A line-by-line material budget with waste, markup, contingency and tax.
Example Result
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The calculated result will appear here after you press Calculate.
A material budget is a list of quantities times prices, plus the allowances that real jobs need. Enter up to five materials with their quantity, unit price and waste percentage, then add your markup, a contingency if you want one, and sales tax. The calculator shows the cost of each line, what waste adds, and the total. It covers materials only, so labour, plant hire and overheads go in a separate budget.
Enter each material name, quantity and unit price.
Add a waste percentage for each material.
Enter markup, contingency and sales tax if they apply.
Choose what the tax applies to.
Click Calculate for a full cost breakdown.
By O.E. — Partner, chairman of the board and CEO of a metal products manufacturer for 21 years; the company exports to 45 countries.
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The waste percentage is your own assumption, set per material. Buying in full bags, sheets or truckloads can add more than the calculated waste. For a concrete pour you may round up to the supplier's minimum. Get your quantities first from a tool like the concrete volume calculator or the brick calculator.
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Line | Quantity × unit price |
| Waste | Line cost × waste % |
| Subtotal | Sum of line costs and waste |
| Markup | Subtotal × markup % |
| Contingency | Subtotal × contingency % |
| Tax | Taxable amount × tax % |
112 m³ of concrete at $180 with 10% waste, 200 m of rebar at $1.20 with 5% waste, 15% markup, 10% tax on the full amount. These prices are assumed.
$2,160 + $216 + $240 + $12 = $2,628; markup $394.20; tax $302.22
$3,324.42
Rebar priced by the metre comes from a length you have already calculated. If your supplier prices by weight, the rebar size chart gives kg/m and lb/ft.
The price of the biggest line usually matters far more than the smaller allowances. So get a firm quote for it before adjusting anything else.
| Change from $3,324.42 | New total | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Concrete waste 5% instead of 10% | $3,187.80 | −$136.62 |
| Markup 20% instead of 15% | $3,468.96 | +$144.54 |
| Tax on materials only, not on markup | $3,285.00 | −$39.42 |
| Concrete price up 10% | $3,624.98 | +$300.56 |
Markup is a percentage of cost. Margin is a percentage of the selling price. A 15% markup on $100 sells at $115, which is a margin of 15 ÷ 115 = 13.04%. To reach a true 15% margin you need a markup of 17.6%. The gross profit margin calculator converts between the two.
Sales tax on construction materials depends on where you work and on who buys them. In many US states a contractor pays tax on materials and does not charge it on the finished job, but rules differ, so check with your state or an adviser. Outside the US, use your VAT or GST rate and the rules for your type of work. This is a budgeting tool, not tax advice.
The calculator lets you apply tax to materials only, or to materials plus markup. Quantities usually come from the concrete volume calculator and the brick calculator.
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