How to Change Markup and Margin Settings
Open the Estimate Editor: Navigate to the Estimate page for your project, click on Options, and then Edit.
Access Preferences: Click the Preferences icon (represented by three lines with levers) located in the top toolbar next to the Assistant panel.
Enable Line Item Markup: In the Margin settings menu, check the box for Enable markup/margin per line item to allow individual profit calculations for each item in your estimate.
Set Global Default Profit: Enter a percentage in the Default profit percentage field. This value will serve as the baseline for new items added to the project.
Configure Markup by Cost Type: To apply specific margins based on the nature of the expense, locate the Cost Type table. You can set individual Default Margin percentages for:
Labor & Materials
Labor
Materials
Other
Manage Cost Types: Use the trash can icon to remove a specific cost type setting if it is no longer needed for your estimate.
Troubleshooting
Markup Not Appearing on Line Items: If you do not see a markup column in your estimate spreadsheet, ensure the Enable markup/margin per line item checkbox is active in your preferences.
Cost Types Not Matching: If an item is not receiving the expected default margin, verify that the item's assigned "Cost Type" matches one of the categories defined in your preferences.
FAQs
What is the difference between setting a global profit percentage and a cost type margin? The global default profit percentage is a general fallback. The cost type margins allow you to be more granular, such as applying a higher margin to labor than to materials.
Does changing these settings affect items I already added? Typically, changing default preferences applies to newly added items. You may need to manually update existing line items if you want them to reflect the new default percentages.
Can I use allowances and markup at the same time? Yes. You can toggle Enable allowance per line item in the same preference menu to manage both tracked allowances and profit margins simultaneously.