Price a line by its margin
Put in what it costs you and the margin you want, and let the price follow.
Written 30 September 2026
What is said in this recording
Rather than guessing a price and hoping, put in what the work costs you and the margin you want on it. The price is worked out for you, and you can see the profit on the quote before you send it.
Step by step
- 1
Tick “Track cost & margin” above the lines.
Two extra boxes appear on every line: what it costs you, and the margin.
- 2
Enter what the line costs you — parts, materials, whatever you pay out.
- 3
Enter the margin you want on it.
The unit price fills itself in. Type a price instead and the margin follows the other way.
- 4
Price labour as a line of its own, at your rate.
An hour of your time has no invoice behind it, so there is nothing to mark up. Leaving the cost blank is the honest answer, and the reports treat it as unknown rather than as pure profit.
- 5
Check the margin panel on the right.
Cost to you, what it sells for, and the profit in pounds and per cent. None of it appears on anything the customer sees.
Worth knowing
Margin here is markup on cost
A margin of 20% means the price is the cost plus 20% of the cost. An accountant's “20% margin” usually means 20% of the sale price, which is a different number. Neither is wrong; they answer different questions — but put the wrong one in and you will undercharge.
The figure in the recording is an example, not advice
It uses 20% on materials, which is about what the trades put on parts, and prices the labour as a day rate on its own line rather than marking it up. Yours is yours. Nothing here suggests a number — it only does the arithmetic once you have decided.
A line with no cost is unknown, not free
Leave the cost blank and the reports count that line as something they cannot speak for, rather than as pure profit. That is why the reports print a coverage percentage.