Pricing & Profit Calculator

Price home service jobs using a cost-plus formula: add up your monthly fixed costs (insurance, vehicle, marketing, overhead), divide by monthly job count to get the fixed cost per job, then add per-job variable costs (supplies, labor). Divide that total by (1 − target margin) to set your minimum price. For a 40% profit margin, divide cost per job by 0.60 — if a job costs you $60, charge at least $100. Always cross-check against local market rates to stay competitive.

Home service hourly rates vary widely by trade: residential cleaning $40–$60/hour per cleaner, handyman $60–$100/hour, lawn care $40–$70/hour, and painting $45–$80/hour per painter. Solo operators should target at least $50–$75/hour billed to cover overhead and earn a livable income. Rates in major metros like Los Angeles, New York, or Miami typically run 30–50% higher than national averages.

Home service businesses should target a net profit margin of 35–50%. Industry benchmarks: residential cleaning 35–45%, landscaping 35–45%, painting 40–50%, handyman services 35–50%, pool service 40–50%, pest control 40–55%. New businesses often start at 15–25% while building their client base, then reach 40%+ once routes are optimized and recurring clients are in place.

Calculate your monthly fixed costs (insurance, vehicle, marketing, overhead) and divide by monthly jobs — that is your fixed cost per job. Add per-job variable costs (supplies, labor). That sum is your break-even floor — below it you lose money on every job. To hit a 40% profit margin, divide that floor by 0.60 (example: $60 floor ÷ 0.60 = $100 price). Always verify the result is within your local market range before setting rates.

Charge by the job for most home service work. Flat-rate pricing rewards your growing efficiency — as you complete jobs faster your effective hourly rate rises without raising prices to customers. Hourly billing can make clients anxious about time and may inadvertently reward slow work. The exception is unpredictable-scope work (handyman repairs, electrical, plumbing), where a minimum call-out fee of $100–$200 plus hourly protects against scope creep.