Should Tradies Charge a Call-Out Fee? (And How Much)

What does a call-out fee cover?

It covers real costs: the drive there and back, the time spent assessing the job, and often the first chunk of labour, commonly the first 30 to 60 minutes. For emergency or after-hours work it's usually higher, because you're dropping everything to attend.

Without one you give away half a day of diagnosis to someone who then says they'll think about it. Done right, a call-out fee filters out time wasters and protects your day rate.

When should I charge a call-out fee?

Charge it for service, repair, fault-finding and emergency callouts — anywhere the value is in you turning up and diagnosing.
Often skip it when you're quoting a big install or project the customer's clearly shopping around for — many tradies quote those for free to win the work, then price the callout into the job.

How much should a call-out fee be?

Cover your travel plus a minimum block of your charge-out rate — say your first half-hour to hour. The right figure varies by trade, location and time of day, and after-hours or emergency callouts justify a premium. Work it out from your real costs, not a number you saw online.

How do I tell the customer about it?

Tell them when they book. Say there's a $X call-out which covers coming out and assessing the job, and that it's deducted if you go ahead. The only thing that makes customers cranky about a call-out fee is being surprised by it — most people are completely fine with it when it's clear up front.

💡 Many tradies waive or credit the call-out fee if the customer proceeds with the work — so it really only bites on the time-wasters. Decide your policy and state it clearly.

Set a call-out fee once in Yamate and it's on every job →

FAQ

Is it normal for a tradie to charge a call-out fee?

Yes — for service, repair and emergency work it's standard and fair. It pays for your travel and the time to diagnose the job, whether or not it goes ahead.

How much is a typical call-out fee?

It varies by trade, location and time of day. A fair fee covers your travel plus a minimum block of your hourly rate, with a premium for after-hours and emergencies. Base it on your real costs.

Should I waive the call-out fee if they accept the job?

Many tradies do — crediting it against the work so it only applies when someone wastes your time. Pick a policy and tell the customer up front.

How to quote a job · How much should a tradie charge per hour?

Hourly rate calculator Quote & markup calculator

General information for Australian businesses, not financial advice.

Should tradies charge a call-out fee?