What Is the Cost of a Job?

When I talk about the cost of a job (not to be confused with the price), I mean what it actually takes me to complete it. At the most obvious level, that includes the parts, materials, and consumables used.

But there are two other cost components that most people don’t see:

1. Equipment, tools, and facility overhead.Every hoist, scanner, tool, and even the building itself has a lifespan. Their wear and tear — plus utilities, insurance, and regulatory compliance — all add up. These costs are usually spread across all the work a shop performs, often calculated as a percentage of total sales.

2. Labor.Many people assume that if the technician is self-employed, their time is somehow “free.” In reality, labor is always a cost. Even if you work for yourself, your hours still have value — and once they’re gone, they’re gone.

   Here’s a harsh but very real way to see it: calculate how many hours you have left to live. If I optimistically assume I’ll reach 80, that gives me around 245,000 hours. Subtract a third of that for sleep, and I’m left with maybe 180,000 hours of actual usable time. That’s all the time I have — for work, family, rest, and everything else.

   Suddenly, those hours don’t look cheap anymore.

That’s why I don’t sell my time at a low price. Everything has a cost: the parts, the tools, the shop overhead — and yes, even the remaining hours of my life.