Short answer
A business breaks even when gross profit from jobs equals fixed costs. Divide your monthly overhead by the gross profit on an average job to get the jobs you need. Ads add to the target, because they are another fixed cost until they win jobs. Enter your numbers below to see both.
This plumbing break-even calculator also suits septic and drain-cleaning companies. It answers a simple question before you spend on marketing: how many jobs does the month need before you earn anything?
Use the calculator
The starting numbers are round placeholders, not industry averages. Replace every one with your own figures. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
How to read it
The gap between the two job counts is the number of extra jobs your ads must win just to pay for themselves. If your ads typically bring fewer jobs than that gap, spend is eating your profit. The paid advertising cost calculator shows how many jobs a given budget may produce under your own conversion rates.
| If you see | Look at |
|---|---|
| Break-even jobs per day above your capacity | Job value, margin and overhead before any marketing. |
| Ad gap larger than the jobs ads usually win | Conversion rate, call handling and keywords. |
| Comfortable gap | Capacity: can your team take the extra jobs? |
Mistakes to avoid
- Leaving your own wage out of overhead.
- Using revenue instead of gross profit per job.
- Ignoring seasons. Run the numbers for a slow month.
- Forgetting that more jobs may need more trucks or staff.
Want this checked against your real account?
These calculators give you a first read on your own assumptions. They cannot see your account, your market or how quickly your phone is answered. LiveLeadsLane is a new, founder-led remote practice run by Prakhar Kirsali from India. Paid ads management starts at $375 a month for one platform, with ad spend paid by you directly to the platform, and a recommended minimum of $1,500 a month per platform. Book a free call and bring your numbers, or see the published prices. Nothing here is a promise of leads or revenue.
