Concrete Job Cost Calculator
Already know your costs? Enter them directly to see your true job cost, current margin and the price you need to charge to hit your target.
Job Costs
Overhead & Margin
Job Cost Summary
Raise your price to $12,059 to hit at least 30%.
$79 launch price (reg. $99) • No subscription
- No sign-up required
- Free calculators, forever
- One-time payment for Pro — no subscription
- Your data stays on your device
What actually moves your true job cost
Job costing is only useful if the inputs are right. These are the places contractors most often under- or over-price without realizing it.
Overhead allocation
How much of your fixed business costs — insurance, office, vehicles, admin time — you spread across each job changes your true cost more than most contractors expect. A too-low overhead percentage quietly erodes profit across every job you price.
Target margin, not markup
Pricing off markup instead of margin is a common, costly mix-up. A 30% markup on a $10,000 true cost prices at $13,000 — a 23% margin, not 30%. This tool always solves for margin.
Equipment and pump rental
Pump rental, saws and other equipment are often the most volatile line item job to job — price them per job rather than folding them into a flat average.
Labor accuracy
The gap between estimated and actual labor hours is where a lot of contractors lose margin without realizing it. Logging actuals over time (Concrete Cost Pro's Actuals tab) shows whether your labor assumptions run optimistic.
Material price volatility
Ready-mix and rebar prices can shift month to month. If you're quoting from memory instead of a current supplier price, you're pricing yesterday's costs.
How this calculator works
- 1Direct cost — every cost line (ready mix, labor, forms, reinforcement, pump, equipment, other) is added together.
- 2True cost — your overhead percentage is applied on top of direct cost.
- 3Required price — solved so that (price − true cost) ÷ price equals your target margin, not markup.
- 4Current margin — recalculated live against whatever selling price you enter, so you can see the gap instantly.
Frequently asked questions
How is this different from the cost calculators?
The cost calculators start from dimensions (length, width, thickness) and compute concrete quantity for you. This job cost calculator is for when you already know your total costs — enter them directly to see true cost, margin and the price you need to charge.
Can I use this as a concrete labor cost calculator?
Yes — enter your labor cost on its own to see how it factors into direct cost, overhead and true cost, then see the margin impact of a labor-only change.
What's the difference between margin and markup?
Margin is profit divided by selling price. Markup is profit divided by cost. A 30% margin requires a larger markup than 30% — this calculator always solves for margin, since that's what determines your actual profit on the invoice total.
What should I include in overhead?
Overhead covers costs that aren't tied to one job — insurance, office costs, vehicle costs, admin time. Many contractors express it as a percentage of direct job cost; set whatever percentage reflects your business.
Track true cost on every job, automatically
Concrete Cost Pro saves your rates so job costing takes seconds, then compares your estimate to actual results after the job is done.
$99 $79 launch price — locks in for good, one time only
Get Concrete Cost Pro — $79 Launch Price