Set a fair, profitable price when you do field work for neighbors. The tool combines hourly equipment and labor cost, field capacity, target profit and fuel surcharge into a recommended $/acre rate.
Enter equipment hourly cost, labor hourly cost, field capacity (acres/hour), target profit margin % and fuel surcharge. The tool outputs cost per acre, recommended price, hourly price and profit per acre.
✓ Expert Reviewed: This calculator and its content have been reviewed by agricultural experts. Formulas are based on standard extension service recommendations and the Farm Financial Standards Council. For site-specific advice, consult your local agronomist or extension agent.
Estimate your equipment's fully-loaded hourly cost (ownership + operating), the labor cost per hour, the real acres you can cover per hour accounting for turns and overlaps, your target profit margin, and any fuel surcharge. Click Calculate.
About
Cost/acre = (Equipment $/hr + Labor $/hr) ÷ Field Capacity. Price = Cost × (1 + margin%) + fuel surcharge. For $85/hr equipment, $25/hr labor, 8 acres/hr, 20% margin, $5 surcharge: cost = $110/8 = $13.75/acre; price = $13.75×1.2 + $5 = $21.50/acre. Compare to your state's custom-rate survey. Common mistakes: forgetting downtime (field capacity is 70-85% of theoretical), under-pricing fuel spikes, and not charging for travel between fields.
State extension services publish annual custom-rate surveys. As a rough guide, tillage often runs $20-40/acre, planting $15-30, spraying $8-18, and combining $30-60. These vary widely by region, fuel price and equipment age.
Yes, or fold it into the rate. Drive time burns fuel and maintenance without producing acres. Either charge a separate travel fee or apply a distance adjustment so remote fields carry their true cost.
Use an effective field capacity of 70-85% of the theoretical (max speed × width), not 100%. Turns, overlaps, refueling and breakdowns eat the rest. Underestimating downtime is the most common reason custom rates lose money.
Add a fuel surcharge that moves with diesel, or reset the rate each season when diesel spikes. A fixed rate signed before a fuel spike can wipe out your margin. Many operators add a $/acre surcharge tied to a diesel price index.
20-30% margin above fully-loaded cost is typical for custom work, because you carry the equipment risk and must invest in newer machinery. Price too low and you substitute your equipment's depreciation for a wage; price too high and you lose customers.