Equipment Rate Calc

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

Job assumptions

Use realistic paid or billable time and keep the unit consistent.

Use the current loaded business cost, not a rough market guess.

Replace the default with the most recent number you can document.

Use round-trip distance and include loading, waiting, unloading, and return time.

Use round-trip distance and include loading, waiting, unloading, and return time.

Operating cost

Use realistic paid or billable time and keep the unit consistent.

Use the current loaded business cost, not a rough market guess.

Profit & protection

Margin is profit divided by the final selling price, not a markup on cost.

Calculations stay in this browser unless you explicitly save or share.

Recommended Bid0

How this calculator works

Bid price = direct costs / (1 - target margin). Direct costs include machine, labor, mobilization, materials, hauling, and disposal.

Read the methodology and editorial policy

Use the result as a cost checkpoint

Use this calculator to assemble a compact dirt-work bid from machine hours, labor, material, hauling, disposal, mobilization, and target margin.

This tool is best for building grading, prep, cleanup, and general dirt-work bids. Its primary decision is whether a dirt-work bid covers every direct cost before adding profit. Review material quantity changes, trucking delays, drainage surprises, rework, access problems, and customer expectations that were not written into the scope before relying on the result.

Worked example

A dirt job with $1,950 direct cost and 28% target margin should quote around $2,708.

Walk the site for slope, drainage, access, debris, compaction expectations, and material quantity risk.

Input and quote review

  • 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.
  • Use a higher margin when the site has unknowns.

Keep the final scope, assumptions, exclusions, allowances, change triggers, and post-job results with the estimate so future defaults are supported by evidence.

Common questions

Is this the final customer price?

No. It is a planning checkpoint. Walk the site, confirm scope and access, verify current costs, and apply contract, permit, tax, utility, safety, and professional requirements.

Where are saved inputs stored?

Only an explicit Save stores inputs in this browser's localStorage. Share places inputs in the URL hash. The calculator does not send them to Equipment Rate Calc.

Should I copy a competitor's rate?

Use market prices as a reasonableness check after calculating your own cost, scope, utilization, risk, and margin.

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.