Contractor Markup Calculator
Calculate your selling price based on cost and markup percentage. See your profit margin instantly.
How to Use the Markup Calculator
Enter Your Cost
Type in your total cost for materials, labor, or the whole job.
Set Your Markup
Enter your desired markup percentage. Most contractors use 20-60%.
See Your Price
Instantly see your selling price, profit amount, and true profit margin.
Markup Questions Answered
What's the difference between markup and profit margin?
Markup is the percentage added to your cost to get the selling price. Profit margin is the percentage of the selling price that is profit. For example, a 50% markup on a $100 cost gives you $150 selling price, but your profit margin is only 33% ($50 profit / $150 price).
What markup should contractors use?
Most contractors use 20-50% markup on materials and 50-100% on labor. Your markup should cover overhead (insurance, truck, tools, office) and leave profit. Use the overhead calculator in GrowZbl to find your true costs before setting markup.
How do I calculate markup on materials?
Take your material cost and multiply by your markup percentage. If lumber costs $500 and you use 30% markup: $500 × 0.30 = $150 markup, so you charge $650. GrowZbl does this automatically for every line item in your estimates.
Is 20% markup enough for contractors?
Usually not. A 20% markup only gives you a 16.7% profit margin. After overhead costs (insurance, fuel, tools, vehicle), many contractors find they need 40-60% markup to be profitable. Calculate your true hourly cost first.