Published by Landscape Estimate Pro
How the calculators turn inputs into results
Use this page to check a result, understand which costs belong in an input, or reproduce the example below. The tools calculate from your entries. They do not obtain local supplier quotes, determine tax rules, or measure a site.
The formulas are implemented with decimal arithmetic and checked against fixed expected results in automated tests. That checks the arithmetic; it does not establish that a sample wage, depth, production rate, or margin is appropriate for your job.
Formulas and rounding by tool
Dollar fields use USD. Material dimensions use square feet, inches, cubic feet, and cubic yards. A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet; 12 inches make one foot, so the area-and-depth conversion divides by 324. A US short ton is 2,000 pounds. Soil density must come from your supplier; there is no fixed weight for every cubic yard of soil.
Project cost
Direct cost = materials + loaded labor + equipment + delivery + other costs. True cost = direct cost × (1 + overhead ÷ 100).
The required-price calculation uses unrounded true cost. Reporting figures round to cents; the recommended display price rounds up to the next dollar.
Multi-service estimate
Direct cost = sum of each quantity × direct unit cost, plus shared delivery and other expenses. Apply project overhead once.
Unit costs and quantities retain their entered precision during calculation. Required price uses unrounded true cost and rounds up to the next cent.
Margin and markup
Profit = price − cost. Margin = profit ÷ price. Markup = profit ÷ cost. Required price = cost ÷ (1 − target margin ÷ 100).
Displayed percentages round to two decimals. A zero denominator is labelled undefined. Required price rounds upward to cents; target margin must be below 100%.
Mulch volume and bags
Cubic yards = square feet × depth in inches ÷ 324. Multiply by (1 + allowance ÷ 100). Bags = volume × 27 ÷ bag size in cubic feet.
Bag count rounds up to a whole bag. Costs use the unrounded volume. Bagged material is a pickup comparison; contractor pricing uses the bulk material quote.
Topsoil volume and weight
Use the same dimensional conversion for volume. US short tons = cubic yards × supplier density in short tons per cubic yard.
Volume and weight display to two decimals. They are not rounded before material pricing. Per-ton cost is an alternative comparison, not an extra charge added to the per-yard quote.
Crew labor
Loaded hourly cost = wage × (1 + payroll burden ÷ 100) + hourly benefits. Paid person-hours = crew size × (on-site hours + paid travel/loading hours).
Paid hours are per person. The tool multiplies the loaded rate by total person-hours without intermediate rounding. It assumes one rate and equal hours for all crew members.
The job-cost, material, margin, and labor tools show monetary outputs to cents. A rounded subtotal may not reproduce the last cent of a result calculated from unrounded values. When moving a cost into another tool, transfer the direct cost and apply overhead only once.
Reproduce a completed-job cost review
This is an illustrative calculation, not a customer case study. It uses the reset values in the job cost calculator. No customer outcome or typical profit is implied.
Keep pre-tax quoted revenue at $5,000 and overhead at 15%. Enter these direct costs:
| Category | Estimated | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1200 | $1350 |
| Labor | $800 | $1100 |
| Equipment | $200 | $250 |
| Delivery | $150 | $150 |
| Other | $50 | $50 |
Estimated direct cost is $2,400; actual direct cost is $2,900. Multiplying each by 1.15 gives the corresponding true cost. Subtract true cost from the unchanged $5,000 revenue to calculate the expected and actual profit.
- Estimated true cost
- $2,760.00
- Actual true cost
- $3,335.00
- Cost variance (positive = over budget)
- $575.00
- Expected job profit
- $2,240.00
- Actual job profit
- $1,665.00
- Actual margin
- 33.30%
The extra direct costs are $300 labor, $150 materials, and $50 equipment. The remaining $75 of the true-cost difference is the added overhead allocation. These numbers identify where to investigate; they do not reveal whether the cause was site access, rework, incorrect quantities, or a change in scope.
For a new job with the same $3,335 true cost, enter that cost into the margin calculator. A 35% target requires $5,130.77 before tax. This is a price calculation for a future estimate, not an instruction to change an already accepted customer quote.
What the document builders calculate
The estimate builder multiplies the entered selling rate by quantity, rounds each line to cents, and sums the lines. It is a customer document, not an internal material-cost calculation. Use its notes to explain provisional quantities and exclusions.
The quote builder adds a reference, a printed validity date, and detailed or summary presentation. These fields do not change the total, collect a signature, or enforce a deadline. The invoice builder applies one entered tax percentage to the entire subtotal; it does not support mixed tax treatment per line.
Check the assumptions before using a price
- Keep selling prices separate from costs. Entering a selling rate as a cost adds overhead and margin again.
- Include paid preparation, travel, and owner field labor where applicable. Do not count an expense in both payroll burden and overhead.
- Use the same scope and units on both sides of an estimate-versus-actual comparison. Include approved extra revenue with its corresponding costs.
- Replace sample inputs with measured quantities and current quotes. The default rates and percentages are not researched market averages or installation recommendations.
Example data and corrections
Landscape Estimate Pro publishes these tools and explanations. The worked examples are constructed to demonstrate the calculations. We do not present them as field-verified customer projects or independently reviewed professional advice. Where a named expert review or real project record is unavailable, we do not imply one.
If a result differs from your calculation, report the tool, input values, and expected result. Use example values and omit customer details. Describe the unit and whether your number includes overhead or tax so the comparison can be reproduced.
For saved catalogs, service assemblies, and project records, see Landscape Estimate Pro. Free calculator entries do not carry between pages or persist after leaving. Pro stores its workspace in your browser; export a backup before changing devices or clearing site data.