Project Estimate & Itemized Bid Ledger

Use this for a larger job with several cost categories. Add each labor, material, equipment, other, and subcontractor cost once, then set overhead and target margin to see the estimated project price and gross profit.

Enter the line items below. The estimate updates as you add or change costs.

Project Estimate & Itemized Bid Ledger

Build a multi-category cost sheet across labor, supplies, subs, and markup

Itemized Scope of Work3 Line Items

labor

hrs@

$3,080.00

materials

lump@

$2,111.00

subcontractors

lump@

$1,650.00

Direct Labor$3,080.001 item (45%)

Materials$2,111.001 item (31%)

Equipment$0.000 items (0%)

Subcontractors$1,650.001 item (24%)

Other Direct$0.000 items (0%)

Overhead Allocation

Target Gross Profit Margin (%)

Estimated Client Bid$9,822.97

Target margin 22.0%; actual after cent rounding: 22.0%

Direct Project Costs:$6,841.00

Allocated Overhead (12%):+$820.92

Total Estimated Cost:$7,661.92

Estimated Gross Profit:+$2,161.05

Markup Equivalent on Cost:28.2%

Cost & Margin Allocation$9,822.97 Selling Price

Direct Labor:$3,080.00(31.4%)

Materials & Supplies:$2,111.00(21.5%)

Subcontractors:$1,650.00(16.8%)

Allocated Overhead:$820.92(8.4%)

Net Gross Profit:$2,161.05(22.0%)

Side-by-Side Price Comparison

Same total job cost for all three bids: $7,661.92

Lower Price

Competitive / Volume Bid

Selling Price$8,706.73

Gross Profit:$1,044.81

Markup on Cost:13.6%

Total Job Cost:$7,661.92

Adjust lower bid margin:

12.0%

Target PriceActive Target

Selected Target

Selling Price$9,822.97

Gross Profit:$2,161.05

Markup on Cost:28.2%

Total Job Cost:$7,661.92

Adjust target margin:

22.0%

Higher Margin

Premium / Complex Scope

Selling Price$11,267.53

Gross Profit:$3,605.61

Markup on Cost:47.1%

Total Job Cost:$7,661.92

Adjust higher bid margin:

32.0%

How the Estimate Is Built

Use separate cost categories to spot missing items and avoid counting the same cost twice:

Line Item Total = Quantity × Unit Cost

Category Subtotal = Sum of Item Totals in Category

Direct Costs = Labor + Materials + Equip + Subs + Other

Allocated Overhead = Fixed Amount OR (Direct Costs × OH % ÷ 100)

Total Estimated Cost = Direct Costs + Allocated Overhead

Client Bid Price = Total Estimated Cost ÷ (1 − Target Margin % ÷ 100)

Gross Profit = Client Bid Price − Total Estimated Cost

Subcontractor costs: Track subcontractor quotes separately from in-house labor and check what each quote includes before adding other labor, burden, or insurance costs.

Worked Example

Illustrative multi-trade scope:

Direct Labor (44 hrs @ $70/hr): $3,080.00
Direct Materials (Framing package): $2,111.00
Subcontractor scope: $1,650.00
Equipment & Other: $0.00
Overhead Rate: 12.0% of direct costs
Target Profit Margin: 22.0%

Calculated Outputs:

Direct Costs = $3,080 + $2,111 + $1,650 = $6,841.00

Allocated Overhead = $6,841.00 × 0.12 = $820.92

Total Estimated Cost = $6,841.00 + $820.92 = $7,661.92

Divisor = 1 − 0.22 = 0.78

Estimated Client Price = $7,661.92 ÷ 0.78 = $9,822.97

Estimated Gross Profit = $9,822.97 − $7,661.92 = $2,161.05

Markup Equivalent = ($2,161.05 ÷ $7,661.92) × 100 = 28.2% on total cost

The estimate includes entered line items and the selected overhead method. Add taxes, fees, and other project costs when they apply; the calculator does not verify supplier or subcontractor quotes.

Project Estimate & Itemized Bid Ledger