The stop
Start from a common job, then replace every figure with your takeoff. Changing access or tank size never overwrites a rate you already typed.
Your crew rates
A $38/h pumper loaded at 32% is $50.16. Quoting the raw wage on a published pump special is how a buried two-tank job that looked fine turns into a loss after the first locate-and-dig.
Your bid
- Gallons pumped
- Access and extras
- Crew hours
- Loaded labor
- Dump + kits + fees
- Travel + equipment
- Overhead
- Total cost
- Profit at this price
- Price per gallon pumped
- Effective hourly rate
- Walk-away price
Where the hours go
Where the cost goes
Transparent arithmetic from your own inputs. Starting hours and dump rates are common ballpark figures, not an industry standard, a septic design, or an environmental determination — replace them with your own takeoff.
Hand the customer a proposal
The price above is for you. This is the page you print or save as a PDF and give to the customer — your details, their details, the scope, the deposit split, and a line for them to sign. Your business details are saved on this device so you only type them once; the customer’s details are never saved.
Everything on the printed page is text you typed or a number this calculator worked out. It contains no warranty, lien, or cancellation wording — those depend on your jurisdiction and your contract, and this tool is not the place to invent them.
Common questions
Why is disposal the biggest single cost on the job?
Because the treatment plant charges by volume and does not care how easy the pump-out was. On the defaults, disposal of 1,000 gallons is $160 against $87.78 of loaded labor for 1.75 hours. That is the line most likely to change without warning when a receiving facility reprices, and the one worth re-checking before you honour an old quote.
Can I reuse the $0.49 per gallon figure as a rate?
No, and it is shown as a check rather than a rate for that reason. It is simply $487.81 divided by 1,000 gallons, and it falls as volume rises because the trip, the site time, and the travel charge are fixed. A 1,500-gallon tank does not cost 50% more. Quote from the tank size and the access conditions, then use the per-gallon number only to compare against what a competitor advertised.
Why is hose footage free at 40 feet?
Because the truck carries 50 ft in the base price. Only footage past that allowance bills, and the defaults sit 10 ft inside it. Long hose pulls are worth entering accurately: they are hard physical work, they slow the job, and they are the usual reason a tank that looked routine from the driveway is not.
What is not included on the defaults?
Uncovering a buried lid, baffle replacement, risers, a written inspection report, and the $125 after-hours premium are all off. The $45 permit is entered but not applied unless your jurisdiction requires one for a routine pump-out. These are the extras that turn a $488 service call into a several-hour job, so switch on the ones the site actually needs before quoting.