Tradie Job Profit Calculator
Find out the real profit on any job — after labour, materials, subcontractors, and travel. Know your margin before you quote, not after.
💼 Job details
🔧 Labour costs
Your cost — not what you charge. Includes super and any wages paid.
🧱 Materials
Most tradies add 10–20% markup on materials to cover handling, transport, and warranty risk.
➕ Other costs — total for this job (optional)
Total paid to subbies for this job.
Fuel and travel costs for this job only.
Permit fees, disposal, equipment hire, etc.
Enter your charge-out amount and at least one cost to calculate.
How to calculate profit margin on a tradie job
To calculate your profit margin on a job, subtract all costs (labour, materials, subcontractors, travel) from your charge-out price, then divide by the charge-out price. Multiply by 100 to get the percentage. For example: if you charge $3,000 and your costs are $2,100, your gross profit is $900 and your margin is 30%. Most trade businesses should target a 20–30% gross margin per job.
What's a good profit margin for a tradie job?
A healthy gross margin for Australian trade businesses is generally 20–35%. Below 15% leaves very little buffer for unexpected costs, warranty work, or slow periods. Above 40% is achievable for highly specialised or in-demand trades. The right margin for your business depends on your overheads, trade type, and how much you need to reinvest in equipment and growth.
Why many tradies underestimate their job costs
The most common mistake is underestimating labour hours and forgetting to mark up materials. Many tradies charge materials at cost — meaning they absorb the handling, transport, storage, and warranty risk for free. Adding a 10–20% materials markup is standard practice and fully justified. Tracking actual hours vs estimated hours on every job is the fastest way to improve your quoting accuracy over time.