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Contractor Job Pricing Calculator

Stop guessing on job prices. Enter your real costs and let this calculator tell you exactly what to charge to hit your profit target.

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What Should My Markup Be?

Markup and margin are not the same thing. Markup is based on your cost. Margin is based on your selling price. A 50% markup only gives you a 33% margin. Most contractors who "use 20% markup" are actually earning far less profit than they think.

The table below shows typical markup ranges by job type for residential trade contractors. These numbers come from industry surveys and contractor benchmarking data. Your actual markup should depend on your overhead, local market, and how competitive the bid is.

Job Type Typical Markup Effective Margin Notes
Service Call / Repair 50% to 100% 33% to 50% Small jobs need higher markup to cover truck roll and dispatch time. Speed and availability justify the premium.
Standard Install 35% to 50% 26% to 33% Water heaters, HVAC units, panel upgrades. Material cost is a bigger portion, so the percentage is lower but dollar profit is solid.
Full System Install 25% to 40% 20% to 29% Whole-house repipes, full HVAC replacements, electrical rewires. Bigger ticket, more labor, more risk.
Renovation / Remodel 20% to 35% 17% to 26% Kitchen and bath remodels, additions. Higher total dollar value but thinner percentage due to subcontractor and material costs.
Commercial / New Construction 10% to 20% 9% to 17% Larger scale, longer timelines, bonding requirements. Volume makes up for thinner margins.

Want to learn more about pricing your jobs? Read our full guide on contractor job pricing.

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