INTERACTIVE PRICING TOOL
YOUR GREASE TRAP
PRICING
CALCULATOR
PRICING
CALCULATOR
Built on your actual costs.
If your price does not cover all five, you are leaving money on the table every single job.
Pricing Calculator
Strategy Guide
Health Checklist
Build Your Price Per Job
Enter your actual costs below. Every number should reflect YOUR business, not a guess. The calculator builds your minimum viable price in real time.
1. Disposal Cost
Tipping fees, transfer station, or facility cost per job. Calculate per job or per gallon pumped.
$
2. Fuel Per Job
Average fuel cost for the route to service this account and return. Estimate per stop.
$
3. Truck Cost (Monthly)
Payment or depreciation plus maintenance plus insurance for this truck. Fully loaded monthly cost.
$
4. Jobs Per Month (This Truck)
How many billable grease jobs does this truck run per month? Used to allocate truck cost per job.
#
5. Labor Per Job
Fully loaded driver cost per job: wages plus payroll taxes plus benefits plus workers comp. Not just hourly rate.
$
6. Overhead (Monthly)
Office staff, software, admin, licensing. Everything that keeps the lights on but is not a truck or driver.
$
7. Target Margin %
What profit margin do you want on each job? 20 to 30% is a healthy range for most grease haulers.
%
8. Emergency Premium %
How much extra do you charge for non-maintenance or emergency calls? Covers rerouting cost and disruption.
%
YOUR CALCULATED PRICING
--
Base Price Per Job
(cost + 25% margin)
(cost + 25% margin)
--
Emergency Rate
(+35% surcharge)
(+35% surcharge)
--
Your Total Cost Per Job
(break-even floor)
(break-even floor)
Enter your costs above to calculate your minimum viable price per job.
Route Density Pricing
Your base price is your starting point. How far a job sits from your existing route affects your real cost to serve it. Factor that in before you quote.
On-Route Stop
Customer is within your established territory. Your base price applies. These jobs have the lowest marginal cost and the best margin.
Base Price
Nearby Account
Just outside your core territory but easy to add. Factor in your actual cost to serve before deciding what to charge.
Your Discretion
Out-of-Territory
Far from your existing route. Your cost to serve is higher. Factor in drive time and fuel before pricing this job so you are not underpricing it.
Add a Distance Premium
Compliance as a Conversation Starter
When a customer asks why your price is higher than another quote, that is a great opportunity to educate them on what proper grease trap service actually includes. Customers who understand the process tend to value it more.
"
We explain to the customer how it works. We show them the manifests, the cost structures, disposal costs. Educating our customers is huge.
Grease Hauler, New York
How to Walk Customers Through Your Process:
→
Walk them through your licensing and what it covers in your county. Most customers have never thought about this.
→
Show them the manifest process. Explain that every job is documented and they get a copy for their records.
→
Explain where the waste goes and why regulated disposal facilities cost more than alternatives.
→
Offer to walk them through your compliance reporting process so they know exactly what they are getting.
→
Let them know that proper disposal helps restaurants stay on the right side of local health and environmental regulations. You are happy to explain how it works.
Protecting Your Route and Your Pricing Floor
The most profitable grease haulers are not the ones with the most customers. They are the ones who know their numbers, price their work correctly, and are intentional about which jobs they take.
"
We have run into situations where a competitor offers a very low introductory rate. We set follow-up reminders so we can reconnect with those customers when the time is right.
Grease Hauler, New York
Price-sensitive prospects
Some customers are primarily focused on price. Use those conversations as an opportunity to explain your value. If price is still the only deciding factor, that is useful information too.
Far out-of-territory stops
A job 40 miles outside your route may look like revenue on paper. Make sure your quote reflects the real cost of fuel, drive time, and route disruption before you accept it.
High-hassle, low-volume accounts
Small interior traps can take as long to service as a much larger job. Know your minimum viable job size and price accordingly.
Low introductory rate situations
When a competitor wins a job with a very low rate, set a follow-up reminder. Reach back out when the customer has had time to evaluate the full experience.
Review Cadence: Stay Ahead of Margin Problems
Profitable grease haulers do not wait until something is wrong to look at their numbers. A simple review cadence helps you catch cost creep before it becomes a real problem.
Cadence
What to look at
Why it matters
Monthly
Revenue by line, AR aging, fuel and disposal costs
Catch margin compression early before it compounds
Quarterly
Route profitability, cost-per-truck, revenue per driver
Identify which routes and territories are most profitable
Annually
Full cost structure: disposal rates, labor, overhead
Reset base pricing if your costs have shifted materially
As needed
Fuel spike, disposal rate increase, new equipment
Consider a temporary surcharge to protect your margin
Pricing Health Checklist
Use this as a quick gut check on your pricing foundation. The more boxes you can check, the better protected your margins are.
0/12
Start here. These protect your margins.
Click each item to check it off
See How ServiceCore Ties This Together
Route mapping, job tracking, billing, and reporting built for grease haulers who want to run tighter routes and actually know where their money is going.
Disclaimer: This tool provides a general pricing methodology framework for educational purposes only. It does not constitute legal, financial, or regulatory advice. Disposal costs, licensing requirements, and compliance obligations vary by state, county, and municipality. Consult a qualified attorney or relevant industry association for guidance specific to your operation. Output from this calculator reflects your own cost inputs and is not a recommendation for specific market rates. Nothing in this guide should be construed as advice to coordinate, align, or share pricing information with competitors.