One person working for one hour. Two people for eight elapsed hours equal sixteen crew-hours. The fixed secondary assumptions are listed on this page and in the downloadable workbook so the four-input result remains auditable.

Does the calculator decide legal overtime?

No. Enter the regular-hour allocation and multiplier established by payroll, contract, and company policy. The fixed secondary assumptions are listed on this page and in the downloadable workbook so the four-input result remains auditable.

Where does supervision go?

Include directly assigned supervision here or in overhead, but not both. The fixed secondary assumptions are listed on this page and in the downloadable workbook so the four-input result remains auditable.

Why separate touch time?

Per-part masking and inspection scale with batch size even when setup and blasting stages do not. The fixed secondary assumptions are listed on this page and in the downloadable workbook so the four-input result remains auditable.

What should the loaded regular rate include?

Use the hourly amount your costing system applies to direct operator time, commonly base pay plus payroll burden and defined benefits. Do not automatically add overhead if your quote model applies overhead elsewhere. Consistency with completed-job actuals is more important than using a universally named rate.

When is this four-input labor model too simple?

Use a detailed routing when setup and blasting require different crew sizes or rates, masking and inspection consume meaningful touch time, or overtime rules vary by operator and shift. The streamlined calculator is best for comparable work where a single-operator baseline is a reasonable first estimate.

Abrasive Blasting, Shot Peening & Surface Prep calculator

Abrasive Blast Crew-Hour and Labor Cost Calculator

Estimate direct operator labor for a blast batch using part count, setup elapsed hours, blasting elapsed hours and the loaded regular labor rate. The calculator converts the two labor phases into total hours, applies a documented regular-hour threshold and overtime multiplier, and reports batch cost, labor cost per part and direct labor hours per part. Crew counts, masking and inspection time are fixed at a simple baseline so the form remains usable for early estimates. If the actual routing uses multiple operators or substantial touch labor, the fixed assumptions make that limitation visible rather than hiding it in a generic rate.

What this calculator does

Build labor from setup crew-hours, blasting crew-hours, and per-part touch labor, then price regular and overtime hours explicitly.
Use it for quote labor build-up, actual labor variance, overtime avoidance, creating an early labor allowance for a batch before a detailed routing is available..
Build labor from setup crew-hours, blasting crew-hours, and per-part touch labor, then price regular and overtime hours explicitly.

Formula used

Batch labor cost = fixed single-crew setup and blasting hours × loaded rate, with documented overtime rules.
Fixed secondary assumptions compiled into this release: Setup crew: 2 people; Blast crew: 2 people; Masking touch time: 5 min / part; Inspection touch time: 3 min / part; Regular crew-hour allocation: 32 labor hr; Overtime cost multiplier: 1.5 ×.

Inputs explained

Parts in batch: Parts covered by the labor estimate.
Setup elapsed time: Clock hours for containment, rigging, checks, and startup.
Blast elapsed time: Clock hours the blasting crew is assigned.
Loaded regular labor rate: Direct regular-time cost per crew-hour.

How to use the result

Best suited to quote labor build-up, actual labor variance, overtime avoidance, creating an early labor allowance for a batch before a detailed routing is available..
The four-input result is conditional on the disclosed fixed assumptions; use a detailed engineering model when they are not representative. Does not interpret labor law or union rules. Does not optimize crew size. Indirect supervision belongs in overhead unless directly charged. Shift premiums, multiple crews, learning curves, travel, supervision and indirect support labor are not modeled separately.

Common questions

What is a crew-hour? One person working for one hour. Two people for eight elapsed hours equal sixteen crew-hours. The fixed secondary assumptions are listed on this page and in the downloadable workbook so the four-input result remains auditable.
Does the calculator decide legal overtime? No. Enter the regular-hour allocation and multiplier established by payroll, contract, and company policy. The fixed secondary assumptions are listed on this page and in the downloadable workbook so the four-input result remains auditable.
Where does supervision go? Include directly assigned supervision here or in overhead, but not both. The fixed secondary assumptions are listed on this page and in the downloadable workbook so the four-input result remains auditable.
Why separate touch time? Per-part masking and inspection scale with batch size even when setup and blasting stages do not. The fixed secondary assumptions are listed on this page and in the downloadable workbook so the four-input result remains auditable.
What should the loaded regular rate include? Use the hourly amount your costing system applies to direct operator time, commonly base pay plus payroll burden and defined benefits. Do not automatically add overhead if your quote model applies overhead elsewhere. Consistency with completed-job actuals is more important than using a universally named rate.

Last reviewed 2026-08-24.