FREE JOB PROFIT COMPARISON CALCULATOR
Estimated vs Actual Job Profit Calculator
Compare the profit you expected when the job was quoted with what the job actually produced. See where labour, materials, variations and other costs changed the result.
No account or email required · Built for subcontractors, solo trades and small trade teams
Original estimate
The figures you based your quote on. First the price you charged, then the costs you expected — all excluding VAT.
Actual job figures
What the finished job really invoiced and cost. First the price invoiced, then your real costs — all excluding VAT.
Variations & adjustments
Optional. Extra work only protects profit when it is approved and billed. A discount reduces revenue after the work is done.
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Estimate vs actual
The quote is only the starting point
A job can look profitable when it is priced and still finish below target.
Labour may take longer. Materials may cost more. Plant hire may overrun. Extra work may be completed without a variation being billed.
This calculator compares the original estimate with the completed job and shows exactly where the difference came from.
What you see
See where the profit moved
The calculator compares each side, then ranks the main causes of the difference.
Quoted vs final invoiced revenue
Estimated vs actual labour
Estimated vs actual materials
Estimated vs actual plant
Estimated vs actual subcontractors
Variations, discounts and credits
Estimated vs actual gross profit
Estimated vs actual gross margin
Improve
A completed job should improve the next quote
Without comparing the estimate with the actual result, the same pricing mistakes can repeat.
A labour allowance may be consistently too low. Material waste may be missed. Site conditions may add time. Variations may not be raised early enough.
The value is not only knowing whether one job made money — it is understanding what to change next time.
Labour
See whether the job used more labour than planned
Enter estimated and actual labour hours to see the hours gained or lost, the cost variance and revenue per hour — and whether the issue came from time, rate or both.
Estimated labour
80 hours
Actual labour
92 hours
Extra hours
12
At £35/hour, gross profit falls by
£420
Materials
Separate price increases from missed allowances
Material costs can rise because supplier prices changed, more quantity was used, waste increased or items were missed. The calculator shows the total variance and lets you tag the likely reason — it does not claim to know the cause automatically.
Variations
Extra work only protects profit when it is recovered
Extra work usually adds cost immediately. Profit is only protected when the variation is approved and billed. The calculator separates:
Approved and billed variations
Approved but unbilled variations
Unapproved extra work
Written-off work
That makes it clear how much revenue has been recovered and how much remains at risk.
Discounts
See the effect after the work is done
A discount or credit reduces final revenue after the labour and materials may already have been spent. The calculator shows how much the adjustment reduced gross profit and margin.
Worked example
A simple job profit comparison
The same job, priced and then completed.
Original estimate
Revenue £12,000 · Cost £8,000 · Gross profit £4,000 · Margin 33.3%.
Actual result
Final revenue £12,500 · Cost £9,400 · Gross profit £3,100 · Margin 24.8%.
Although revenue increased by £500, cost increased by £1,400 — so the job made £900 less gross profit than estimated.
Stay connected
Keep the estimate connected to the completed job
This calculator reviews one job manually. FieldHive keeps the enquiry, quote, job changes, labour, materials, invoice and payment connected in one record.
That makes it easier to compare what was planned with what actually happened as the business grows — one connected job record from first enquiry to final payment.
Enquiry
Quote
Job
Invoice
Payment
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Who it is for
Who is this calculator for?
Solo trades learning from labour and material overruns
Small teams carrying out job-cost reviews
Office staff checking whether variations were fully billed
Trade businesses improving future estimates
It is not for full accounting reports, tax returns, payroll, cash-flow forecasting or enterprise contract valuation.
Related tools
Price, check and review the job
Use these across the life of a job.
Trade Job Pricing Calculator
Build the original labour, material and job-cost estimate.
Build the quote
Quote Profit Margin Calculator
Check the expected margin before the quote is sent.
Check the margin
True Labour Cost Calculator
Work out the internal hourly labour cost used in the estimate and review.
Calculate labour cost
Material Markup & Margin Calculator
Check material cost, selling value and margin.
Price materials
FAQ
Estimated vs actual job profit questions
Common questions about comparing a quote with the completed job.
Get started
Learn what the finished job really made
Compare the estimate with the actual result, see where the profit moved, and improve the next quote. FieldHive keeps the whole job connected from enquiry to payment.
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