Contractor Profit Calculator Formula

Understand the math behind the contractor profit calculator. Each variable explained with a worked example.

Formulas Used

Total Costs

total_costs = labor + materials + overhead

Net Profit

net_profit = revenue - (labor + materials + overhead)

Profit Margin

profit_margin = revenue > 0 ? ((revenue - (labor + materials + overhead)) / revenue) * 100 : 0

Variables

VariableDescriptionDefault
revenueJob Revenue(USD)25000
laborLabor Costs(USD)8000
materialsMaterial Costs(USD)6000
overheadOverhead Costs(USD)3000

How It Works

How to Calculate Contractor Profit

Formula

Net Profit = Revenue - (Labor + Materials + Overhead) Profit Margin = (Net Profit / Revenue) x 100

Most successful contractors aim for a net profit margin between 8% and 20%, depending on the trade and market conditions.

Worked Example

A contractor completes a job for $25,000 with $8,000 labor, $6,000 materials, and $3,000 overhead.

revenue = 25000labor = 8000materials = 6000overhead = 3000
  1. 01Total costs = $8,000 + $6,000 + $3,000 = $17,000
  2. 02Net profit = $25,000 - $17,000 = $8,000
  3. 03Profit margin = ($8,000 / $25,000) x 100 = 32%

Ready to run the numbers?

Open Contractor Profit Calculator