Calculator
HVAC Job Pricing Calculator
Build a profitable job price from your true costs — enter loaded labor hours, materials, permits, overhead recovery, and target margin to get a recommended bid price. Includes quote validation and trade-specific presets for service, repair, and install work. Free, no signup.
Free
Additional job costs
Service / repair2 hrs labor18.0% net target
Recommended job price
$600
43.5% gross · 18.5% net · 55–65% gross on service/repair
Exact $595.83 · rounded to nearest $5
Meets industry margin target
Net profit at this price$111
Cost summary
Direct cost
$279Labor + materials + fees
Overhead recovery
$150$30,000 ÷ 200 jobs
Total job cost
$429Direct + overhead — your break-even floor
Gross margin
43.5%HVAC service: 55–65% gross · Install: 40–48%
Net margin
18.5%Target net margin: 12–20% depending on job type
Markup on cost
39.9%18.0% net needs 22.0% markup
Where the money goes
- Labor (loaded): $84
- Materials: $150
- Travel / dispatch: $45
- Overhead recovery: $150
- Net profit: $111
Loaded labor: $42.00/hr · Commission: 10.0% of price
Check a customer quote
Enter a quote to check
Industry benchmarks
- Service/repair gross
- 55–65%
- Install gross
- 40–48%
- Material markup
- 25–50% equipment
- Overhead recovery
- 25–35% of direct
Typical overhead recovery: 25–35% of direct costs
What you'll get
Select your job type
Pick service, repair, install, or project category — defaults for hours, materials, and margin targets adjust to match HVAC, plumbing, or electrical benchmarks.
Enter direct job costs
Add loaded labor hours and rate, wholesale materials (include waste in your cost estimate), equipment, permits, subs, and travel costs. Electrical jobs support separate journeyman and apprentice rates.
Choose overhead recovery method
Recover fixed costs as a percentage of direct costs, per completed job, or per labor hour — the three methods used by ACCA, PHCC, and NECA contractors.
Get your recommended price
See the cost-plus bid price using the divisor method, itemized cost breakdown, gross and net margin, and a quote validator to check existing bids.
How it works
- 1
Select your job type
Pick service, repair, install, or project category — defaults for hours, materials, and margin targets adjust to match HVAC, plumbing, or electrical benchmarks.
- 2
Enter direct job costs
Add loaded labor hours and rate, wholesale materials (include waste in your cost estimate), equipment, permits, subs, and travel costs. Electrical jobs support separate journeyman and apprentice rates.
- 3
Choose overhead recovery method
Recover fixed costs as a percentage of direct costs, per completed job, or per labor hour — the three methods used by ACCA, PHCC, and NECA contractors.
- 4
Get your recommended price
See the cost-plus bid price using the divisor method, itemized cost breakdown, gross and net margin, and a quote validator to check existing bids.
Why contractors need cost-plus job pricing — not guesswork
Underpricing is the silent killer in home services. Most contractors know their material costs but underestimate loaded labor (wage + taxes + workers’ comp + benefits), skip overhead recovery, and confuse markup with margin. A 25% markup on cost only yields 20% margin on the selling price — the difference adds up to thousands per year.
Industry-standard job pricing follows a cost-plus workflow: calculate direct costs (loaded labor + materials + permits + subs), add overhead recovery, then divide by (1 − commission% − target net margin%) to get a price that actually delivers your profit goal. This calculator implements that workflow with trade-specific presets for HVAC service and install, plumbing service and repipe, and electrical panel and rewire work.
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View statesJob Pricing Calculator FAQs
How do I price an HVAC, plumbing, or electrical job?
Add up direct costs: loaded labor (hours × burdened rate) + materials (include 5–15% waste in your cost) + equipment + permits + subs + travel. Apply overhead recovery (typically 25–35% of direct costs). Then divide total cost by (1 − commission% − target net margin%). The result is your minimum profitable bid price.
What is the difference between markup and margin?
Markup is profit divided by cost; margin is profit divided by selling price. To achieve 20% net margin, divide cost by 0.80 — not multiply by 1.20. A 25% markup equals only 20% margin. This calculator uses the divisor method so your target margin is accurate.
What overhead recovery method should I use?
Percentage of direct costs is the most common CFMA method and works well for mixed job types. Monthly overhead divided by job volume is simple for high-volume service shops. Per labor hour (annual overhead ÷ billable hours) is the ACCA-recommended method for HVAC and works best when labor drives your cost structure.
What margin should I target for service vs. install jobs?
HVAC service/repair typically needs 55–65% gross margin; installs run 40–48%. Plumbing service calls target 55–62% gross; repipes 38–45%. Electrical service calls need 55–65% gross; panel upgrades 45–55%. Net margins after overhead are typically 10–20% depending on shop size and region.
Is this job pricing calculator free?
Yes. Every tool on CloseCrew is free for contractors — no account required. Use it alongside the Labor Rate Calculator and Profit Margin Calculator to validate your loaded rate and monthly business economics.
