Construction Bid Calculator
Enter your materials, labor hours, crew size, equipment costs, overhead, and desired profit to get a recommended bid price — with a full breakdown showing exactly where every dollar goes.
How This Calculator Works
Enter your material costs, labor hours, hourly labor rate, crew size, equipment costs, overhead percentage, and desired profit markup. The calculator builds your bid from the ground up.
You'll get a recommended bid price with a full breakdown showing materials, labor, equipment, overhead, and profit — plus your profit margin and markup percentages so you know exactly what you're making.
Build bids from real numbers instead of gut feelings. This calculator makes sure every cost is accounted for and your profit margin is built in — not an afterthought.
Build Your Estimate
Total materials for the job
Rentals, permits, dump fees, subs
8–15% typical
15–30% typical
Your estimate will appear here
Enter your job costs, overhead, and desired profit to generate a bid price.
Bid With Confidence
Too many contractors price jobs from gut feeling. This calculator helps you build estimates based on real numbers so every bid includes your costs and your profit.
Never Underbid Again
Enter your actual costs and desired profit margin. The calculator builds your bid price from the bottom up so nothing gets missed.
Full Cost Breakdown
See exactly how your bid price breaks down — materials, labor, equipment, overhead, and profit — so you can justify every dollar to the customer.
Protect Your Margins
Set your desired profit markup and see the resulting profit margin. Know the difference so you price for the profit you actually want.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I build an accurate construction bid?
Start with your actual costs: materials, labor (including burden), equipment, and subcontractors. Then add your overhead percentage to cover insurance, vehicles, and office costs. Finally, add your desired profit markup. Building from the bottom up ensures nothing gets missed.
What overhead percentage should contractors use in bids?
Most contractors have overhead costs of 10-20% of job revenue. This includes insurance, vehicle costs, office expenses, tools, marketing, and administrative costs. Calculate your actual monthly overhead, divide by your monthly revenue, and use that percentage. Don't guess -- know your number.
How much profit markup should I add to a construction bid?
Most contractors add a 10-20% profit markup on top of total costs including overhead. Remember that a 20% markup on costs only gives you a 16.7% profit margin on the selling price. Use this calculator to see both numbers so you're pricing for the margin you actually want.
What's the biggest mistake contractors make when bidding jobs?
Forgetting to include all costs. Contractors often account for materials and labor but miss overhead, labor burden, equipment wear, permits, or disposal fees. The second biggest mistake is confusing markup and margin, which can leave 5-10% on the table on every job.
Should I bid the same markup on every job?
Not necessarily. Adjust your markup based on job complexity, risk, competition, and how busy you are. Larger jobs may accept a lower markup percentage because the total profit is still significant. Risky or complex jobs should carry a higher markup to account for potential problems.
How to Pay Your Crew 20% More and Double Your Profit
The math most contractors never run — and the mistakes that cost them $93K+ a year. This free PDF breaks down the math in ten minutes. Plus, you'll understand the payroll traps that can wipe you out.
Ready to Stop Wasting Time on Payroll?
Track piece work, run payroll in minutes, and know exactly what every job costs. Free to start — no credit card required.