Quick facts: Washington
- Compares
- Your time vs the cost of hiring it out
- Checks
- How many jobs an offer needs to pay for itself
- Takes
- Two minutes
- Cost
- Free, no email
Fees, rules and rates change, often on July 1 and January 1. Verify every item with the responsible agency before you rely on it.
Short answer: Multiply the hours a task takes you by what an hour of your time is really worth, then compare that to the monthly cost of hiring it out plus the time you would still spend. For any offer that promises more jobs, divide its monthly cost by the gross profit on an average job: that is how many extra jobs it needs just to break even.
Updated October 12, 2026. Requirements and fees change; confirm with the agency named on this page.
Every week another company tells you it can do something better than you. Some can. This calculator puts a number on it, so you can decide in two minutes instead of after a sales call.
Do it yourself, or pay someone?
If you could fill that time with paid work, use what you would make in that hour. If not, use what your evenings are worth to you.
Will this offer pay for itself?
For any monthly service that promises more jobs: leads, ads, software, a coach.
How to use it on the next sales pitch
- Ask for the monthly cost, the contract length and how to cancel, in writing.
- Ask what cost per booked job contractors like you get. Put their low number in the calculator.
- Count only hours you would really fill with paid work.
- If it does not pay at the low number, pass, or try it for one month without a contract.
Related: are paid leads worth it, lead sources compared, what a coach costs, break-even calculator.
Where Contractor Lane Operator fits
Owners get pitched every day. Operator is the opposite of a pitch: an online mentor and system that helps you decide what is worth paying for, what to do yourself, and in what order, for $79 a month, cancel anytime.
Want it handled, not just explained?
Operator is the AI business coach for contractors.
A business audit and a plan, an online mentor you can ask any time, team training for your crew, and deadline reminders. $79/month, any state, cancel anytime.
Common questions
Should a contractor do their own bookkeeping or hire it out?
Compare the hours it takes you times what those hours are worth against the monthly cost of a bookkeeper plus the time you would still spend. Only count hours you would really fill with paid work.
How do I know if a lead service or software will pay for itself?
Divide its monthly cost by the gross profit on your average job. That is the number of extra jobs a month it must bring in just to break even.