“Just a little pet hair.”
Thirty minutes later…
The customer pays the same. You work longer. That leaves less of the price after paying yourself for your time.
What does that extra time cost you?
If you want to pay yourself $35 an hour, another 30 minutes of work needs $17.50 more for your time.
The customer’s bill does not change automatically. You have spent more time earning the same price.
Try your own numbers
$17.50 more needed for your time
Enter minutes from 0 to 1,440 and hourly pay from $0 to $1,000.
This is the value of extra working time, not a suggested customer surcharge.Make the next quote easier
- Ask for photos first. Look for pet hair, stains and heavy dirt before estimating the time.
- Include the extra work. If you expect another half hour, add it to your time estimate before quoting.
- Get agreement before doing more. Explain extra work and any price change to the customer first.
- Remember what happened. Record the actual time so your next similar quote is based on experience.
Where Costbook helps
Free quote calculator: put in the time you expect, your hourly pay and your costs. See a price based on those numbers.
Work out my next quote →Optional $29 desktop toolkit: save jobs and compare the time you planned with the time you actually spent. Purchases are not open yet.
Show me a full $190 job example
You charge $190. Supplies, travel and shared business costs total $40. The card fee is $5.70. At $35 an hour:
| Time worked | Pay for your time | Left after those costs |
|---|---|---|
| 3 hours | $105.00 | $39.30 |
| 3½ hours | $122.50 | $21.80 |
You have $17.50 less left after allowing for your own pay. It is not an extra bank withdrawal: it is more time spent on the same-price job. Example only; income tax and unlisted costs are excluded.
By Detailing Costbook · October 26, 2026 · Illustrative USD amounts. Use your own costs.