Check Your Job Profit — Free Margin Calculator for UK Trades

Why Job Margins Matter

Most trades know whether they're busy. Fewer know whether they're profitable. The gap between a quoted price and actual costs is where money disappears — material price increases, extra labour days, subcontractor overruns, and scope creep all erode margins silently.

This calculator compares your original quoted price against the actual costs you incurred. It shows the real profit (or loss), the margin percentage, and a breakdown by cost category so you can see exactly where the money went.

How to Interpret the Results

A healthy margin for most UK trades is 15-25% after all costs. Below 10% and you're working for wages, not building a business. A negative margin means the job lost money — it happens, but if it's a pattern, your quotes are too low or your cost control needs attention.

Look at the cost breakdown bars. If materials consistently eat more than 50% of the quoted price, either material costs have risen since you quoted or your markup isn't covering the material portion. If labour is the dominant cost, check whether jobs are taking more days than estimated.

This calculator uses the figures you enter. For accurate margin tracking across all jobs, maintain records of actual costs as they occur — receipts, timesheets, and subcontractor invoices — rather than estimating after the fact.