Job Profit & Margin Checker
Check whether a estimate covers materials, labor, overheads, contingency, and your target profit margin before you send it.
How to use the Job Profit & Margin Checker
- Enter the total amount you plan to estimate in dollars before sales tax.
- Add materials, equipment rental, permits and subcontractor costs.
- Enter the total labor days and the true daily labor cost, including your own time.
- Add overhead and contingency allowances, then choose the gross margin you want.
- Review break-even cost, projected profit, actual margin and target selling price.
Why use this tool
- Exposes estimates that look profitable until labor, overhead and risk are included.
- Separates margin from markup so the intended profit is applied correctly.
- Shows all commercial results in dollars for the US route.
Materials are only one part of job cost. Labor burden, vehicles, insurance, licenses, permits, tools, office time, callbacks and gaps between projects all affect the price needed to stay profitable. Use current supplier and subcontractor pricing, and treat sales tax according to the rules that apply in the relevant state and locality. This calculator is a planning check, not accounting, tax or contract advice.
Part of Builder Tools Calculators — construction tools for US contractors.