Break-Even Calculator
Enter your monthly fixed costs, your average job price and what an average job costs you to deliver, and see exactly how many jobs per month you need just to break even — before any profit.
Method and content reviewed September 23, 2026 · formulas checked against a test suite · runs entirely in your browser
Break-even jobs = Fixed costs ÷ Contribution per job$4,500.00 ÷ $450.00 = 10 → 10 jobsJob number 11 each month is where profit starts, and job 15 is where you hit $2,000.00 — below the break-even line, every job is just paying the fixed bills.
Plumbing: where the number comes from
A one-van plumbing business with $4,500/month of fixed costs wants to know how many service calls it must sell to cover them.
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Fixed costs / month | $4,500 |
| Average job price | $1,200 |
| Variable cost / job | $750 (materials, parts, sub work) |
Result: 10 jobs a month to break even — job #11 is profit
If the plumber raises the average job to $1,300, break-even drops to 9 jobs — that's the leverage pricing has over workload.
Load this example into the calculatorThe calculation
| Contribution per job | $1,200 − $750 = $450 |
| Break-even jobs | $4,500 ÷ $450 = 10 |
| Break-even revenue | 10 × $1,200 = $12,000 |
How this calculator works
Every result comes from the formulas below — the math shown is the math used. Change any input and results update instantly in your browser; nothing is sent to a server.
- Contribution per job:
Contribution = Avg. Job Price − Variable Cost per Job - Break-even jobs per month:
Jobs = Fixed Costs ÷ ContributionEvery job above this number contributes toward profit. - Break-even revenue:
Revenue = Jobs × Avg. Job Price - Jobs needed for a profit goal:
Jobs = (Fixed Costs + Target Profit) ÷ ContributionFixed costs still come first: a $2,000 profit goal on $4,500 of fixed costs is $6,500 of contribution to find, not $2,000.
What the result means
The break-even number is how many jobs of your average size it takes to cover fixed costs. Contribution margin shows what share of each job's price is fighting fixed costs; everything after job N is margin toward profit.
When to use it
Use it to know how many jobs a month keep the lights on — before you set growth or income goals.
Want the concept behind the math in depth? Read How to Price a Job: A Complete Method for Contractors or What Gross Margin Should I Target? Work It Out, Don't Guess It.
Common mistakes
- Counting variable costs as fixed (or vice versa) — the answer moves a lot with that classification.
- Using an 'average job' that's really your best job; be honest about the mix.
- Stopping at break-even and calling it a plan: covering the bills is not the same as earning a profit.
Frequently asked questions
How many jobs do I need to make a profit, not just break even?
Add the profit you want to the fixed costs, then divide by the contribution each job makes. With $4,500 of fixed costs, a $450 contribution per job and a $2,000 monthly profit goal, you need ($4,500 + $2,000) ÷ $450 = 14.4, i.e. 15 jobs. Break-even is 10 — so five of those jobs are what the profit actually costs.
How do I calculate my break-even point?
Divide your fixed monthly costs by the gross profit an average job contributes (price minus variable costs). If fixed costs are $4,000 and each job contributes $400, you need 10 jobs a month to break even. Job number 11 is where profit starts.
What are fixed vs. variable costs for a contractor?
Fixed costs repeat whether or not you work: insurance, truck payment, rent, software. Variable costs scale with each job: materials, subcontractor payments, dump fees, job-specific fuel. Wages of field crews are usually treated as variable per job; your own salary as owner belongs in fixed costs.
Break-even jobs are the minimum — raising your average price lowers that number.
Re-price your average job →Related tools and guides
Break-Even Calculator is part of RateCraft, a set of free pricing and estimating tools for contractors and service businesses. Results are calculated entirely in your browser and are estimates for planning purposes — see our disclaimer and methodology.