Free tool
Job cost calculator: price the job so it pays.
Put in what the job will cost you and the margin you want to keep. The price, the profit and the markup update as you type. The numbers in the boxes are an example; replace them with yours.
Suggested price
$7,087
- Profit
- $2,126
- Margin
- 30%
- Total cost
- $4,961
- Same as a markup of
- 42.9%
- Materials
- $2,400
- Labor
- $1,760
- Subcontractors
- $0.00
- Other job costs
- $350.00
- Overhead
- $451.00
- Total cost
- $4,961
Markup vs margin, in one minute
Markup is profit as a share of your cost. Margin is profit as a share of the price the client pays. Same dollars, different base, so the percentages never match.
Say a job costs you $1,000. Add a 25% markup and you charge $1,250. Your profit is $250, which is only 20% of the price. If you want a real 25% margin, divide the cost by 0.75: you charge $1,333.33 and keep $333.33, which works out to a 33.3% markup.
That is why this calculator asks for a target margin: price = total cost ÷ (1 - margin). It also shows the markup it works out to, in case that is how you are used to thinking about it.
What goes in each box
- Materials: what you pay for everything that goes into the job, including waste.
- Labor: total crew hours times what an hour really costs you, not just the wage.
- Subcontractors: what you pay subs for their part.
- Other job costs: dumpster, permit fees, rentals, delivery.
- Overhead: the cost of running the business (truck, insurance, phone, office) spread over your jobs as a percentage.
Done pricing? Bill it with the free invoice template, or read more about pricing on the blog.
Your prices, built into every estimate
Magic builds the estimate from a photo and a description at your own prices. The client signs on their phone and pays the deposit. Crew check in from their phone, receipts land on the job and invoices get paid online. $69 a month, 14 days free, and crew and clients never cost a seat.