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Project Profitability Calculator

Calculate project profit and margin from revenue, labor, contractor, other direct cost and allocated overhead.

Measure project profitability

Combine direct delivery costs and allocated overhead, then compare them with project revenue.

Internal labor cost—
Total project cost—
Project profit—
Profit margin—
Profit / cost—

How the calculation works

Internal labor cost = labor hours × loaded internal cost per hour. Total project cost adds contractor/vendor cost, other direct cost and allocated overhead. Project profit = revenue − total cost, and margin = profit ÷ revenue.

How to use the result

Use project profitability to compare scopes, clients and delivery models. Time tracking quality is important because unrecorded internal hours can make service projects look more profitable than they are.

Assumptions and limitations

Overhead allocation is a management assumption, and revenue timing may differ from cash collection. The model does not include tax, financing cost or future support obligations unless you add them to the cost inputs.

Example

A project can have positive cash inflow but poor economic profit if internal labor is treated as free; using a loaded hourly cost helps expose that consumption of capacity.

Frequently asked questions

What is a loaded labor cost rate?
It is an internal hourly cost that may include salary plus employer costs and other labor-related burden, depending on your accounting approach.
Should sales commission be included?
Include it in other direct cost or overhead if you want it reflected in project economics.
What is the difference between margin and ROI here?
Margin divides profit by revenue; the displayed profit/cost ratio divides profit by total modeled cost.
Does this measure cash flow?
No. It measures economic project profitability from entered revenue and costs, not payment timing.