RENOBENCH / PLANNING GUIDE
Understand the labor.
Before comparing the rate.
A quoted rate is useful only when you know the unit, the work it covers, and the costs that sit outside it. Compare the finished scope as well as the pricing method.
THE SHORT ANSWER
Estimate labor from the contractor’s stated pricing basis: hours × billed hourly rate, measured units × unit rate, or an agreed lump sum for defined work. Add only expenses excluded from that proposal. An employee wage statistic is not the same thing as a customer billing rate.
Three ways a proposal may price labor.
| Pricing basis | Worksheet calculation | Questions to resolve |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly | Entered hours × quoted billing rate | What work counts, how hours are recorded, and which extras apply |
| Per unit | Measured units × quoted unit price | The measured unit and exactly which installation tasks it covers |
| Lump sum | One quoted amount for a defined scope | Inclusions, exclusions, quantities, and how changes are handled |
Compare work before comparing hourly numbers.
Ask whether the proposal includes removal, preparation, protection of nearby areas, installation, cleanup, and disposal. A smaller rate does not establish a smaller total if the hours or included tasks differ.
If materials are included in a lump sum, do not record the entire proposal under labor and then add those materials again. Use an itemized breakdown when provided, or enter the combined price once.
Keep wages, billing rates, and DIY time separate.
An employee wage describes pay to a worker. A contractor’s customer charge is a different figure with its own scope and business context. Do not treat a wage table as a ready-to-use customer price list.
Your chosen value for DIY time is another planning input. It is not a claim about market wages or guaranteed lost income. Apply the same personal time value to your own hours under both alternatives if you want a time-adjusted comparison.
Use a simple unit example.
Suppose a written installation proposal uses a fictional rate of $8 per square foot for an 80-square-foot floor. The worksheet result is $640. That calculation does not establish that $8 is a typical or available local rate.
Check whether preparation, materials, trim, cleanup, and taxes are included. An extra tile allowance affects purchased material quantities, but does not automatically change the labor area used by the worksheet.
Put scope changes in writing.
Before relying on a total, clarify how additional work will be described and priced. Compare like-for-like proposals, rather than assuming every contractor’s headline figure covers the same job.
PRACTICAL QUESTIONS
A few useful clarifications.
Can RenoBench tell me my city’s labor rate?
No. The current tools use prices you enter. They do not provide a verified local labor-rate database.
Does a higher hourly rate mean a higher project total?
Not necessarily. Total cost also depends on hours, scope, included items, and additional charges. Compare written proposals for the same work.
Where should I enter a combined labor-and-materials quote?
Enter it once in a suitable combined cost category, or use a reliable itemized breakdown supplied by the contractor. Do not duplicate included costs.
Keep planning with RenoBench.
Prepared by RenoBench. Content revision: October 22, 2026. Examples are illustrative; prices and property-specific requirements must be checked separately.
Planning worksheet. Confirm scope and costs with your contractor.