How many jobs a month do you need just to cover your costs? Enter your monthly fixed costs, average revenue per job and what each job costs you — the calculator shows your break-even number as you go.
Find your break-even
Calculated from your inputs. Rounded up — partial jobs don’t pay the rent.
See how this was calculated
| Monthly fixed costs | — |
| Average revenue per job | — |
| Variable cost per job | — |
| Contribution per job (revenue − variable) | — |
| Jobs to break even (rounded up) | — |
| Break-even revenue | — |
Break-even jobs = fixed costs ÷ contribution per job, rounded up. Break-even revenue = jobs × average revenue per job.
How to read your result
Fixed costs $8,000/month, average job $450, variable cost $180/job.
- Contribution per job: $450 − $180 = $270
- Jobs to break even: $8,000 ÷ $270 = 29.6 → 30 jobs
- Break-even revenue: 30 × $450 = $13,500
Example numbers to show the math — enter your own figures above.
Which trades is this for?
Any trade business owner who needs to know how many jobs it takes to cover monthly costs.
- New businesses: work out the monthly job count before you hire or sign a lease.
- Growing shops: check expansion plans against the added fixed costs.
- Seasonal trades: plan cash flow for the slower months.
Assumptions & limits
- One average job doesn’t reflect every type of work you do. If you handle $150 drain calls and $2,000 installs, run the calculator separately for each job type to get a clearer picture.
- Fixed costs are monthly averages. Spread annual insurance payments or seasonal rent changes across 12 months.
- Break-even isn’t profit. It’s the point where you’ve covered your costs — profit starts with the jobs beyond that point.
- Seasonality isn’t included. Revenue from busy months needs to help cover costs during slower months.
- This is a planning aid, not financial advice.
Common questions
What counts as fixed vs variable costs?
Fixed costs are expenses you pay whether jobs come in or not — rent, insurance, phones, software, vehicle payments and base salaries. Variable costs only come up when you do a job — materials, fuel, subcontractors and card fees. When you’re unsure, ask yourself: would I still pay this if I did zero jobs this month?
Should I use my average job revenue?
It’s a starting point. Averages can hide big differences between jobs, so if your work varies a lot in size, run the calculator separately for each job type. Breaking even on $150 service calls looks very different from breaking even on $2,000 installs.
How do slow seasons change this?
The calculation is monthly, and your fixed costs still need paying during slow months. Many owners calculate break-even separately for peak and slow months, then check whether the busy months bring in enough to cover the slower ones.
Is breaking even the same as being profitable?
No. Break-even means you’ve covered your costs with nothing left over. Profit starts with the next job after break-even. If you’re consistently finishing right at break-even, you’ll need to look at your prices or job volume.
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