Inputs

Job assumptions

Quoted Price ($)

Enter the accepted customer price on the same change-order and tax basis used for the actual review.

Estimated Total Cost ($)

Use the pre-job cost budget that supported the quote, including all planned direct and allocated costs.

Actual Paid Hours

Total paid on-site and off-site labor hours attributable to the completed job.

Actual Loaded Cost ($/hr)

Use the fully loaded hourly cost matching those hours, not the customer billing rate.

Actual Materials / Disposal ($)

Use invoices, tickets, and credits for materials, hauling, and disposal actually used.

Other Actual Cost ($)

Add rentals, permits, subcontractors, rework, or other job cost not captured above.

Use the result as a cost checkpoint

Use completed-job information to find estimating misses and improve the next quote.

This tool is best for post-job review and production-rate calibration. Use the result to decide whether a completed job earned the margin expected. Review missing labor, rework, disposal, mobilization, or unbilled change work before relying on the result.

Worked example

A $7,500 job estimated at $5,400 cost begins with $2,100 expected profit and a 28.0% margin. If the completed job used 44 paid hours at an $82 loaded cost, $1,650 of materials and disposal, and $300 of other cost, actual cost becomes $5,558. Actual profit is $1,942 and margin is 25.9%.

The $158 cost overrun is small enough to diagnose, not ignore. Match timecards, receipts, tickets, approved changes, and the final invoice before deciding whether production, price, scope, or recordkeeping caused it.

Close the loop before changing a default

Reconcile final revenue and approved change orders on one consistent tax basis.
Compare estimated and actual hours, quantities, unit prices, and outside services.
Classify each variance as scope, production, price, waiting, rework, or omission.
Update a future default only when comparable jobs show a repeatable pattern.

The estimate-versus-actual guide explains the review process. Keep each completed job in the downloadable utilization and job-actuals tracker so the next estimate uses evidence instead of memory.

Input and quote review

Record why actual hours differed from the estimate.
Separate scope changes from estimating errors.
Update future defaults only after repeated evidence.

Keep the final scope, assumptions, exclusions, allowances, change triggers, and post-job results with the estimate so future defaults are supported by evidence.

Common questions

What should I review when actual profit falls below the estimate?

Reconcile paid hours, production, materials, disposal, mobilization, rework, waiting, and approved change work. The variance is useful only after revenue and costs use the same scope.

Where are saved inputs stored?

Only an explicit Save stores inputs in this browser's localStorage. Share places inputs in the URL hash. The calculator does not send them to Equipment Rate Calc.

Should one bad job change my estimating defaults?

Usually not. Separate one-time scope or weather events from repeatable production and cost misses, then update a default when several comparable jobs show the same pattern.

Calibrate future production

When actual hours miss the estimate, use the Equipment Production and Unit Cost Calculator to test whether capacity, fill, cycle time, or operating efficiency caused the production variance.

Important disclaimerPlanning estimate only. Verify current costs, measurements, production, scope, access, customer requirements, contracts, permits, insurance, taxes, and local rules before quoting or committing money.

Job Estimate vs Actual Profit Calculator