Enter your income goal, overhead costs, and working hours. Get your recommended hourly rate — GST-exclusive and GST-inclusive — in seconds.
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Adjust the defaults to match your situation. Results update when you click Calculate.
Check IRD for your bracket.
52 minus leave and public holidays. 46 is a realistic starting point.
Allow for travel, quoting, admin, and non-productive time.
Buffer for slow periods, bad debts, and growth. 10–20% is typical.
Enter your desired take-home pay. The calculator grosses this up for income tax to find the revenue needed before tax.
Van, insurance, tools, PGDB fees, accounting. These must be covered by your rate before you earn a dollar of income.
Travel, quoting, materials runs, and admin are unbillable. 30 billable hours per week is realistic for most sole traders.
Typical annual overhead ranges for a sole trader plumber in NZ.
| Cost item | Typical range (NZD/yr) |
|---|---|
| Vehicle (van/ute running costs) | $7,000–$12,000 |
| Public liability & tools insurance | $3,000–$5,500 |
| Plumbing tools & equipment | $2,000–$4,000 |
| Accounting / bookkeeping | $1,200–$2,500 |
| Phone & internet | $1,000–$1,800 |
| PGDB licensing & registration | $600–$900 |
| Software & subscriptions | $600–$1,500 |
| Total typical overhead | $15,400–$28,200 |
Figures are indicative for 2026. Actual costs vary by region and business setup.
NZ plumbers typically charge $90–$140/hr excluding GST. Gas fitting and drain work are often priced higher. Your actual rate depends on overhead, income goal, location, and market.
Yes, once turnover exceeds $60,000/year, GST registration is required. Add 15% GST on top of your charge-out rate. Show the rate, GST amount, and inclusive total separately on invoices.
A realistic figure is 1,200–1,400 hours (46 weeks × 26–30 billable hrs). Travel, quoting, materials collection, and admin all eat into billable time.
Yes. Most NZ plumbers charge a call-out fee of $50–$100 to cover travel and minimum time on-site. Emergency after-hours rates are typically 1.5–2× the standard rate.
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