How to calculate overtime for AV crew calls

To calculate AV crew overtime, turn the day rate into an hourly base (day rate divided by the hours it covers), then pay every hour past that point at 1.5 times the base, and any hours past your double-time threshold at 2 times the base. A $600 day rate that covers 10 hours gives a $60 base, $90 an hour for overtime and $120 an hour for double time. The math is easy. The arguments start when nobody agreed in advance when overtime begins.

Below is the formula, a worked example for a long show day, the rules that decide when the clock starts, and how to put overtime on a quote so the client isn't surprised by the invoice.

The basic overtime math

Every crew overtime calculation comes down to three numbers you should have in writing before the call:

What the day rate covers. Usually a set number of hours, such as 10. A half-day rate covers fewer, such as 5.
When overtime starts and at what multiple. Commonly 1.5 times the hourly base.
When double time starts, if you use it, at 2 times the base.

From there:

Hourly base = day rate ÷ hours the day rate covers.
Overtime rate = hourly base × 1.5.
Double-time rate = hourly base × 2.
Total for the day = day rate + (overtime hours × overtime rate) + (double-time hours × double-time rate).

Here's a 14-hour show day for one tech, with a $600 day rate covering 10 hours, overtime from hour 10 to hour 12, and double time after 12. Example numbers only.

Part of the day	Hours	Rate	Amount
Day rate (covers first 10 hrs)	10	$600/day	$600
Overtime, hours 11–12	2	$90/hr	$180
Double time, hours 13–14	2	$120/hr	$240
Total	14		$1,020

Four extra hours added $420 to a $600 day. That's why overtime needs its own lines on the quote and the invoice, and why the thresholds matter more than the rate.

When overtime starts: what to agree before the call

Most overtime disputes aren't about the multiplier. They're about which hours count. Settle these in the booking email or crew sheet, not on the dock at midnight:

When the clock starts and stops. Call time to out time is the usual answer. Say whether load-in at the shop, travel time and drive back count.
Meal breaks. If a real meal break is off the clock, say how long it is. If the crew eats at the console while the show runs, that time is worked time.
Minimum call. Many companies pay a minimum, for example 4 or 5 hours, even if the call ends early. A half-day rate does the same job.
Rounding. Pick one: to the quarter hour, the half hour or the full hour, and use it on every timesheet.
Short turnaround. If a crew wraps at 1 a.m. and calls back at 7 a.m., some companies pay a premium for the short rest. If you do, write down the rule.
Who approves overtime. The client's producer, your TD or the crew chief. Someone has to say "we're going long" before it happens.

Once these are written down, overtime is arithmetic. Without them, every long day is a negotiation.

Employees, freelancers and the law

For a freelance tech billing you as an independent contractor, overtime is a business agreement: whatever you both agreed is what gets paid. For crew on your payroll, overtime is set by law, and the law sets the minimum, not your crew sheet.

Federal law requires overtime at 1.5 times the regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek for non-exempt employees. Some states go further. California, for example, requires 1.5 times the regular rate after 8 hours in a workday and 2 times after 12, along with rules for the seventh consecutive day of work. The California Department of Industrial Relations overtime FAQ lays out the details.

That has a practical effect on day rates. Under California rules, a 10-hour day for a non-exempt employee already includes 2 hours of overtime, so a "10-hour day rate" has to be built from 8 regular hours plus 2 overtime hours, not 10 flat hours. If you work under a union agreement, its terms apply on top of all this.

Whether someone is an employee or a contractor, and which rules apply to your crew, depends on your state and your setup. This is general information, not legal advice. Check with your state labor department or an employment attorney before you set your crew rules.

How to quote overtime so the client isn't surprised

Clients rarely object to overtime they saw coming. They object to an invoice that's $1,000 higher than the quote with no explanation. A few habits prevent that:

Quote the hours you'll really work. If the schedule says 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. but load-in starts at 6 a.m. and strike runs to midnight, that's an 18-hour day. Quote it as one.
Put overtime on its own lines. "A1, Mar 12, 10 hrs" plus "A1 overtime, Mar 12, 2 hrs" reads better than one inflated labor line.
State your overtime terms in the quote notes: what the day covers, the overtime and double-time multiples, and that hours past the schedule are billed at those rates.
Price overtime to the client above what it costs you. If you mark up regular labor, mark up overtime the same way, or long days eat your margin.
Get sign-off when the show runs long. A text from the producer at the time saves an argument when the invoice arrives.

When the job wraps, invoice from the timesheets, with overtime on the same separate lines you quoted. The client can match line to line, and approval goes faster.

Let the software do the split

Doing this by hand for one tech is fine. Doing it for a crew of eight across a three-day show, with different call times for each person, is where spreadsheet formulas break and mistakes slip through.

In GaffDesk, you set your company's labor rules once. Then you enter the hours per day on a labor line, and it splits them into regular, overtime and double time at your rates. You can override the split on any line when a day doesn't fit the rule. The quote shows the client the overtime up front, and when they approve, it carries over to the invoice. You can see how a job runs through GaffDesk, and freelancers can use it just for invoices.

Questions

How do you calculate overtime on a day rate?

Divide the day rate by the number of hours it covers to get the hourly base. Overtime hours are paid at 1.5 times that base and double-time hours at 2 times. A $600 day covering 10 hours gives $90 an hour for overtime and $120 for double time.

When does overtime start for AV crew?

For freelancers, when your agreement says it does, often after the hours the day rate covers. For employees, the law sets the minimum: after 40 hours a week federally, and in some states, such as California, also after 8 hours in a day.

What is double time for AV crew?

Double time is pay at 2 times the hourly base for very long days. When it starts is set by your crew rules; 12 hours is a common threshold. California requires it for non-exempt employees after 12 hours in a workday.

Should overtime be on the quote?

Yes. Quote the hours the crew will really work, put overtime on its own lines, and state your overtime terms in the notes so the final invoice matches what the client approved.