Plumbing
Plumbing Parts Markup Calculator
Price parts and fittings so sourcing, stocking and warranty are recovered rather than applying one percentage.
Result
Markup is measured against your cost, margin against the price you charge. A 50% markup is a 33.3% margin, not a 50% one. Pricing off the wrong one is the most common way a job that looked profitable turns out not to have been.
Get a Free Business AuditWhat moves the number
- Part cost band, since handling cost is nearly fixed regardless of price.
- Whether the item is van stock or a special order.
- Warranty exposure, which is the cost of returning to fit it twice.
Where this one goes wrong
One percentage across everything. It recovers almost nothing on a fitting and produces a number on a boiler or a fixture that the customer will check online and question.
Questions
About this calculator
Why does a flat percentage fail on small fittings?
Because sourcing, stocking and carrying a fitting costs roughly the same as a large item. A percentage on a low cost part recovers a fraction of the handling.
What about a customer who bought the fixture online?
A policy decided in advance. If you fit supplied goods, the labour has to cover the lost material margin and the warranty position needs stating in writing.
Is van stock worth carrying?
It ties up capital and it converts return trips into completed first visits. In a trade where travel dominates short jobs, that trade is usually worth making.
The formula
price = cost x (1 + markup%); margin = profit / price
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How to use this calculator
- Your cost ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $250.
- Markup on cost (%). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 45%.
The result updates as you type, so you can try a figure, see what it does to price, and change it back. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or saved.
A worked example
These are the figures the calculator opens with. Every number in the results column below is produced by the same calculation the page runs, so you can follow it through before putting your own figures in.
What goes in
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Your cost | $250 |
| Markup on cost | 45% |
What comes out
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Price main result | $362.50 |
| Gross profit | $112.50 |
| Margin that gives you | 31.0% |
A 45% markup on $250 prices the job at $362.50, which is 31.0% margin, not 45%.
How sensitive the answer is
Holding everything else steady and changing only your cost, this is what happens to price. It is worth knowing which of your inputs the answer actually hinges on, and which barely move it.
| Your cost ($) | Price |
|---|---|
| $125 | $181.25 |
| $188 | $272.60 |
| $250 example above | $362.50 |
| $375 | $543.75 |
| $500 | $725 |
Every other input is held at the example value while this one changes, which is not how a real job behaves. Treat it as a guide to which number matters most, not as five separate quotes.
What each figure means
- Your cost ($)
- A money amount, starting at $250.
- Markup on cost (%)
- A percentage, between 0 and 500, starting at 45%.
What the results tell you
| Result | What it is |
|---|---|
| Price | The headline result. A money figure. |
| Gross profit | A money figure. |
| Margin that gives you | A percentage. |
Before you rely on this number
Pipe sizing, flow and pressure figures depend on the actual fittings, the run, the material and local code. Code requirements vary by jurisdiction and override any general calculation, so check what applies where the work is happening.
Estimating is the easy part
The jobs you never hear about cost more than the ones you mis-measure. BDEVY builds the marketing, systems and automation that bring them in.