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Fuel Cost Per Job Calculator
Every mile you drive to a job is a real cost — most trades quote the labour and forget the road. Work out what a job's driving actually costs in fuel here, so it goes in the price, not out of your pocket.
Add at least £0.00 to every quote for this job just to cover the fuel — before a single tool comes out of the van.
Who this is for
Any self-employed tradesperson or small business who drives to jobs — builders, electricians, plumbers, gardeners, cleaners, mobile mechanics, anyone quoting a job that involves travel. If your quote doesn't have a line for fuel, you're absorbing it into your labour rate without realising how much it's actually costing.
Why do trades under-price travel?
Because fuel feels like a background cost rather than a per-job one. A 20-mile round trip at typical van economy and fuel prices can easily cost £3–£4 in fuel alone — multiply that across dozens of jobs a month and it adds up to real money that never made it into the quote.
Diesel vs petrol — does it matter here?
Not for the maths — just use your vehicle's real-world MPG and the pump price you actually pay for your fuel type. Diesel vans typically return higher MPG than petrol vans, but both fuels have their own pump price, so put in your own numbers rather than a generic assumption.
Why is fuel price an input rather than fixed?
Because it changes — sometimes by 10p a litre or more within a few months. This calculator doesn't guess a price for you; check the pump or a fuel price comparison site and update the figure so the answer stays accurate for today.
Where does the 48-week annual figure come from?
It assumes roughly 4 weeks a year off for holidays, so the weekly cost is projected across 48 working weeks rather than a full 52. If you take more or less time off, treat the annual figure as a rough guide rather than exact.
Should I round this up when quoting?
Yes — this figure is pure fuel cost, not the full cost of running the vehicle (insurance, tax, wear, servicing). Many trades add a small buffer on top of the raw fuel number to cover those wider running costs and any traffic-related detours.
Want the whole picture, not just fuel?
This tool only covers what a job burns in fuel. For the full cost of a distant job — your travel time priced at your day rate, plus vehicle wear on top of fuel — see our Is That Job Worth the Drive? calculator.
Please note: this tool gives a guide or estimate only. It may not be 100% accurate and is not professional advice — always check the figures before you rely on them. Everything you type stays in your browser — nothing is uploaded, saved or sent anywhere.
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