HVAC Ductwork, Air Handling & Mechanical Products calculator
Duct Assembly Labor Calculator
Price direct assembly labor and setup for a duct job. Enter whole assemblies, measured person-hours per assembly, setup labor and your loaded hourly rate.
What this calculator does
- Price direct assembly labor and setup for a duct job.
Formula used
- Run labor = Assemblies × Person-hours per assembly
- Total labor = Run labor + Setup labor
- Labor cost = Total person-hours × Loaded hourly rate
Inputs explained
- Assemblies: Whole duct or air-handler assemblies in the work order.
- Run Labor per Assembly: Observed direct labor excluding separately entered setup.
- Setup Labor: Planned staging and setup labor for this job.
- Loaded Labor Rate: Wage and burden rate on the same labor basis.
How to use the result
- Best suited to assembly quotes, setup labor budgets.
- Material, equipment and allocated overhead outside the labor rate are excluded.
Current U.S. benchmarks
- Industrial electricity averages 9.77 cents per kWh across the U.S. (EIA, Jul 2026), up 4.7% from a year earlier. Energy-intensive steps carry this directly into unit cost.
- U.S. housing starts run at 1,275k per year (Census, Aug 2026), down 1.2% from a year earlier, the demand driver for building products.
Common questions
- Should I enter elapsed crew hours? Convert crew time to total person-hours before entering the labor standard or setup.
- What remains at zero assemblies? Entered setup labor still incurs its stated cost.
- Does loaded labor include overhead? Use your defined wage and burden rate; do not add costs already included in it again.
- Can setup dollars be entered as hours? No. Convert a supported labor estimate to person-hours or use the original monetary record elsewhere.
Last reviewed 2026-10-12.