A call-out charge pays for getting to the job and the first bit of time there. Work it out from your hourly rate, the time you spend travelling there and back, and your mileage. At £45 an hour, with 20 minutes' drive each way, 8 miles each way and the first hour on site included, a fair daytime call-out is £85.
The call-out charge calculator does this sum with your own numbers, including evening and night prices.
What a call-out charge is for
When someone rings with a lockout, a leak or no power, you drop what you're doing and drive over. That trip costs you time and fuel before you've touched anything. A call-out charge makes sure every visit pays for itself, even if the fix takes five minutes.
It also tells the customer what they're committing to. People accept a charge they were told about on the phone. They argue about one they weren't.
Start with your hourly rate
Everything else builds on it. If you haven't worked yours out, start with how much to charge per hour. The example here uses £45 an hour.
Add the time it takes
Count the time on site the call-out includes and your travel both ways:
- Time on site included: 1 hour
- Travel: 20 minutes there and 20 minutes back
That's 1.67 hours of your time, or £75 at £45 an hour.
Many trades include the first half hour or hour on site, so a small job has one clear price. Whatever you choose, say it: "call-out £85, includes the first hour, then £45 an hour".
Add the miles
HMRC's approved rate for a car or van is 45p a mile for the first 10,000 business miles. It's a reasonable figure for running costs if you don't know your own.
8 miles each way is 16 miles, or £7.20 at 45p.
Round it up
£75 of time plus £7.20 of mileage, rounded up to the next £5, is £85. Round numbers are easier to say on the phone and look less like you made them up on the spot.
Evenings, nights and bank holidays
Out-of-hours work costs you more: a missed evening, a lost night's sleep. Most emergency trades charge more for it. In the example, evenings and weekends are your rate plus 50%, and nights and bank holidays plus 100%:
| When | Hourly rate | Call-out |
|---|---|---|
| Daytime | £45 | £85 |
| Evenings and weekends | £67.50 | £120 |
| Nights and bank holidays | £90 | £160 |
It's your call how much more. Price nights so you're glad to get out of bed for them.
Tell people before you set off
Say the call-out price and what it includes on the phone, before you leave. Put it on your website or listing too, so people know before they ring. If you charge the call-out when you can't fix the problem, say that as well.
If you're VAT-registered, quote prices to homeowners with VAT included.
What to do next
- Put your own numbers into the call-out charge calculator.
- Write your prices somewhere customers see them before they ring, with what's included.
- Make sure the calls reach you: see what missed calls cost.
Questions
Should I charge a call-out if I can't fix it?
Most trades do, because the trip cost the same. Decide in advance, then say so on the phone and on your page. A charge that was explained up front rarely causes an argument.
Should I charge more for longer journeys?
Either set zones (one price within 10 miles, more beyond) or work out the call-out from the distance each time. Zones are simpler to explain on the phone.
Is a call-out charge the same as a minimum charge?
Close. A minimum charge is the least a job costs, wherever it is. A call-out charge is for coming out, and the work is usually extra after the time it includes.