Uses only the numbers you enter. The starting values are example inputs to show how it works, not industry benchmarks. Nothing is saved or sent.

Contractor job profit calculator

For painting and cabinet refinishing contractors. Enter one job's price and costs to see what you actually keep, what you earn per crew hour, and the price you'd need to hit your target margin.

1. The job

Job price you charge ($) Doors + drawer fronts (optional) Card or financing fee (% of price)

2. Labor

Total crew hours Average pay per hour ($) Labor burden (% on top of pay)

Labor burden is what each payroll dollar costs you beyond the wage: payroll taxes, workers' comp, and any benefits. Your payroll provider or accountant can give you your real figure. Count your own hours here too if you work on the job, at the wage you'd pay someone else.

3. Materials and other direct costs

Coatings and primer ($) Sundries: masking, sandpaper, plastic, tips, filters ($) Subs, rentals, disposal, other ($)

4. Overhead and target

Annual overhead ($) Jobs per year Target net margin (%)

Overhead is everything you pay whether or not a job is running: insurance, vehicles, shop or storage, software, phone, marketing, office pay. This calculator spreads it evenly across your jobs.

Your job, in numbers

What this job makes

What you'd need to charge

How the math works

Labor cost = crew hours × pay per hour × (1 + labor burden %).
Direct cost = labor cost + coatings + sundries + other + card fee (fee % × price).
Gross profit = price − direct cost. Gross margin = gross profit ÷ price.
Overhead per job = annual overhead ÷ jobs per year.
Net profit = gross profit − overhead per job. Net margin = net profit ÷ price.
Break-even price = (labor + materials + other + overhead per job) ÷ (1 − fee %).
Price for your target margin = (labor + materials + other + overhead per job) ÷ (1 − fee % − target %).

Margin is not markup

Margin is profit as a share of the price. Markup is profit as a share of cost. Adding 30% to your costs does not give you a 30% margin, which is a common way bids end up thinner than planned.

Markup on cost	Resulting margin
25%	20%
43%	30%
50%	33%
67%	40%
100%	50%

Margin = markup ÷ (1 + markup). Rounded to whole percentages.

Where cabinet jobs usually leak profit

On our own cabinet jobs, the most common problems are poor cleaning and prep and not leaving enough dry time between coats, and ventilation and temperature change how long a coat needs. Both show up as extra crew hours. If your hours keep running over the bid, compare your actual hours with the estimate after each job, then put the real number back into this calculator.

Related on SheenWise: cabinet project planner (what homeowners see when they compare DIY with hiring a pro) and Jobber vs Housecall Pro for painters.

This is a planning tool, not tax, legal or accounting advice. Check your real labor burden and overhead with your accountant.