What should I charge for dog walking?

Dog walking is priced per walk, but your costs run per year: insurance, fuel between clients, treats and leashes, and the app you book through. Price a walk from the time it really takes plus a markup for those costs, so the per-walk number holds up once travel is counted.

Price a walk the way contractors actually do it: add up what the walk costs you, then add a markup for your overhead and profit. Fill in your numbers — your bid updates as you type.

What this walk costs you

Materials & supplies ($) — your cost for everything you'll buy for this walk

Other direct costs ($) — fuel, equipment rental, disposal fees, permits

Your labor

Not sure what to charge for your time? Employed animal caretakers earn a median of about $17.00/hr (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A self-employed labor rate is typically higher — roughly $25–$35/hr (about 1.5–2×) — because it also has to cover self-employment tax, the benefits an employer would otherwise pay, and the hours that cannot be billed.

Hours this walk will take

Your hourly labor rate ($) — what your time is worth per hour; e.g. $25–$35

Hired help ($) — paid to a helper or subcontractor; leave blank if solo

Your markup — overhead & profit

This is where your business actually makes money. Industry standard is roughly 20–30% overall for contractors; solo operators often need the higher end to cover insurance, tools, truck, admin time, and slow weeks. Adjust to fit your business.

Markup on your costs (%)

Materials & supplies	$0
Your labor (0 hrs × $0)	$0
Hired help	$0
Other direct costs	$0
Your costs (subtotal)	$0
Markup (30% — overhead & profit)	$0
Bid price	$0

Pricing method and standard percentages from contractor-industry sources (Angi, Buildern, NAHB): overall contractor markup 20–30%, materials markup 7.5–35%, labor markup 25–50%, recommended profit margin 15–25%. A markup is a percentage of your costs; the resulting margin (share of the bid that's profit) is lower — both are shown above. These are general benchmarks, not a guarantee for your market.

What your markup has to cover

The markup in your bid covers the costs no single job shows. For dog walking, your overhead typically includes pet-sitter insurance and bonding, fuel between clients, leashes/waste bags/treats, booking software fees, and a phone plan. None of that appears on one job, but all of it is paid out of the markup added to every job. Published contractor guidance (Angi, NAHB) puts a typical overall markup at 20–30%.

Be realistic about your hours

A 30-minute walk usually consumes 45–55 minutes once you include travel and pickup chat. If your hourly target is $40, a solo 30-minute walk needs to be priced near $30 — or walked as a small group — to actually hit it.

Dog Walker pricing FAQs

How do I turn my hourly rate into a per-walk price?

Take your hourly labor rate, multiply by the real time a walk consumes including travel (often 0.75–0.9 hours for a 30-minute walk), and round to a clean number. Example: $38/hr × 0.8 hours ≈ $30 per 30-minute walk.

Should I charge more for two dogs from the same household?

Yes — a common structure is +$5 to +$10 for a second dog. It adds work and risk, but no extra travel, so a partial surcharge is fair to both sides.

What do apps like Rover or Wag take from dog walkers?

Typically 20–40% commission. Price on-platform walks higher to net the same amount, and move regular clients to direct booking when the platform’s terms allow it.