Why does travel cost more than I think?

Travel hits you twice. First the hours: an hour on the road is an hour you can't invoice, but it still costs you a slice of your day rate. Second the van: fuel is only part of it — tyres, servicing, depreciation and repairs all track miles, which is why HMRC's 55p figure is a better honesty check than the price at the pump. Multiply by two directions and every visit, and a quick job 25 miles out can quietly eat a third of its own value.

What is a sensible travel share of a job's value?

There's no fixed rule, but many trades aim to keep total travel cost under 10–15% of job value. Emergency call-out work tolerates more because you're charging for speed; routine maintenance tolerates less. The point isn't the exact number — it's knowing it before you say yes.

Should I turn down jobs that are far away?

Not necessarily — you have to price them. A simple distance supplement, such as a call-out fee for jobs beyond a set number of miles, or bundling nearby work into the same trip, both turn dead miles into paid ones instead of losing you money.

Is That Job Worth the Drive? Free Travel Cost Calculator for UK Trades

The job

Your day rate £ What a day of your time sells for — see our Day Rate Calculator

Hours in your working day

Job value £ (the quote)

Travel time, one way (minutes)

Distance, one way (miles)

Round trips for this job Quote visit + the job itself = 2. Multi-day jobs: one per day.

Vehicle cost per mile (£) HMRC's 55p/mile (2026/27 rate, first 10,000 miles) is a fair proxy for fuel + wear + tyres + servicing combined. Fuel-only is roughly 18–25p.

The real travel cost of this job

£0

Time on the road

0 hrs

Time cost

£0

Vehicle cost

£0

Share of job value

—

Minimum job value by distance

Keeping travel below 15% of the job value (edit below), with your rate, trips and cost per mile from above. Assumes average speed from your time/distance inputs.

Max travel share of job (%)

One-way distance	Travel cost / job	Minimum job value

Who this is for

Any trade quoting jobs across a patch: plumbers, electricians, gardeners, cleaners, handymen, mobile mechanics, dog groomers. If you've ever taken a small job miles away "because the diary was quiet" and regretted it by the second trip, this page is the regret, in advance, for free.

Why travel costs more than you think

Travel hits you twice. First, the hours: an hour on the road is an hour you can't invoice, but it still costs you a slice of your day rate. Second, the van: fuel is only part of it — tyres, servicing, depreciation and repairs track miles, which is why HMRC's 55p figure is a better honesty check than the price at the pump. Multiply by two directions and every visit, and a "quick job" 25 miles out can quietly eat a third of its own value.

Tip: you don't have to turn distant work down — you have to price it. A simple distance supplement ("jobs beyond 20 miles carry a £40 call-out") or bundling ("I'm in your village Thursday — any neighbours need anything?") both turn dead miles into paid ones.

What's a sensible travel share?

There's no law, but many trades aim to keep total travel cost under 10–15% of job value. Emergency call-out work tolerates more (you're charging for speed); routine maintenance tolerates less. The point isn't the exact number — it's knowing it before you say yes.

Does this include the cost of my time as well as fuel?

Yes — that's the whole point. Most trades only think about fuel, but the bigger hidden cost is the hours: time on the road is time you can't bill. This tool prices your travel time at your own day rate (broken down to an hourly figure) and adds the vehicle cost per mile on top, so you see the true all-in cost of getting there and back.

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. Your real vehicle cost per mile depends on your van, your fuel and your mileage, so nudge the figure and watch how much it matters.

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