Build Your BidKnow your floor. Never quote under it.

British Columbia labour burden calculator — 2026

What an hour of your crew actually costs you once CPP, EI, WorkSafeBC, vacation pay and public holidays are on top of the wage. Statutory-only residential lands somewhere between 16% and 23% depending on where you work.

Your crew

Average wage $/hrBefore burden — the number on the cheque.

Paid hours per worker, per week

Working weeks per year

CPP and EI are capped, so the percentages depend on what a worker earns in a year — that is why the wage and hours matter here.

Burden is what the government and your own policies add on top of the wage. Pick what applies; the percentage builds itself. Rates are 2026 British Columbia — check your WorkSafeBC statement for your class.

ProvinceCompensation board, vacation, holidays and sales tax all change with it.

WorkSafeBC classIt's on your premium rate statement. Restoration and cleaning are often a different class from building.

Vacation payBritish Columbia: 4% under 5 years' service, 6% after.

Paid public holidays11 a year in British Columbia. Counts if you pay the day and can't bill it.

Benefits plan, $ per worker per monthHealth, dental, RRSP match. 0 if none.

Employer Health Tax1.95% — only on British Columbia payroll above the $1M exemption. Most contractors under 15 people don't pay it.

CPP, employer share5.95% above the $3,500 exemption, at your average wage5.55%

EI, employer share1.63% × 1.42.28%

WorkSafeBC2.88%

Vacation pay4.00%

Public holidays4.68%

Benefits0.00%

Employer Health Tax0.00%

Burden19.40%

Burden is only half of it. The other half is overhead — the truck, the insurance, the office, and the hours nobody pays for. Put both together and you get your floor. See what Build Your Bid does →

British Columbia defaults (GST 5% + PST 7% on materials, ~19.4% burden). Nothing here is accounting or legal advice.

Rates are 2026 British Columbia: CPP 5.95% above the $3,500 exemption with a second tier of 4% between $74,600 and $85,000, EI 1.63% × 1.4 up to $68,900, WorkSafeBC by class up to $127,500 of assessable earnings, vacation 4% rising to 6% at 5 years, and 11 paid public holidays. Check your own WorkSafeBC premium rate statement for your class. Nothing here is accounting or legal advice.