Break-Even Calculator for UK Trades

What is a break-even point?

Your break-even point is the amount of work you have to do before you've covered all your costs and start actually making a profit. Up to that point every job is just paying off your overheads — the rent, the van, the insurance — rather than putting money in your pocket. Cross it, and everything after is profit. Knowing the number turns "am I busy enough?" into a figure you can actually check against.

How do I work out how many jobs I need a month?

Start with the profit on a single job: your average price minus what that job costs you in materials and other variable costs. That's your contribution per job. Divide your fixed monthly overheads by that contribution and round up, and you have the number of jobs needed just to break even. To hit a profit target on top, add the target to your overheads before you divide. This tool does both sums live as you type.

Why isn't my day rate enough to cover my costs?

Because a healthy-looking price per job can still lose you money once fixed overheads and per-job materials are taken out. If you only look at what you invoice, you never see how much of it is already spoken for. Break-even flips the view: it starts from your costs and tells you the volume of work those costs demand. Plenty of trades charge a fair rate but simply don't do enough jobs to clear their overheads — the rate isn't the problem, the volume is. Our day rate calculator tackles the pricing side of the same question, and our markup vs margin calculator checks that your average price actually gives you the profit you think it does.

Does this tool store my details?

No. Every calculation happens in your browser as you type. Nothing you enter is uploaded, saved or sent anywhere — there's no sign-up, no account and no data leaving your device. Close the tab and it's gone.