Enter your project costs and target markup or margin to instantly calculate your bid price, gross profit, and effective margin. Know what to charge before you quote.
MarkupMarginBid PricingBusiness
Your Project Costs
$
$
Your actual cost to pay workers (not what you charge the client)
$
Equipment rental, permits, disposal fees, etc.
Pricing Target
%
35% markup on a $4,300 cost = $5,805 bid
Markup vs Margin — know the difference:
Markup = profit as % of your cost. Margin = profit as % of what you charge.
A 30% markup = only 23% margin. Most contractors confuse these and underprice jobs.
Markup vs Margin — The Contractor's Guide to Pricing
The most expensive mistake a contractor can make is confusing markup with margin. Quoting a "30% margin" when you're calculating markup means you're losing money on every job.
The Key Difference
Markup is profit expressed as a percentage of your cost. Margin is profit expressed as a percentage of your selling price. The same dollar profit looks very different as markup vs margin.
Common Markup ↔ Margin Equivalents
10% markup = 9.1% margin
20% markup = 16.7% margin
30% markup = 23.1% margin
40% markup = 28.6% margin
50% markup = 33.3% margin
100% markup = 50.0% margin
Industry Standard Markups by Trade
General contractor — 15–25% on subcontractor costs; 10–20% on materials
Specialty trades (plumbing, electrical, HVAC) — 30–50% markup is common
Painting — 25–40% markup on materials + labor
Roofing — 20–40% markup depending on market
Flooring — 30–50% markup on materials
What Overhead Am I Missing?
Vehicle costs, fuel, and maintenance
Tools and equipment depreciation
Insurance (general liability, workers comp)
Office expenses, software, accounting
Your own salary as owner/operator
Unpaid estimate time (1 in 3 bids typically don't win)
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