Price the full route
Count travel as work and compare the cash contribution left by the route.
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 |
|---|---|
| Paid jobs on the route | 4 |
| Average collected job price | $240.00 |
| Installer hours per job | 1.25 hours |
| Total paid travel hours | 1.5 hours |
| Loaded hourly labor cost | $35.00 |
| Materials per job | $25.00 |
| Total route miles | 80 |
| Vehicle cost per mile | $0.70 |
| Allocated payment rate | 3% |
| Allocated fixed fee per job | $0.10 |
| Other route-specific cost | $15.00 |
Example results
| Measure | Result |
|---|---|
| Route contribution | $532.30 |
| Contribution per working hour | $81.89 |
| Contribution per job | $133.08 |
Calculation detail
| Measure | Result |
|---|---|
| Route revenue | $960.00 |
| Service hours | 5 hours |
| Service plus travel hours | 6.5 hours |
| Loaded labor cost | $227.50 |
| Materials | $100.00 |
| Vehicle operating cost | $56.00 |
| Allocated payment fees | $29.20 |
| Other route cost | $15.00 |
| Total modeled route cost | $427.70 |
Model assumptions
- Uniform average job price, material cost, and installer time across this route.
- Labor includes paid person-hours. Vehicle miles describe the entered vehicle, not every worker separately.
- The fee rate applies to all entered revenue. For mixed payments, use weighted allocated costs, or run separate scenarios.
- No automatic assumption about free debit, wallets, or transfers. All defaults are illustrative.
Read alongside these results
- Contribution is after the entered route costs, not company net profit. Charge owner labor at a fully loaded replacement or compensation rate.
- The payment fields apply to all entered revenue and one transaction per job. Use blended allocated fees for mixed tenders, or zero for fees already deducted.
- The vehicle rate is your own operating-cost estimate, not an IRS mileage rate. Do not add fuel again if your rate already includes fuel.
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
- Pay for installation time and travel time in the model.
- Use your own vehicle cost, without counting fuel twice.
- Compare route contribution per working hour, not ticket size alone.
A mobile job pays $240. Whether the booking belongs on tomorrow's route depends on more than film cost. Travel uses paid time, the vehicle costs money to operate, and a gap between distant appointments still takes part of your day.
Use this calculator for a route-level operating estimate. All starting figures are fictional. The result is contribution after the entered costs, not total business profit or a route-optimization forecast.
Use with this guide
Job cash-flow planner
Place material purchases, labor payments, deposits, and final collections on a project timeline.
The drive belongs in the job economics
Count installation, preparation, cleanup, and paid travel. When two people travel for an hour, the business buys two labor hours even though the van travels for one hour. Enter crew-hours for labor and vehicle miles for transport.
The hourly result divides contribution by total entered service and travel person-hours. It does not schedule the appointments. Access restrictions, customer readiness, weather, and required installation conditions need their own booking checks. A high hourly result from an impossible route is not useful.
Choose one vehicle-cost basis
The IRS distinguishes actual vehicle-expense calculations from its standard-mileage method for tax purposes. Its actual-expense categories include items such as fuel, repairs, insurance, and depreciation or lease cost. Those categories help identify costs missing from a route estimate. A tax deduction rate is not proof of your van's actual operating cost.
Build your own per-mile estimate from vehicle records. If fuel and wear are already inside the rate, do not enter them again as other route costs. Keep parking or tolls separate when they are not included. Use the same basis when comparing two routes.
Sources for this section: IRS: business vehicle expense categories and mileage methods
Example: $960 collected, $532.30 contributed
In the fictional sample, four $240 jobs produce $960. Installation uses five person-hours and travel adds 1.5. At $35 per hour, loaded labor is $227.50. Materials cost $100. Eighty miles at the sample $0.70 operating estimate cost $56. Other route costs add $15.
The assumed payment cost is 3% of revenue plus $0.10 per job, or $29.20. Total entered route costs are $427.70. The remaining contribution is $532.30, equal to $133.08 per job and about $81.89 per working hour. Office overhead, marketing, callbacks, and taxes still need funding unless included in your inputs.
| Fictional route | Amount |
|---|---|
| Collected job revenue | $960.00 |
| Loaded service and travel labor | $227.50 |
| Materials, vehicle, and other route costs | $171.00 |
| Allocated payment costs | $29.20 |
| Contribution after entered costs | $532.30 |
Compare the extra stop with the extra work
Save a result for the route without a distant job. Then add that booking's price, labor, miles, and parking to a second scenario. Compare the change in contribution and hours. A larger daily total might buy several low-return hours you would otherwise use for a closer job.
For uneven jobs, use revenue-weighted payment cost and real average materials and labor, or evaluate each segment separately. The SBA's break-even framework separates costs that change with sales from fixed costs. This route model makes the same distinction without claiming to cover every cost of the business.
Sources for this section: U.S. Small Business Administration: break-even calculation
Questions business owners ask
Should I include my own installation and driving time?
Yes. Enter a loaded compensation or replacement rate for the owner. A zero labor input would make unpaid owner work look costless.
Is the default mileage cost a tax rate?
No. The $0.70 default is a fictional operating estimate. Replace it with your vehicle's own cost basis. This calculator does not calculate a tax deduction.
Why does a route with zero jobs still show a cost?
Entered travel hours, miles, and route-specific costs still consume money even with no completed jobs. Per-job contribution stays blank when there are no jobs.
Primary sources
BlueFinch reviewed these sources on September 7, 2026. Payment rules and state requirements change.
- IRS: business vehicle expense categories and mileage methods
- U.S. Small Business Administration: break-even calculation
This page provides general business information, not legal, tax, or accounting advice.