Your labour rate and buffer are the two dials that make Mastro's fixed prices yours. Set them once and every quote is built from your real numbers — no re-keying on site.
Why this matters
A fixed price is only safe if it's built from accurate inputs. The labour rate prices your time; the buffer prices the uncertainty. Get these right once and the engine does the arithmetic correctly every time (see how pricing and buffers work for the full picture).
Step 1 — Set your hourly labour rate
Go to Settings and set your labour rate — the hourly figure your quotes should charge time at. This is a per-business setting, so it applies to every new quote from now on.
Step 2 — Choose your contingency buffer
Set the buffer — the percentage added to absorb the normal unknowns of renovation work. Think of it as pricing "what might be behind the tiles" once, up front, where the customer can accept it cleanly.
Step 3 — Tune it to the job type
- Older housing stock → a higher buffer; there's more that can surprise you.
- Straightforward new builds → a lower buffer; fewer unknowns.
Step 4 — Let it flow into every quote
That's it. New quotes now price labour at your rate and add your buffer automatically. You quote from real numbers without thinking about it — which is exactly what lets you give a confident fixed price on-site.
Review it periodically
Rates and material costs drift. Revisit your labour rate at least once a year (and whenever your costs change) so your quotes never quietly fall behind your actual cost of doing the work.
Next: put it into practice with create your first visual quote.