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Dirt Work Bid Calculator
Estimate dirt work pricing with machine hours, operator labor, materials, trucking, disposal, mobilization, and margin. Results update automatically as inputs change.
Inputs
How this calculator works
Bid price = direct costs / (1 - target margin). Direct costs include machine, labor, mobilization, materials, hauling, and disposal.
Assemble a dirt-work bid from the job costs
Combine machine time, additional labor, materials, hauling or disposal, and mobilization before applying margin. Build a separate allowance for each uncertain quantity instead of assuming that a higher margin will pay for an undefined scope. Use the Dump Truck Cycle and Hauling Cost Calculator when trucking production determines the hauling allowance.
Worked example
The illustrative defaults use 10 machine hours × $95 = $950 and 4 additional labor hours × $35 = $140. Add $450 materials, $260 hauling/disposal, and $150 mobilization for $1,950 direct cost.
A 28% target margin requires $1,950 ÷ 0.72 = a $2,708.33 bid, leaving $758.33 above the entered costs. The displayed hourly revenue includes materials, hauling, and other job charges; it is not a machine-only hourly rate.
Before sending the bid, record the quantities, finish expectations, access, and spoils destination behind those allowances. See the dirt-work bid guide for the scope checklist.
Check scope and cost boundaries
- Write down what is included and what is excluded.
- Separate material allowances from machine labor when quantities are uncertain.
- Add hauling and disposal as real costs, not afterthoughts.
- Write down allowances and change triggers for unknown quantities, access changes, or extra trucking.
Optional project software
Keep the dirt-work scope with the job records
Keep the bid assumptions beside daily records, expenses, and approved changes. That makes it easier to explain an extra truck run or added material and compare the finished job with the estimate.
Contractor Foreman is one option to compare for estimates, daily logs, expenses, and change orders. Check its current features and try your own sample job before choosing a plan. This calculator does not transfer your bid into the software.
Equipment Rate Calc is a Contractor Foreman affiliate. We may earn a commission if you purchase through this link.
Explore Contractor Foreman (opens in a new tab)See current plans and included features on their site.
Common questions
Should Machine Cost ($/hr) be a cost or a customer rate?
Enter the internal machine cost you want the bid to recover. The calculator adds margin to the whole direct-cost total. If the hourly input already includes operator pay, do not add the same operator hours again as additional labor.
Does this calculate material quantities or truck loads?
No. Enter your supported material and hauling/disposal totals. Measure the scope first, confirm supplier and disposal terms, and estimate truck cycles separately when distance, loading, or waiting can change the allowance.
How should uncertain dirt-work quantities be quoted?
Document the assumed quantities and what happens if they change: an agreed allowance, unit price, or change order can make the boundary explicit. A target profit margin does not define how much excavation, imported fill, disposal, or finish work the customer receives.
Build machine hours from production
Before entering machine hours, use the Equipment Production and Unit Cost Calculator to compare planned quantity, measured cycle performance, schedule requirements, and internal unit cost.
Important disclaimerPlanning estimate only. Verify current costs, measurements, production, scope, access, customer requirements, contracts, permits, insurance, taxes, and local rules before quoting or committing money.