Estimating

How to estimate labour for a paving job

By Pave Measure · 9 September 2026 · 2 min read

Estimate tasks rather than a single daily guess

Break the job into setup, removal, preparation, handling, laying, edging and cleanup. For each task, record the crew, duration and dependencies. Include work that happens away from the visible laying area, such as unloading and moving materials.

Distinguish elapsed hours from labour hours

If three people work for six hours, the task uses 18 person-hours, not six. If only one person returns for a two-hour task, add two person-hours. Keep crew time and individual time separate so you do not multiply either twice.

Worked example

Two people working seven hours on preparation use 14 person-hours. Three people working six hours on laying use 18. Two people working two hours on cleanup use four. The total is 36 person-hours. At an invented internal cost of £25 per person-hour, that is £900. This is an arithmetic example, not a wage or productivity recommendation.

Account for the actual working conditions

Restricted access, complicated cuts, material handling and customer access requirements can change the task durations. Ask whether plant hire is included separately. Record any weather or supplier dependencies in the programme rather than promising an unsupported completion date.

Learn from completed jobs

Compare estimated and recorded task hours after completion. Note changes in scope and exceptional conditions before adjusting future estimates. Use several comparable jobs to inform your assumptions rather than treating one difficult day as a standard production rate.

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