Job Profit Calculator for Contractors: Find Where the Margin Went
A job profit calculator for contractors answers the question that comes up after almost every finished job: why did that one make less than I bid?
This free Job Profit Leak Finder from LiveFixPro Bookkeeping compares your estimate with the actual costs and revenue on a finished job, and shows which line took the margin: labor hours, labor rate, materials, subcontractors, other costs or revenue.
It runs in your browser. Nothing you enter is uploaded, sent or stored, and it works offline once the page is open.
No account and no uploads. This tool sets no cookies and has no analytics of its own.
What the calculator asks for
Use numbers from your estimate and from the finished job.
The job
Job name (optional).
Revenue you estimated, the bid or contract price.
Revenue you actually billed, the contract plus approved change orders.
Labor
Estimated labor hours and estimated cost per hour.
Actual labor hours and actual cost per hour. Use one hourly cost figure for the crew. It's the cost to you per hour, not a billing rate.
Other job costs
Estimated and actual materials.
Estimated and actual subcontractors.
Estimated and actual equipment and other costs.
Extra work you did but did not bill (optional). Your own estimate.
Tap Load a sample to see a worked example.
What you get back
Three cards: estimated profit and margin, actual profit and margin, and the difference from your estimate.
A "where the margin went" table. Each line shows how far over or under your estimate it came in, with a plain label (cost you more than planned, came in better than planned, or on plan) and its share of the overruns.
A plain-English summary naming the biggest gap against your estimate.
A note on unbilled work, if you entered any. It isn't counted in the results, so you can compare it with your change-order process.
Print or CSV.
How the math works
It's shown on the page. Profit is revenue minus the costs you entered. Labor is split into two lines: hours (extra hours times your estimated rate) and rate (the difference in rate times your actual hours). A negative number is good news for that line. Revenue shows as a gap when you billed less than you bid.
These are estimates from your numbers only.
Make this automatic
Running the numbers on one job is a start. These habits make the comparison easier on every job:
Record every job cost against the job, not just in a general expense account. In QuickBooks®, projects or classes (depending on your version and plan) let reports show profit by job.
Keep a simple change-order habit. Written, priced and approved before the extra work starts.
Compare estimate and actual on every job, so the next bid uses real numbers.
Tips for filling it in
Use the final numbers. Wait until the job's costs are all in.
Keep the same hourly cost figure for the estimate and the actual, unless your real crew cost changed.
Include equipment and other costs. They're easy to forget.
Start with the biggest line. One overrun often explains most of the gap.
Want job costs flowing into your books by job?
LiveFixPro Bookkeeping offers Cleanup for QuickBooks® Users at $1,999 fixed and monthly bookkeeping at $499/mo. What each includes is confirmed on the free consult. Book a free consult and we'll talk through where your books stand.
FAQ
How does a job profit calculator for contractors work?
You enter the estimate and the actual numbers for a finished job: revenue, labor hours and cost per hour, materials, subcontractors and other costs. The calculator works out estimated and actual profit and shows which line took the margin.
What does the labor split mean?
Labor overruns are split into hours (extra hours at your estimated rate) and rate (the difference in hourly cost across the actual hours), so you can see whether the crew took longer or cost more per hour.
Is unbilled extra work counted in the results?
No. If you enter it, it's shown as a note so you can compare it with your change-order process. It isn't added to revenue.
Does the calculator connect to QuickBooks or upload my data?
No. It only uses the numbers you type, runs in your browser, and doesn't upload, send or store anything.
Is the result a forecast?
No. It's an estimate from the numbers you enter on a finished job. It doesn't predict what a future job will do.
Find your job profit leaks now
Use the calculator above on a finished job, and book a free consult if you'd like help getting job costs into your books.
QuickBooks® is a registered trademark of Intuit Inc. LiveFixPro is independent and not endorsed by Intuit.
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QuickBooks® is a registered trademark of Intuit Inc. LiveFixPro is independent and not endorsed by Intuit.