Calculate selling price, gross profit, and margin from your job cost. Understand the difference between markup and margin — and what markup you need to hit your target profit.
Materials + labor + overhead — your total cost to do the job
Typical contractor markup: 15–50%. Specialty trades may use 50–100%+.
Enter your cost and markup
to see selling price and profit
These two numbers are often confused. Getting them wrong means leaving money on the table — or worse, losing money on jobs.
Markup is the percentage you add on top of your cost. A 25% markup on a $10,000 cost = $12,500 selling price.
Markup is calculated from cost. It's what you "mark up" the job.
Margin is the percentage of the selling price that is profit. A 20% margin on a $12,500 price = $2,500 profit.
Margin is calculated from price. It's what you keep after covering costs.
A 25% markup only gives you a 20% margin. If you quote a customer a "25% margin" but calculate 25% markup, you're earning less than you think.
Always be clear: are you targeting markup or margin? The numbers look close but the difference adds up fast.
Quick reference — what markup percentage equals what gross margin
| Markup % | Gross Margin % | $10k Cost → Price | $25k Cost → Price | $100k Cost → Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | 9.1% | $11,000 | $27,500 | $110,000 |
| 15% | 13.0% | $11,500 | $28,750 | $115,000 |
| 20% | 16.7% | $12,000 | $30,000 | $120,000 |
| 25% | 20.0% | $12,500 | $31,250 | $125,000 |
| 33% | 24.8% | $13,300 | $33,250 | $133,000 |
| 40% | 28.6% | $14,000 | $35,000 | $140,000 |
| 50% | 33.3% | $15,000 | $37,500 | $150,000 |
| 67% | 40.0% | $16,700 | $41,750 | $167,000 |
| 100% | 50.0% | $20,000 | $50,000 | $200,000 |
| 150% | 60.0% | $25,000 | $62,500 | $250,000 |
Estimate residential & commercial project costs by sqft
Concrete, lumber, drywall, paint, roofing quantities
Current material prices with regional adjustments
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