Markup and margin calculator for contractors

Enter what a job costs you and the markup or margin you want. See the price to charge, your profit, and how many jobs a month cover your overhead. No sign-up.

  • Markup and margin side by side
  • Price a whole job
  • Break-even jobs per month
  • Free, nothing saved

Price from cost

Enter your cost, then the markup you add or the margin you need. The other percent updates to match.

Added on top of your cost
Share of the price you keep, under 100%

A 40% margin needs a 66.7% markup. Markup is figured on your cost, margin on the price, so the same profit always shows a bigger markup.

Price a whole job

List what the job costs you, line by line: what it is, what it costs you, and the markup % you add to it.

  • $268.80
  • $110.50
  • $25.00

Up to 30 lines. A line with no cost is left out; a blank markup counts as 0%.

Break-even

How many jobs a month pay for your overhead, and how many more reach the profit you want.

Truck, insurance, phone, software, your base pay
Labor and materials per job

Price from cost

Price to charge

$333.33

Profit
$133.33
Markup
66.7%
Margin
40%

Charge $333.33 to keep $133.33 on a $200.00 cost.

Whole job

Job price

$404.30

Total cost
$278.00
Profit
$126.30
Margin
31.2%

Charge $404.30 for the job to keep $126.30 on $278.00 of cost.

Break-even

Jobs to cover overhead 23 a month

22.9 jobs exactly, rounded up to whole jobs.

Jobs to hit your profit goal 38 a month

37.1 jobs exactly, rounded up to whole jobs.

Each job leaves $140.00 toward overhead and profit.

Put this price on a quote

Opens the free quote generator, no account needed. Enter $333.33 as the price. Nothing you type here is saved.

Markup to margin chart

Margin % = 100 × markup ÷ (100 + markup). Markup % = 100 × margin ÷ (100 - margin).

MarkupMarginPrice on a $100 cost
10%9.1%$110
15%13%$115
20%16.7%$120
25%20%$125
30%23.1%$130
33.3%25%$133.33
40%28.6%$140
50%33.3%$150
60%37.5%$160
66.7%40%$166.67
75%42.9%$175
100%50%$200
150%60%$250

Questions

What's the difference between markup and margin?

Markup is profit as a percent of your cost. Margin is profit as a percent of the price. A $200 cost sold for $300 is a 50% markup and a 33.3% margin.

How do I turn a margin into a markup?

Divide the margin by 100 minus the margin, then multiply by 100. A 40% margin is 40 ÷ 60 × 100, a 66.7% markup. To go the other way, divide the markup by 100 plus the markup and multiply by 100.

How much should I mark up materials?

It depends on your trade and how much handling the parts take. Our guide walks through it: How much should contractors mark up materials.

What should go in overhead?

Costs you pay whether or not you work a job this month: vehicle, insurance, phone, software, office, and the pay you need to take home.

Why does break-even round up?

Part of a job doesn't pay a bill. If you need 22.9 jobs, the 23rd job is the one that covers the last of your overhead, so the calculator shows 23 and the exact figure under it.

Is anything saved?

No. The math runs in your browser and nothing you type is stored or sent.

Is it free?

Yes. No sign-up, no limit on how many times you use it.

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