Free Tool
Job pricing calculator
Add up your costs, layer on overhead, and price every job to the margin you actually want — instead of bidding low and hoping.
Job costs
Applied to direct costs.
Profit on the final price.
Quote this job at
$11,594.12
$7,300.00 direct cost + 35% overhead, priced to a 15% margin.
Where the price goes
- Labor$4,000.00
- Materials$2,500.00
- Equipment$500.00
- Permits/fees$300.00
- Overhead$2,555.00
- Profit$1,739.12
Profit on this job
$1,739.12
Actual margin
15.0%
Your markup on direct cost is 59%. That's the multiplier to keep in your head when you bid fast in the field.
The job pricing formula, in plain English
A profitable bid is built in layers. Skip a layer and the profit disappears:
- Direct costs = labor + materials + subcontractors + equipment + permits and fees.
- Cost basis = direct costs × (1 + overhead %). This recovers the cost of running your business.
- Job price = cost basis ÷ (1 − target margin). This adds your profit on top.
- Profit = job price − cost basis.
Worked example
A remodel has $4,000 labor, $2,500 materials, $500 equipment, and $300 in permits — $7,300 direct. At 35% overhead, the cost basis is $9,855. Pricing to a 15% margin gives a quote of $11,594, with $1,739 in profit. Notice the price is about a 59% markup over the raw $7,300 — which is why "just add 15%" leaves money on the table.
From estimate to paid
Priced the job? Send it as a quote.
Drop these numbers into a branded quote, get a digital signature and deposit, and turn it into a project — all in ContractorsChat. Free to start.
Frequently asked questions
Straight answers about how this calculator works and how contractors use it.