For the folks on the Eastern seaboard still waiting for utility crews to fix their power lines after the recent freak snow storm — and for each and every one of us who has waited at home for a crew to show up — here is a number to raise your pulse: $37.7 billion.

That’s the estimated cost of waiting for in-home appointments. You know, the cable guy, the contractor, etc. TOA Technologies, which does mobile workforce management software, commissioned the “Cost of Waiting” survey (PDF).

For people earning $50,000 a year or less, waiting for just one hour typically costs $13. Typical wait: 4.3 hours. So, a typical wait will set you back about $56 bucks. Worse yet, half of everyone who waited was burning up a sick or vacation day.