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The Daily Insight Hub

What does variable overhead include?

Author

Jackson Reed

Updated on January 03, 2026

Variable overhead is the cost of operating a business, which fluctuates with manufacturing activity. As production output increases or decreases, variable overhead moves in tandem. Examples of variable overhead include production supplies, utilities for the equipment, wages for handling, and shipping of the product.

What are the elements of prime cost?

The major two components of prime cost are direct materials and direct labor; totaling the two figures results in the calculation of prime cost.

Which of the following is also known as prime cost?

Prime Cost is the aggregate of direct material cost, direct labor cost and direct expenses. It is also known as ‘Flat Cost’, ‘First Cost’ or ‘Direct Cost’. The total of a product’s direct costs is called the prime cost.

What is fixed and variable overhead?

Fixed overhead costs are constant and do not vary as a function of productive output, including items like rent or a mortgage and fixed salaries of employees. Variable overhead varies with productive output, such as energy bills, raw materials, or commissioned employees’ pay.

What is fully loaded cost?

Fully Loaded Cost means the direct cost of the applicable good, product or service plus indirect charges and overheads reasonably allocable to the provision of such good, product or service in accordance with US GAAP.

What is prime cost and overhead cost?

Prime cost is cost of materials and labor involved in a production of commodity, excluding fixed costs. Overhead cost is the cost of on-going expenses such as rent,utility, and insurance.

What are the different types of overheads?

There are three types of overhead: fixed costs, variable costs, or semi-variable costs.

Variable overhead costs are costs that change as the volume of production changes or the number of services provided changes. Variable overhead costs decrease as production output decreases and increase when production output increases. Examples of variable overhead costs include: Supplies.

What is Prime cost plus variable overhead?

Prime cost plus variable overheads is known as Marginal cost. Marginal cost is the change in the total cost that arises when the quantity produced is incremented by one unit; that is, it is the cost of producing one more unit of a good.

Is variable overhead a period cost?

Period costs are all costs not included in product costs. Period costs are not directly tied to the production process. Overhead or sales, general, and administrative (SG&A) costs are considered period costs.

What is prime cost formula?

The prime cost formula is simply expressed as a summation of raw material cost and direct labor cost incurred during the given period of time. Mathematically, it is represented as, Prime Cost = Raw Material Cost + Direct Labor Cost.

What is the prime cost method?

The prime cost method assumes that the value of a depreciating asset decreases uniformly over its effective life, while the diminishing value method assumes that the value of a depreciating asset decreases more in the early years of its effective life.

What do you call prime cost plus variable overheads?

Prime cost plus variable overheads is known as________. Prime cost plus variable overheads is known as Marginal cost. Marginal cost is the change in the total cost that arises when the quantity produced is incremented by one unit; that is, it is the cost of producing one more unit of a good.

What’s the difference between variable and fixed overhead?

The overhead cost is an ongoing expense, which means that it must be paid on a continuous basis whether or not the company is meeting its sales or profit objectives. Variable overhead refers to the fluctuation in the manufacturing costs associated with the operation of businesses. Overhead costs are either fixed or variable.

Which is an example of a semi variable overhead cost?

Variable Overhead Cost Examples include Shipping expenses, Advertising Costs etc. Semi-Variable Overhead Expenses are the ones which are partly fixed and party variable in nature. As such they contain both fixed and variable element and therefore don’t fluctuate in direct proportion to business output.

Which is an example of an overhead expense?

Fixed Overhead Examples include Rent and Depreciation. Such Overhead expenses are the ones which vary in direct proportion to the volume of output. These overhead expenses are directly affected by business activity. Variable Overhead Examples include Shipping expenses, Advertising Costs etc.