Calculator
Plumbing Profit Margin Calculator
Calculate net profit per plumbing job and your monthly business margin — enter ticket price, loaded labor, materials, overhead, and target margin to see gross and net profit with trade-specific benchmarks. Free, no signup.
Free
Additional job costs
$1,200 avg ticket80 jobs/mo15.0% net target
Monthly net profit
$28,600
66.3% gross · 29.8% net · $96,000/mo revenue
Net margin within healthy range
Gross profit per job$795
Per-job economics
Total direct cost
$405Labor + materials + fees per job
Gross profit / job
$79566.3% gross margin
Overhead / job
$438$35,000 ÷ 80 jobs
Net margin
29.8%Healthy plumbing net margin: 15–25%
Cost breakdown per job
- Labor: $105
- Materials: $250
- Permits: $50
- Gross profit: $795
Loaded labor rate: $35.00/hr
Monthly P&L
Revenue
$96,00080 jobs × $1,200
Total COGS
$32,400Direct costs across all jobs
Gross profit
$63,60066.3% gross margin
Monthly overhead
$35,000Fixed business costs
Net profit
$28,60029.8% net margin
Breakeven & growth targets
Break even
45
jobs/mo (net = $0)
10% net
52
jobs/mo
15% net
57
jobs/mo
20% net
64
jobs/mo
Volume scenario analysis
| Jobs/mo | Revenue | COGS | Gross | Overhead | Net profit | Net % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | $48,000 | $16,200 | $31,800 | $35,000 | -$3,200 | -6.7% |
| 60 | $72,000 | $24,300 | $47,700 | $35,000 | $12,700 | 17.6% |
| 80 * | $96,000 | $32,400 | $63,600 | $35,000 | $28,600 | 29.8% |
| 100 | $120,000 | $40,500 | $79,500 | $35,000 | $44,500 | 37.1% |
| 120 | $144,000 | $48,600 | $95,400 | $35,000 | $60,400 | 41.9% |
* Your current monthly volume
Industry benchmarks
- Service call gross
- 55–62%
- Install gross
- 45–52%
- Net margin target
- 15–25%
- Overhead recovery
- 28–35% of direct
Plumbing benchmark: 55–62% gross margin
What you'll get
Price a single job
Enter ticket price, labor hours, burdened rate, materials cost, commission, and overhead allocation to see gross margin, net margin, and profit dollars for one typical job.
Run monthly business economics
Switch to the business view — add monthly revenue, direct costs, overhead, and jobs completed to see shop-level gross and net margin against industry benchmarks.
Compare to trade benchmarks
See how your margins compare to typical plumbing service and install ranges, then adjust pricing before you quote the next job.
How it works
- 1
Price a single job
Enter ticket price, labor hours, burdened rate, materials cost, commission, and overhead allocation to see gross margin, net margin, and profit dollars for one typical job.
- 2
Run monthly business economics
Switch to the business view — add monthly revenue, direct costs, overhead, and jobs completed to see shop-level gross and net margin against industry benchmarks.
- 3
Compare to trade benchmarks
See how your margins compare to typical plumbing service and install ranges, then adjust pricing before you quote the next job.
Why plumbing contractors track profit margin on every job
Revenue is not profit. A $850 plumbing service call can net $45 or $280 depending on loaded labor, parts cost, drive time, commission, and overhead recovery. Most shops discover they are underpricing install and over-discounting service because they track revenue — not margin per job.
Industry-standard pricing uses burdened labor (not base wage), materials at wholesale cost, overhead recovery per billable hour or job, and the divisor method for target net margin — not simple markup. This calculator implements both single-job and monthly business views with plumbing-specific gross and net margin benchmarks so you can validate flat-rate prices before they hit your P&L.
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View statesProfit Margin Calculator FAQs
What profit margin should a plumbing contractor target?
Plumbing service work typically needs 55–65% gross margin and 15–25% net after overhead. Install and project work runs lower gross (38–55%) but higher ticket volume. Your market, crew efficiency, and overhead load shift these ranges — use benchmarks as a starting point, not a ceiling.
What is the difference between gross margin and net margin?
Gross margin is (revenue − direct job costs) ÷ revenue — labor, materials, subs, and commission on that job. Net margin subtracts business overhead (rent, office, marketing, non-field payroll) and reflects true shop profitability. A job can look profitable on gross margin and still lose money if overhead is not recovered.
Why use burdened labor rate instead of base wage?
Base wage ignores payroll taxes, workers’ compensation, benefits, and non-billable time. Burdened rate is the true hourly cost of putting a tech on a job — typically 25–35% above base pay. Pricing from base wage is the most common reason contractors underprice service calls.
Is this profit margin calculator free?
Yes. Every tool on CloseCrew is free for contractors — no account required. Pair it with the Labor Rate Calculator and Job Pricing Calculator to build your loaded rate and cost-plus bids.
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