ALTAIROPERATING SYSTEM

Free calculator

Break-even calculator

Every month starts in the hole by the amount of your fixed costs. Each job digs you out by whatever is left after its own costs. This calculator shows how many jobs that takes.

Costs that arrive whether or not a truck rolls: rent, insurance, office pay, vehicles, software, loan payments.

Total revenue divided by number of jobs over a recent period.

Costs that scale with each job (parts, field labor, permits, card fees) as a % of revenue.

Break-even jobs per month

43

42.6 jobs exactly, rounded up. About 9.8 per week.

Break-even revenue per month
$27,692.31
Contribution per job
$422.50
Contribution margin
65.0%

How to use this

  1. Add up fixed costs for a normal month from your books: rent, insurance, office and owner salaries, vehicle payments, software, loan payments.
  2. Average job revenue is total revenue divided by the number of jobs over the last three to six months.
  3. Variable costs are what each job consumes: parts, field labor, permits, card fees. Enter them as a percentage of revenue.
  4. Compare the break-even jobs with how many jobs your crew can realistically run in a month.
  5. Try a higher average ticket or lower variable costs to see which moves the number more.

Assumptions

  • Fixed costs stay the same regardless of job count over the month.
  • Variable costs are a steady percentage of revenue on every job.
  • Break-even means zero profit: no owner profit, reserves or debt paydown beyond what is in fixed costs.
  • Jobs are rounded up to whole jobs; weeks use 52 weeks and 12 months per year.
  • Default values are placeholders to show how it works, not industry benchmarks.

The formula

contribution per job  = average job revenue × (1 − variable cost %)
break-even jobs       = fixed monthly costs ÷ contribution per job
break-even revenue    = fixed monthly costs ÷ (1 − variable cost %)
jobs per week         = break-even jobs ÷ (52 ÷ 12)

Disclaimer. Estimates only. This calculator is for planning and education; it is not financial, tax or legal advice. Results depend entirely on the numbers you enter. Verify your figures and decisions with your accountant.