The basement
Start from a common job, then replace every figure with your takeoff. Changing pump, pit, or backup never overwrites a rate you already typed. This prices a sump — not a waterproofing system, and not a well pump.
Your crew rates
A $42/h installer loaded at 34% is $56.28. Quoting the raw wage on a published $450 swap special is how a new pit through a slab with a battery backup that looked fine turns into a two-day loss after the first saw cut.
Your bid
- Pump, pit, and backup
- Discharge and extras
- Crew hours
- Loaded labor
- Pump + pit + backup
- Travel + equipment
- Overhead
- Total cost
- Profit at this price
- Effective hourly rate
- Walk-away price
Where the hours go
Where the cost goes
Transparent arithmetic from your own inputs. Starting hours and material rates are common ballpark figures, not an industry standard or a drainage design — 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 does a two-and-a-half hour job price at $739?
Because hours are the smallest part of it. The default swap runs 2.45 hours including a 0.85-hour trip and 0.5 hours of site time, which is $137.89 of loaded labor — but the pump and check valve add $223, travel and equipment $85, and overhead $71.34, for a $517.23 cost before margin. Labor is 26.7% of direct cost here; material is 43.1%. Short jobs are priced by what it costs to show up, not by the clock.
Why does the trip count as billable hours?
Because it consumes the same crew hour a wrench does. The 0.85-hour trip allowance is loaded at the same $56.28 rate as the work itself ($42 wage plus 34% burden), which is what stops a half-hour job across town from quietly costing you money. The separate travel-and-equipment line covers the vehicle rather than the person.
Why is the discharge pipe $0 when I entered 15 feet?
Because 15 feet is exactly the included allowance. The base price carries the first 15 ft of discharge run, so extra footage is zero and nothing bills at the $6.50 per-foot rate. Enter 30 feet and 15 of them become chargeable. The allowance is editable for the same reason as every other rate on this page — it should match how you actually bundle it.
Does a backup pump change the answer much?
Substantially, and it is off by default. The defaults price a primary swap only, with no battery or water-powered backup, no high-water alarm, and no freeze protection on the discharge. Those are the lines that separate a $739 swap from a system a homeowner would actually call protected, so if you are being compared against a quote that includes them, turn them on before comparing.