About JobCostBase

JobCostBase is a set of browser calculators for US contractors and trades — markup vs margin, overhead and profit, labor burden, material markups, change orders, and bid sanity checks. The point is to stack a price from your costs before you send the estimate — not to sell estimating software or a license stamp.

Everything runs in your browser. No account, no saved job costs, no email gate. Close the tab and the numbers are gone.

Who it's for

GCs, subs, remodelers, and trade owners who price jobs from cost sheets — not from a gut percent. If you need a stamped bid, bonded proposal, or tax filing, this is the wrong tool — and every page says so.

Where the numbers come from

You supply direct costs, burden rates, overhead and profit percentages, and contingency dollars. We apply documented markup/margin and stacked-bid formulas. We do not pull RSMeans unit prices, local wage tables, or your QuickBooks jobs.

Assumptions and known limits are listed on our data sources & methodology page. Short guides explain concepts like markup vs margin and labor burden — not a substitute for your estimator or CPA.

What this is not

Not a licensed bid, not an appraisal, not tax advice, and not job-costing software. Results are planning estimates. Confirm numbers against your books, contracts, and local requirements before you commit.

Contact & corrections

Found a wrong formula or calculator bug? Email contact@jobcostbase.com. Include the page URL and the inputs you used. Incorrect bid math is treated as urgent once we can reproduce it.