Enter your costs and target margin, get the exact price to bid — without guessing, and without confusing margin and markup.
| Direct costs (materials + labor + subs) | — |
| Overhead | — |
| Total cost before margin | — |
| Target profit | — |
| Recommended selling price | — |
💡 Margin is calculated on the final selling price (not on cost) — the most reliable way to hit your real profit target.
Margin is profit expressed as a percentage of the selling price. Markup is profit expressed as a percentage of cost. A 25% margin equals roughly a 33% markup. Confusing the two is a common and costly mistake for contractors — this calculator shows both.
It varies by trade and region, but most general contractors target a net margin of 10% to 20% after overhead, on top of a markup on direct costs of 15% to 30% to cover overhead and profit.
Add your direct costs (materials, labor, subcontractors), add overhead (%), then divide by (1 - target margin) to get the selling price that guarantees your target margin on the final price, not just on cost.