Contractor Profit Calculator
LivePrice the complete job with costs, overhead, contingency, tax, and target margin.
Open calculatorFree contractor cost calculator
Job cost calculator for contractors
Calculate labor, direct expenses, overhead, and contingency to find the true internal cost of a job before adding profit.
Internal cost worksheet
Count every cost before adding profit
How it works
- Enter every direct expense tied to the job.
- Calculate labor from hours multiplied by hourly internal cost.
- Allocate overhead and contingency to reach true job cost.
Job cost formula
- Labor cost = labor hours × labor hourly cost.
- Direct cost = materials + labor + subcontractors + equipment + permits + travel + disposal + other.
- True job cost = direct cost + overhead + contingency.
Common job-cost mistakes
- Treating the owner’s wage as the full client labor rate.
- Leaving insurance, vehicles, admin, and software out of overhead.
- Calling break-even a profitable selling price.
Frequently asked questions
What is true job cost?
True job cost includes direct costs such as materials and labor plus allocated overhead and a contingency for uncertainty.
Is break-even price the same as a quote?
No. Break-even covers estimated cost but contains no profit. Use the profit calculator to add a target margin and tax.
How should overhead be added?
A practical starting method allocates a percentage of direct job costs, then improves that rate using actual annual business expenses.
Why include contingency?
Renovation and construction work contain estimating uncertainty. A contingency protects the cost plan from reasonable surprises; it is not profit.
Turn cost into a profitable quote
Break-even is only the floor. Add a real target profit margin and tax before quoting the client.
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