Compare coating contribution per bay-hour
Replace the illustrative figures with one job. The model assumes full collection of the entered price and subtracts only the listed direct costs.
No signup. The interactive tool runs in your browser tab. Change the inputs, save a comparison, download the results, or print a working copy. Your entered numbers are not sent to BlueFinch.
Illustrative example inputs
Starting values demonstrate the math. These are not industry averages, a customer result, or a quote.
| Input | Example value |
|---|---|
| Collected job price before tax | $1,800.00 |
| Coating material used | $220.00 |
| Other consumables used | $60.00 |
| Total person-hours | 12 hours |
| Direct labor cost per person-hour | $30.00 |
| Elapsed occupied bay-hours | 24 hours |
| Outside job costs | $80.00 |
| Assumed payment fee | 3% |
| Other payment fees for this job | $0.00 |
Example results
| Measure | Result |
|---|---|
| Contribution per occupied bay-hour | $42.75 |
| Job contribution before overhead and tax | $1,026.00 |
| Contribution per labor-hour | $85.50 |
Calculation detail
| Measure | Result |
|---|---|
| Collected job price | $1,800.00 |
| Entered payment fees | $54.00 |
| Net receipt after entered fees | $1,746.00 |
| Coating material | $220.00 |
| Consumables | $60.00 |
| Direct labor cost | $360.00 |
| Outside job costs | $80.00 |
| Total entered direct costs | $720.00 |
| Occupied bay-hours | 24 hours |
| Total person-hours | 12 hours |
Model assumptions
- All defaults are illustrative. The 3% fee is an assumed input, not a BlueFinch rate or industry average.
- Price and costs use the same before-tax basis. Amounts are rounded to cents.
- Bay occupancy and person-hours are measured independently. Product-specific cure time must come from the actual instructions.
- Results exclude overhead, tax, financing, unentered owner labor, rework and other omitted costs. Contribution is not net profit.
Read alongside these results
- Contribution excludes overhead, tax, owner compensation not entered, rework and other omitted costs. It is not net profit.
- Bay-hours measure elapsed space occupancy. Labor-hours measure total person-hours. They are different denominators.
- The model assumes the entered job price is collected in full. It does not predict settlement timing or demand.
Download this worked example (CSV). The interactive version also exports your own inputs and results.
Download infographic (PNG) · Download vector (SVG) · Link to the source and methodology
The short version
- Count person-hours separately from elapsed bay occupancy.
- Include the occupied cure period required by your actual product and facility plan.
- Contribution after entered job costs still has to cover overhead and other omitted expenses.
The coating application is finished, but the vehicle still occupies the space you need for the next job. A labor-hour report misses that part of the schedule. This calculator puts the same job contribution over two separate denominators: occupied bay-hours and total person-hours.
Use a completed job or one clearly defined quote. Enter the preparation, correction and application work included in that price. The starting figures are a fictional $1,800 job, not a BlueFinch customer case or a market-rate recommendation.
Use with this guide
Job cash flow planner
Put payment availability and job outlays on a chronological cash ledger.
Count the space until the car moves
Gtechniq's Crystal Serum Light instructions call for the vehicle to remain indoors for 12 hours after application. That is a requirement for that product, not a universal ceramic-coating schedule. Follow the current instructions for the product you install.
For this worksheet, count the hours during which the job prevents another vehicle from using the same bay. If a separate approved holding area takes the car after application, end this bay's occupancy when the car moves. Keep the holding area in a separate capacity plan. Enter person-hours from the people doing the work, even when two technicians share the bay.
Sources for this section: Gtechniq: Crystal Serum Light application information
Worked example: $1,026 over 24 bay-hours
The illustrative price is $1,800. A 3% assumed payment fee costs $54. Coating material costs $220, consumables $60, outside work $80 and 12 person-hours at $30 cost $360. Those direct costs total $720. The amount left after fees and entered direct costs is $1,026.
Spread that amount over 24 occupied bay-hours and the result is $42.75 per bay-hour. Divide the same $1,026 by 12 person-hours and the result is $85.50 per labor-hour. These are two views of the same contribution. Adding them together would double count the job.
| Illustrative measure | Result |
|---|---|
| Price less payment fees | $1,746 |
| Entered direct job costs | $720 |
| Job contribution before overhead and tax | $1,026 |
| Contribution per occupied bay-hour | $42.75 |
| Contribution per person-hour | $85.50 |
Change one operational assumption at a time
The SBA's break-even guidance separates variable costs from fixed costs. Your coating job's contribution still has to cover costs outside this worksheet, such as rent and administration. A strong per-bay figure alone does not establish business profit.
First check whether the bottleneck is labor, space or a specific piece of equipment. A job with fewer person-hours might still block the only prepared bay through the next working day. Conversely, moving a vehicle to an appropriate holding area could free the installation bay without changing its labor cost.
Use the result to review scheduling, included scope and pricing together. If you change the quote, keep the promised correction and coating work explicit. The calculator does not establish demand, recommend a cure shortcut or select a safe holding condition. It only compares the inputs you enter.
Sources for this section: U.S. Small Business Administration: break-even analysis and fixed costs
Keep one completed-job record behind the number
Save the approved scope, material usage, person-hours, bay entry and release times, and final payment record. Use those records to replace the sample inputs. If a second preparation pass occurred, include its actual time and consumables rather than leaving the original estimate in the result.
The worksheet assumes full collection, so a deposit alone is not the collected job price. Use the job cash flow planner when you need the dates of deposits, supplier bills and final settlement. Use your statement to review payment fees separately from the value of the coating work.
Questions business owners ask
Should cure time count as labor time?
Count labor only when someone performs work. Count elapsed cure time as bay occupancy when the car blocks that bay. Follow the product's instructions for the required conditions.
Is contribution per bay-hour the shop's hourly profit?
No. It is the modeled job contribution divided by occupied bay-hours. Rent, administration, tax and costs not entered still need to be covered.
Why is a per-hour result unavailable?
A zero-hour denominator has no meaningful per-hour result. Enter measured bay-hours or person-hours rather than accepting an invented rate.
Primary sources
BlueFinch reviewed these sources on September 7, 2026. Payment rules and state requirements change.
- Gtechniq: Crystal Serum Light application information
- U.S. Small Business Administration: break-even analysis and fixed costs
This page provides general business information, not legal, tax, or accounting advice.