The break-even point is the revenue or unit volume where your total income equals total costs, no profit, no loss. Calculate it by dividing your total fixed costs by your gross profit margin (for revenue break-even) or by your contribution margin per unit (for unit break-even). Every small business owner should know this number before making any pricing, hiring, or expansion decision.
Break-Even Calculator for Plumbing
Pre-filled with real plumbing industry benchmarks
Plumbing businesses have a cost structure built around labor, truck rolls, and parts inventory. Your biggest fixed costs are vehicle payments and insurance (commercial auto plus general liability plus bonding can run $1,000 to $2,000/month), warehouse or shop space, and licensing fees. Variable costs center on parts, drive time, and technician wages. The average residential service call runs $250 to $500, with emergency calls hitting $400 to $800. Most plumbing companies need 40 to 60% gross margins on service work to cover overhead and still net 10 to 15%. Your break-even calculation should factor in the reality that not every dispatched call converts to a paid job, callbacks eat into margins, and seasonal demand (frozen pipes in winter, sewer backups in spring) creates uneven revenue. This calculator uses plumbing-specific benchmarks so you can see exactly how many billable calls per week keep your doors open.
Break-Even Calculator
Pre-filled with plumbing industry defaults. Edit any field to use your real numbers.
Break-Even Units
52
Break-Even Revenue
$21,684
Contribution Margin
75.1%
Plumbing industry average margin: 75.0% gross margin with 25.0% COGS.