Where does the crew assembly rate come from?

Use the sustained rate from recent comparable skids: units and connections finished per crew hour. Start with a time study or job history, then update the rate as the crew learns the build.

What belongs in the rigging allowance?

Fit-up, staging, rigging and handling time that scales with the skid's parts. It is a share of base assembly time, so it rises with the component count, not a flat adder.

Why show base and allowance hours separately?

The split shows how much of the schedule is direct assembly and how much is setup and handling. A shortfall that comes from the allowance points at staging, not at the crew's fit rate.

Is the crew rate a promise per shift?

No. It is an average for planning. Access, lifting, weather and learning all move the real number, so recheck the rate after the first skid of a new design.

Oil, Gas & Energy Equipment Manufacturing calculator

Skid Assembly Labor Calculator

Convert the components and connections on a skid into crew hours using the assembly rate and the fit-up, staging and rigging allowance. The page shows whether those hours fit the window you have.

What this calculator does

Skid assembly hours from components and connections, the crew fit rate and a rigging allowance, judged against the hours you have.

Formula used

Base assembly time = components and connections ÷ crew assembly rate
Required labor = base assembly time × (1 + allowance ÷ 100)
Allowance hours = required labor − base assembly time
Crew shortfall = max(required labor − available crew hours, 0)

Inputs explained

Components and Connections to Assemble: Skid components, pipe runs and connections the crew fits.
Crew Assembly Rate: Average units and connections the crew completes per hour.
Fit-Up, Staging, and Rigging Allowance: Fit-up, staging and rigging time as a share of base hours.
Available Crew Hours: Crew hours the schedule holds for this skid.

How to use the result

Best suited to scheduling a skid build week, checking a skid job against available hours, testing an allowance change.
Crews change pace with access, lifting and weather, so treat the rate as an average. Hours are clock hours on this skid, not crew-days, and no weight or volume is metered, so no standard-to-actual conversion applies.

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.
Steel mill PPI stands at 381.162 (BLS, Aug 2026), up 23.4% from a year earlier. New factory orders are up 8.5% year over year (Census).

Common questions

Where does the crew assembly rate come from? Use the sustained rate from recent comparable skids: units and connections finished per crew hour. Start with a time study or job history, then update the rate as the crew learns the build.
What belongs in the rigging allowance? Fit-up, staging, rigging and handling time that scales with the skid's parts. It is a share of base assembly time, so it rises with the component count, not a flat adder.
Why show base and allowance hours separately? The split shows how much of the schedule is direct assembly and how much is setup and handling. A shortfall that comes from the allowance points at staging, not at the crew's fit rate.
Is the crew rate a promise per shift? No. It is an average for planning. Access, lifting, weather and learning all move the real number, so recheck the rate after the first skid of a new design.

Last reviewed 2026-10-01.