3,345.00 | −$945.00 |
A $1,000 quote with $800 of overhead and a $80 target already leaves $20/hour. At +50% the same overhead is $1,200, so the quote no longer covers direct costs (−$20/hour). The table will show a negative rate rather than hiding it.
Enter the numbers from your own estimate. This page does not forecast supplier prices, recommend a markup, or claim a quote is profitable.
The customer price stays the same. Extra overhead and subcontractor cost come out of the amount left for your hours. On the calculator example ($2,400, 35 hours, $480 of direct costs, $75 target), a 25% cost rise drops the effective rate from $54.86 to $51.43/hour. Holding $75/hour would take a $3,225 quote instead of $2,400.
No. The rise applies only to overhead and subcontractor cost, not to the whole quote. On the example, +10% is $48 more of direct cost, so the effective rate falls from $54.86 to $53.49 — not 10%.
No. The table is arithmetic on the figures you typed. Enter your own overhead and subcontractor numbers. It is not tax, financial, or pricing advice.