// HOW MUCH TO CHARGE

Don't sell
yourself short.

An employee on award wages gets super, leave, insurance and tools paid for. As a sole trader that's all on you. Here's what your day rate actually needs to cover.

Your numbers

Defaults are indicative for a qualified tradie in metro Australia. Adjust to your own costs — this is a guide, not financial advice.

Your break-even day rate
$490
Charge less than this and you're paying to go to work.
You keep 100% of this rate — TradieLoop's fee is charged to the builder, not you.
Award-equivalent wage
8h × $32/h
$256
Superannuation
11.5% of wage
$29
Insurance, tools, ute, admin
$14,500/yr ÷ 195 billable days
$74
Paid leave you don't get
25 days/yr spread over working days
$33
Days between jobs
40 unpaid days/yr
$53
Margin
10% for growth & the bad weeks
$45
Day rate needed$490
// GUIDE BY EXPERIENCE

What tradies at your level typically charge

0–2 yrs
$450/day
Starting out / recently qualified
Cover your costs, build reviews fast.
3–4 yrs
$520/day
Solid all-rounder
Working unsupervised, own tools.
5–9 yrs
$600/day
Experienced
Can run a small crew, read plans, sort problems.
10–14 yrs
$700/day
Senior
Leading hand level — builders pay for certainty.
15+ yrs
$800/day
Specialist / supervisor
Heritage, high-end finish, site supervision.

Metro base rates for general trades. Add 10–20% for licensed trades (sparky, plumber), remote sites, or specialist tickets. Overtime on TradieLoop defaults to day rate ÷ 8 × 1.5.

Rates under $350/day aren't allowed on TradieLoop.

Under $400 we'll warn you it's below award-equivalent; under $450 we'll remind you about expenses. Fair rates keep good tradies on the platform.

Join as a tradie