Who this is for
Owners and operators of small construction and home-service businesses who bid work, pay a crew, and have felt the gap between a “good price” and what actually happens in the bank account. That includes remodeling, painting, roofing, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, handyman, and landscaping companies, and other specialty trades that price jobs the same way.
The MarginMaster team teaches a method for costing, markup versus margin, quotes, crew hours, and cash timing. This is not trade-skill training, and it is not a substitute for a licensed estimator, CPA, or attorney in your state.
What's included
Eight written modules
PDF and markdown, about 4–7 hours of lesson time, plus time to apply the tools to one past job and one upcoming bid.
Pricing calculator
Turn a complete cost into a price, convert markup and margin correctly, and test what a discount does to margin dollars.
Job costing template
A job costing template for contractors: burdened labor, materials, overhead share, money map, crew log, estimate vs. actual, and a 90-day plan.
Quote and bid template
Scope, inclusions, exclusions, assumptions, payment and schedule sections, and a change-order page. Educational — have your attorney review language before you rely on it.
Weekly cash-flow tracker
A 4–8 week view of receipts, payroll, bills, tax set-aside, owner pay, and the low point.
Crew labor cost calculator
Test how an extra helper, a longer day, or a missed day changes labor cost before you lock a bid.
Video is not required for this version. You can work through the lessons and files at your own pace. A simple 14-day refund policy applies.
Free tools and articles
Markup vs. margin calculator
A free calculator that converts markup and margin and shows what a discount does to margin dollars. Educational only — not a promise about your results.
How to price a remodeling job
A walk-through of cost, overhead, markup vs. margin, and a bathroom-remodel example with consistent numbers.
Markup vs. margin for contractors
Why a 25% markup is not a 25% margin, with the formula and a link to the calculator.
What the course covers
- How money actually moves on a job (sold vs. billed vs. cash vs. margin)
- Building an honest job cost, including labor burden and a fair share of overhead
- Markup vs. margin, a walk-away price, and the effect of discounts
- Quotes and bids that define scope, exclusions, and change orders
- Crew size, production, and quality as pricing inputs
- Estimate vs. actual while the job is still open
- A practical cash picture, owner pay, and tax set-asides in plain language
- A 90-day habit: weekly review, a personal pricing policy, and using the tools on the next bid
Markup vs. margin for contractors
Markup and margin are not the same number, and treating them as if they were is a common way to underprice a job.
Markup is the percentage you add on top of cost. Margin is the percentage of the selling price that remains after cost.
A 25% markup on a US$10,000 cost produces a US$12,500 price and a 20% margin — not 25%. To hold a 25% contractor profit margin on that same cost, the price is US$13,333.33.
The course walks through the conversion and includes a calculator so you can check both figures on your own jobs. These figures are a teaching example only. They are not this business’s results, not a recommended target, and not a promise that your margin will change by any amount.
What this is not
- Not a promise that your income, profit, margin, or cash will improve by any amount, or that the US$59 will “pay for itself”
- Not accounting, tax, payroll, or legal advice
- Not a substitute for a CPA, attorney, insurance agent, licensed estimator, or your own trade knowledge
- Not a guarantee that a calculated price is what the market will pay, or that field results will match a target
- Not hands-on trade training (how to remodel, paint, install HVAC, or perform any other trade) and not a 12-hour estimating lab
Results depend on your costs, your market, your contracts, and how you use the tools.
How it works
- Pay US$59 at checkout through Stripe (USD).
- After payment, Stripe redirects you to a download page with the course zip.
- Bookmark that page or download the zip to your computer. We do not send a confirmation or delivery email.
- Start with Module 1 and the job costing file. Save a clean master of each spreadsheet and duplicate it for each real job.
Ready to get the files?
US$59, one-time. Instant access on the download page after payment.
Disclaimer
MarginMaster is educational content only. It is not accounting, tax, payroll, or legal advice. Figures in the lessons and spreadsheets are labeled examples or blanks for your own numbers. They are not this business’s actual results, and they are not typical results for your trade. Client, crew, and partner names are not used. Have a qualified professional review your pricing, contracts, payroll, and tax set-asides.
Refund policy
If you buy MarginMaster and it is not what you expected, email marginmaster@venturesailab.com within 14 days of purchase. If you request a refund in that window, we will refund the purchase price through the same payment method used at checkout. We may decline repeat refund requests from the same customer or requests that show clear refund abuse. This policy does not change any rights you have under applicable law.
Read the full refund policy.
FAQ
What is MarginMaster?
A self-paced contractor pricing course in English on how to price construction and home-service jobs, including job costing, crew cost, contractor profit margin, quotes and bids, and cash flow. It is written for small U.S. remodeling, painting, roofing, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, handyman, and landscaping businesses, and for other trades that bid work the same way. It includes a pricing calculator, a job costing template, a quote/bid template, a weekly cash-flow tracker, and a crew labor cost calculator.
How is this taught?
Written by the MarginMaster team as a practical method you apply to your own numbers. It is not hands-on training in remodeling, painting, HVAC, or any other trade.
How much does it cost?
US$59, one-time, unless a different price is shown at checkout.
What do I get immediately after payment?
Stripe redirects you to a download page with the lesson files and spreadsheet templates. Bookmark that page or download the zip to your computer. We do not send a confirmation or delivery email.
Will this increase my profit?
We do not promise income, margin, or “payback” results. The course teaches a method and gives you tools. Outcomes depend on your costs, market, contracts, and how you use the material.
Is this accounting, tax, or legal advice?
No. Examples are educational. Review pricing, contracts, and tax set-asides with your own CPA or attorney.
Are the dollar figures in the course real company results?
No. Figures in lessons and spreadsheets are labeled examples or blanks for your numbers. Client and partner names are not used.
What’s your refund policy?
A simple 14-day refund: email marginmaster@venturesailab.com within 14 days of purchase and we will refund the purchase price through the same payment method. See the refund policy for the full wording.
How do I get support?
Email marginmaster@venturesailab.com with questions. Please allow one to two business days. This address receives messages; it does not send an automatic reply.
Who is the seller?
The seller is identified in the Terms of Sale. Checkout is processed by Stripe.
Is there a login or video classroom?
No login classroom is required for this version. You download the lesson PDFs (and markdown) and the Excel templates and work through them at your own pace.
Support
Support email: marginmaster@venturesailab.com
Email this address with questions. Please allow one to two business days. This address receives messages; it does not send an automatic reply.
The seller is identified in the Terms of Sale.
Payments are processed by Stripe. This site is hosted on Cloudflare.