The numbers most contractors get slightly wrong.
Every calculator here fixes one number that quietly costs residential builders and trade contractors money. Free, no signup, nothing expires. Built by a construction CFO.
New to this? What a construction back office is — and the ten systems it runs on
The Back Office Reality Check
Ten questions, one score out of 100, all ten systems graded. Tells you which of these tools you actually need first.
Markup vs. Margin Calculator
A 20% markup is not a 20% margin. See the gap on one job, then across a year.
Labor Burden Calculator
Your $28/hr guy does not cost you $28/hr. Add taxes, insurance, comp and benefits to get the rate you should estimate with.
Cost Per Square Foot Calculator
Conditioned, adjusted or gross? Three different numbers from the same job, and only one is safe to quote.
Subcontractor Documents Checklist
Every document you need on file for a sub — and what a missing certificate costs you at your comp audit.
What Should I Charge Per Hour
You do not bill every hour you pay for. Burden, utilization and overhead, to the rate that actually clears.
1099 or W-2 Worker Test
An LLC and a signed agreement do not decide it. Twelve control questions, a risk score, and what a reclassification would cost.
Contractor Deposit Limit Checker
Some states cap the deposit on residential work, and most of those caps stop at remodels. Look up a state and project type against the statute, with the exceptions shown alongside.
Change Order Pricing Calculator
Cost plus a number you made up is not a price. Carry the same overhead and profit you carry on the base contract.
Break-Even Calculator
How much revenue you have to book before you make a dollar, and how many jobs that actually is.
Overhead Recovery Rate Calculator
The markup you add to direct cost just to cover the office. Miss it and every job quietly underpays.
Retainage Calculator
Retainage is not late money. It is your profit, held. See how much of it is sitting out there right now.
Draw Schedule Cash Calculator
On a well-run job you are still the bank. See how deep the hole gets between draws, and when.
Job Cost Variance Calculator
Estimated vs. actual by cost code. Find the one line that quietly ate the margin.
Why are these free?
Because a calculator tells you the number, and that is where most contractors are stuck. Running the work — a full estimate, burden tracked across crews and jobs, a WIP schedule that holds up — is what the systems are for. Use the calculators as long as you like. Nothing here asks for your email first.
The calculator gives you the number. The system runs the job.
Estimating, job costing, change orders, compliance and safety, built for residential builders and trade contractors.