The choice between hourly and daily rates in your labor tab looks trivial. It isn't. Here's how to think about it.
Use Hourly When…
- Your crew tracks time by punch-clock or timesheets
- You bill T&M (time & materials) with hourly overhead
- Overtime rules kick in and matter to your margin
Use Daily When…
- Crews are paid a fixed day-rate regardless of hours worked
- You're subcontracting and the sub bills per-day
- Simplicity beats precision (small residential remodels)
The Daily-Equivalent Trap
ConstrCalc shows a "Daily Rate (Equiv.)" beside your hourly input, calculated as Hourly × 8. It's a reference. It's not applied to the total. Your total is always Workers × Hours × Hourly Rate.
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