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Chauffeur rate calculator: per mile, per hour and minimums
Build a chauffeur rate card by dividing your cost per paid mile and billable hour by one minus your target margin. Add minimum hours, a minimum fare and separately stated extras. This calculator compares up to three vehicle classes and produces a printable working rate card from your own inputs.
Build your rate cardIllustrative worked example
Hourly rate / first class
US$50.00Recoverable hourly cost of 40 at an assumed 20% margin.
Change the exampleBuild your rate card
Enter recoverable cost per paid mile or kilometre, not just the fuel cost. The cost-per-mile tool can pass that value and the cost per billable hour here through the URL. A transferred value replaces the first class; review its remaining assumptions.
Each class has its own margin, minimum hours and minimum fare. Airport and waiting amounts are selling extras you enter, not costs the calculator automatically marks up. A peak percentage increases the distance and hourly rates. It does not silently multiply those extras or change your entered minimum fare.
Currency changes clear money inputs. Units convert the same calculation; no exchange rates.
| Vehicle class | Per mile | Per hour | Minimum fare | Minimum hours | Hourly minimum | Airport add-on | Waiting / minute |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive sedan | US$2.50 | US$50.00 | US$100.00 | 3 | US$150.00 | US$10.00 | US$1.00 |
| Executive SUV | US$3.75 | US$75.00 | US$150.00 | 3 | US$225.00 | US$15.00 | US$1.50 |
| Sprinter | US$5.00 | US$100.00 | US$200.00 | 4 | US$400.00 | US$20.00 | US$2.00 |
Rate = cost ÷ (1 − margin/100) × (1 + peak/100). Hourly minimum = max(minimum fare, hourly rate × minimum hours).
How to set a per-mile and hourly rate
For a target margin of 20%, revenue must leave one fifth after the included costs. A cost of 40 therefore requires a rate of 50 before tax: 40 divided by 0.80. Adding 20% to 40 would produce 48 and a different margin. This example demonstrates arithmetic, not a recommended margin for your business.
Apply the same method separately to recoverable distance cost and billable-hour cost. The two results are alternatives for different charging bases. Do not automatically add both to one job. Check the service definition, included mileage and time before choosing which rate applies.
The hourly minimum is the greater of entered minimum fare and hourly rate multiplied by minimum hours. Point-to-point minimum fare is shown separately. Peak uplift is applied to the calculated distance and hourly rates before the hourly minimum is evaluated. Waiting remains a separately stated rate per minute; airport add-on remains an amount per job.
Rate card examples for three vehicle classes
The three USD examples use costs of 2/40, 3/60 and 4/80 for distance/hour, all with an illustrative 20% margin. They produce rates of 2.50/50, 3.75/75 and 5/100 before any peak uplift. The first two assume three minimum hours; the third assumes four. These are arithmetic examples rather than sedan, SUV or Sprinter market prices.
A separate GBP example starts with a cost of 1.60 per kilometre and 32 per billable hour. At the same assumed margin it produces 2 per kilometre and 40 per hour; three hours with a minimum fare of 100 give an hourly minimum of 120. The currency is independent of the unit: UK operators can use miles while buying fuel by the litre.
| Vehicle class | Per mile | Per hour | Minimum fare | Minimum hours | Hourly minimum | Airport add-on | Waiting / minute |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive sedan / US | US$2.50 | US$50.00 | US$100.00 | 3 | US$150.00 | US$10.00 | US$1.00 |
| SUV / US | US$3.75 | US$75.00 | US$150.00 | 3 | US$225.00 | US$15.00 | US$1.50 |
| Sprinter / US | US$5.00 | US$100.00 | US$200.00 | 4 | US$400.00 | US$20.00 | US$2.00 |
Point to point, hourly and minimums
- Transport for London: taxis and private hire · verified on 2026-10-20
- Transport for Ireland: taxi, hackney and limousine fares · verified on 2026-10-20
Point-to-point pricing covers a defined service between places. Hourly pricing reserves time under an agreed scope. A minimum establishes a lower charge for the work. Write down the start and finish of chargeable time, included distance, waiting allowance and handling of added stops. None of these labels replaces a clear customer agreement.
Use your own contracts, invoices, driver-pay records and vehicle-cost calculation as the evidence for the rate inputs. For the distinction between regulated taxi fares and pre-booked private hire, consult the official jurisdiction-specific guidance linked below. This calculator does not set an official tariff or establish that a proposed price complies with every local rule.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Check the relevant authority and your own agreements before acting.
Pricing mistakes that lose jobs or money
Confusing margin and markup
Keep the intended margin tied to revenue. Copying the same percentage into a markup formula changes the result, even when both calculations look reasonable.
Pricing every class alike
Check the actual cost and utilisation of each class. A larger vehicle may have different costs or less paid work; the calculator does not assume either from its name.
Hiding the minimum
State minimum fare and minimum hours clearly. A low headline hourly rate can mislead a customer if the reservation requires several hours and the quote omits that condition.
Rate cards in 4fleet
4fleet supports configured journey, zone, hourly and day pricing, with seasonal and event modifiers. The rules applied to a quote depend on its configured service and rate source. Review the quote preview with your actual route and vehicle rather than treating a public calculator result as a finished configuration.
The public table is not uploaded into your account. Review its assumptions, configure the appropriate pricing rules and test the result. Give each minimum or supplement one place in the policy to avoid double charging.
Fictional Ashford workspace: pricing assignments and a preview, not this calculator's rate card.
- Test the configured rules with the quote preview before using a new price.
Rate questions
How much should I charge per mile?
Start from complete costs recovered over paid distance, then apply your chosen margin and review minimums and extras. There is no universal rate recommendation or competitor benchmark in this calculator.
Do limo companies charge an hourly minimum?
An operator can define a minimum in its quoted terms where permitted. This tool lets you model one; it does not claim that a particular number of hours is an industry standard.
Should airport pickups cost more?
Base any supplement on the work and verified costs you intend to cover. Explain meet and greet, waiting, parking or access charges in the quote rather than applying an unexplained airport label.
How should waiting time be priced?
Decide what is included, when chargeable waiting starts and the selling rate per minute or hour. State those terms before travel. The waiting input here is a selling rate, separate from the hourly service rate.
How often should rates change?
Review them when material costs, utilisation or service scope changes. Test the impact against current commitments and update your quoted terms consistently; the tool does not prescribe a fixed review interval.