MarginWorkshopHVAC Billable Technician Rate & Dispatch Radius
What to bill per hour once a truck, tools, and overhead are added on top of labor, and how much revenue drive time actually costs you as you push your dispatch radius further out.
Dispatch radius: revenue lost to drive time
Revenue at other drive times
| Drive time scenario | Billable hrs/day | Daily revenue |
|---|---|---|
| Tight radius (10 min) | 7.17 | $380.73 |
| Close (20 min) | 6.33 | $336.46 |
| Typical (30 min) | 5.50 | $292.19 |
| Wide (45 min) | 4.25 | $225.78 |
| Far (60 min) | 3.00 | $159.38 |
Methodology
Formula: fully loaded cost = labor + truck + tools + overhead. Billable rate = fully loaded cost / (1 - target margin). Effective billable hours = work day hours - (drive time × calls per day). Revenue lost to drive time = billable rate × the hours drive time actually consumed.
Assumption: the default 5 calls/day and 8-hour work day are a starting point, adjust to your actual schedule.
Limitation: if drive time alone would exceed the work day at your call target, effective billable hours floors at zero rather than going negative, a clear signal your call target is unrealistic at that drive time, not a literal forecast.