Estimate only — not a licensed bid, appraisal, or tax advice. Numbers stay in your browser.
Bid worksheet
Construction contingency calculator: pad the risk, not the ego
Contingency is a reserve for known-unknowns — not a second profit line and not a lawyer’s contingency fee. Enter base estimate, contingency %, and optional fixed risk adders.
Line-item workbenchLive calc
Bid stack
- Base estimate
- $200,000.00
- % reserve
- $14,000.00
- Known-risk adders
- $5,000.00
- Total contingency
- $19,000.00
- Bid with reserve
- $219,000.00
Contingency is a risk reserve — not a second profit line.
Common questions
Often about 5–10% on well-scoped work; renovations and incomplete docs run higher.
No. Contingency covers surprises; profit is what you keep if surprises stay quiet.
No — construction budget reserve only.
That is a contract and trust choice; the math works either way.