Pricing & estimates

Free contractor markup calculator: price and margin

Use the contractor markup calculator to turn job costs and your markup into a selling price. A 25% markup gives a 20% margin, so see both before you quote.

  • Free to use
  • No account needed

Your selling price

$13,500.00

$10,000.00 complete job cost + 35% markup

Amount above entered costs
$3,500.00
Margin on the selling price
25.93%

What if you meant 35% margin?

You would charge $15,384.62, using 53.85% markup.

That is $1,884.62 more on the same costs.

This amount becomes profit only after every cost has been recovered. Prices exclude tax and payment processing fees. Prices round up to the next cent.

Change numbers

Your job numbers

Include burdened labor, materials, subcontractors, equipment and this job’s share of overhead. Count each cost once.

35% adds $35 for each $100 of entered costs. It is an editable assumption, not a recommended rate.

Already have a complete cost? Enter it once. For a detailed cost breakdown, use the service pricing calculator.

Use it from an AI browser

This page has site tools: actions an AI agent can call directly, with no plugin or API key. The ChatGPT desktop app’s browser can use them where site tools are available, and so can Chrome with WebMCP turned on. The agent works on this page, with the same steps and limits as its buttons, so you can check the result before you use it.

Try this prompt
Open doany.ai/tools/contractor-markup-calculator and work out what to charge for a deck rebuild with a complete job cost of $18,600 at a 28% markup, and tell me what margin that price actually gives me.

Site tools work only while this page is open. They never send messages, invoices or payments for you.

Check your percentage with the contractor markup calculator

A 35% markup leaves about 25.93% of the selling price above costs. The contractor markup calculator makes that difference visible using one complete cost figure.

  1. Add the costs the job must recover

    Enter a complete job cost in the contractor markup calculator. Include burdened labor, materials, equipment, subcontractors and any allocated overhead. Do not count the same cost twice.

  2. Enter the markup you intend to add

    Markup uses your entered cost as its base. Change the percentage to match your pricing decision. The starting 35% is an editable planning assumption.

  3. Compare price and margin

    Calculate the selling price and the amount above entered costs. The comparison shows what charging for the same percentage as a margin target would require, if the percentage is below 100%.

Use the cost basis that fits the job

The contractor markup calculator applies one markup to a complete entered cost. These situations change what belongs in that figure.

  • A whole-job contractor bid

    What to change

    Enter the full scope’s cost in the contractor markup calculator, including this job’s allocated overhead. Use the markup that matches your pricing policy.

    Before you use it

    Confirm exclusions, contingency and actual scope before turning the result into a customer estimate.

  • A subcontractor or materials package

    What to change

    Enter the complete cost of only that package, such as plants and mulch on a landscaping job. Include any handling, delivery or coordination cost you want that package to recover.

    Before you use it

    Do not treat a markup on one package as the profit margin for the entire job.

  • A quick check of a percentage

    What to change

    Use $100 in the contractor markup calculator to understand the ratio. A 25% markup gives a $125 price and a 20% margin on that cost basis.

    Before you use it

    Return to the actual job cost before copying a price into your quote.

Check your contractor markup calculator result before quoting

  • Confirm the cost includes the labor burden and overhead you intend to recover.
  • Name the percentage clearly: markup on cost or margin on selling price.
  • Add applicable sales tax and account for payment fees separately.
  • Use the detailed pricing tool if you need separate cost lines, fees or a price-to-estimate handoff.

Markup and margin divide by different amounts

The contractor markup calculator divides the amount above costs by entered costs for markup and by selling price for margin. On a $10,000 cost, a 35% markup produces a $13,500 price and about a 25.93% margin. A 35% margin target requires $15,384.62 after rounding up to the next cent.

The cost you enter decides what the result means

If you enter only wages and materials, the amount above those costs still has to pay for overhead, labor burden and any omitted expenses. The contractor markup calculator does not infer your annual profit or recommend a universal contractor markup.

A small calculator for an already known cost

This page focuses on complete cost plus markup and a direct margin comparison. The service pricing calculator is the better fit when you need to build the cost from separate parts, include payment fees or move a chosen price into an estimate.

Sources checked on October 9, 2026: Contractor Money Tools: markup, margin and cost-basis methodologyBDEVY: contractor costs and markup-to-margin comparison

Questions about this tool

What is contractor markup?

Contractor markup is the amount added to a chosen job cost to reach a selling price. A 35% markup adds $35 for each $100 of entered cost. The contractor markup calculator applies one markup to one complete cost total.

What is the difference between markup and margin?

Markup compares the amount above costs with the cost. Margin compares it with the selling price. Because their bases differ, applying a 35% markup does not produce a 35% margin.

What margin does a 25% markup give?

A $100 cost plus 25% markup produces a $125 selling price. The $25 above costs is 20% of the $125 price, so the margin on those entered costs is 20%.

What markup do I need for a 25% margin?

Before fees, a 25% margin requires about 33.33% markup. Divide the target margin by one minus that margin: 0.25 ÷ 0.75. The contractor markup calculator uses your current cost and rounds the required selling price up to the next cent.

Should I include overhead and labor burden before markup?

Include the costs you want this selling price to recover. A complete cost can include wages plus labor burden, materials, subcontractors, equipment and allocated overhead. Count each cost once; the calculator cannot identify costs missing from your total.

Can contractors mark up materials or subcontractor costs?

The contractor markup calculator can apply markup to a materials or subcontractor package if that is your entered cost basis. Whether you should do so, and at what rate, depends on your scope, agreement and pricing policy. The result does not recommend a rate or change your customer agreement.

Does the amount above costs equal my net profit?

Only after every relevant cost has been recovered. If your total omits overhead, financing, labor burden or other expenses, those amounts still come out of the uplift. The displayed margin relates to the entered cost basis, not your annual net profit.

Are tax and payment processing fees included?

No. The contractor markup calculator excludes tax and processing fees. Use the service pricing calculator for payment-fee assumptions and the service estimate generator for an itemized customer document. The result uses USD and rounds prices upward to cents.