Contractors and small business owners in California are unknowingly undercharging by 5-7% due to confusing markup percentage with margin percentage, losing $20-50K annually.

Most contractors use simple cost-plus markup mentally or with basic spreadsheets, not accounting for the difference between markup and margin, leading to systematic undercharging.

Severity

4High

Willingness to Pay

implied

Added

May 4, 2026

App Concept

MarginMarkup Pro

A simple pricing calculator for contractors that auto-calculates correct sell price from cost using gross-up formula (cost / (1 - margin)), includes compliance factors like sales tax, overhead, contingency, and California-specific requirements.

Key Features

Cost-to-price converter with markup vs margin toggle
Built-in overhead and contingency percentages
California compliance: deposit caps, lien waivers, §7159 contract requirements
Export estimates as PDF or send to QuickBooks

Target Users: Small to mid-size construction contractors and subcontractors in California (1-50 employees)

Revenue Model: $19/mo per user or $149 one-time purchase

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