A target must allow necessary nonbillable work. Counting every paid hour as saleable often overstates capacity.
Try this with your own numbersFormula and worked example
Utilization = billable hours / available hours × 100
| Input | Example |
|---|---|
| Billable hours | 110 |
| Available paid hours | 160 |
| Calculated result | 68.75 % |
Choose reliable inputs
Plan materials, travel and crew time before committing to a price. For this chimney service calculation, use a completed job sheet, supplier quotes and a crew schedule and a consistent definition of one service visit.
- Equipment: include the portion belonging to this service visit or reporting period, and record where the value came from.
- Access time: include the portion belonging to this service visit or reporting period, and record where the value came from.
- Disposal: include the portion belonging to this service visit or reporting period, and record where the value came from.
Use the same currency for every money input. Do not mix weekly costs with monthly revenue, or count the same expense in both an itemised cost and allocated overhead.
Does full utilization leave time for admin?
A target must allow necessary nonbillable work. Counting every paid hour as saleable often overstates capacity.
Use consistent periods and decide whether leave is excluded from available hours.
What if this input changes?
If billable hours rises by 10%, this example changes by 6.875 %. This shows the effect of one change; it does not predict what will happen.
Open the calculator, save your baseline, then change the input supported by the least reliable estimate in your records. Compare both scenarios before committing to a price or capacity promise.