Monthly targets · safety score
Plumbing Break-Even Calculator
Find out how much revenue and how many jobs your plumbing company needs to break even each month.
Plumbing owners think in jobs per day and monthly overhead, not contribution margin formulas. This calculator translates your fixed costs and variable percentages into actionable targets: revenue needed, jobs required, and progress toward break-even.
- Break-even revenue = Fixed Costs ÷ Contribution Margin %
- Contribution margin = 100% − Materials % − Variable Labor % − Other Variable %
- Most plumbing companies need $120K–$180K monthly revenue at typical cost ratios
Built for plumbing owners planning growth, evaluating slow seasons, and setting monthly revenue goals.
Source: BizMetricsHQ 380+ plumbing businesses (2025–2026). Methodology
Your Numbers
Break-Even Revenue
$166,667/mo
Jobs Per Day (All Techs)
18.9/day
Jobs Per Tech Per Day
3.2/day
Daily Revenue Needed
$7,576/day
Contribution Margin
39%
Safety Score
65/100
Status: below
Plumbing Benchmarks
| Metric | Average |
|---|---|
| Materials Cost | 16–24% |
| Plumber Payroll | 30–40% |
| Average Service Ticket | $275 – $525 |
| Jobs Per Plumber/Day | 4 – 8 |
Related Plumbing Data
- Plumbing Revenue Benchmarks
Median $1.6M — revenue by plumber count and service mix.
- Plumbing Profit Margins
Net margin tiers, gross margin, and cost structure.
- Plumbing Owner Salary
What plumbing owners earn by company size.
- Plumbing Valuation Multiples
SDE, EBITDA, and revenue multiples for plumbing sales.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do plumbing companies calculate break-even?
Break-even revenue = Monthly Fixed Costs ÷ Contribution Margin %. Contribution margin is what's left after variable costs (materials, plumber labor on jobs, commissions) as a percentage of revenue. Divide by average job ticket to get jobs needed per month.
How much monthly revenue does a plumbing company need to break even?
Most owner-operated plumbing companies with 4–8 plumbers need $120K–$180K monthly revenue to break even, depending on fixed overhead, payroll structure, and material costs. Companies with commercial maintenance contracts often break even at lower monthly volumes.
How many jobs per day does a plumbing company need?
At $400 average ticket and 39% contribution margin, a plumbing company with $65K monthly fixed costs needs roughly 420 jobs/month — about 19 jobs/day across 6 plumbers, or 3.2 jobs per plumber per day minimum just to cover overhead.
How can I lower my plumbing break-even point?
Four levers: reduce fixed costs (fleet optimization, office overhead), increase average ticket (maintenance plans, water heater upsells), lower material cost % (vendor contracts), and improve plumber productivity (route density, dispatch software).