WHAT'S THE AVERAGE GROSS MARGIN FOR YOUR TRADE?
Gross margin is what the job leaves behind before the office gets paid. It's the number every other number depends on, and most subcontractors have never seen theirs against the trade.
Gross Margin across commercial construction trades runs from 18 percent (grading, sitework, underground utility at $1M to $5M) up to 36 percent at $500M+. For most subcontractors doing $1M to $12M the industry average sits between 18 and 28 percent depending on trade. The CFOS target is set at whatever gross margin produces that net profit once your overhead is paid, and never below your trade's own average. The distance between the average and the target is almost always overhead that was never loaded into the bid.
YOUR REVENUE, IN REAL DOLLARS.
This is the industry benchmark, not your number. It shows what other subcontractors in your trade run, so you have something to measure against.
ALL 48 TRADES, SIDE BY SIDE.
Every trade here is an SPM trade with its own operating system page, linked in the first column.° marks a figure derived from the nearest comparable trade, with no direct measurement behind it. Every figure is an industry AVERAGE for that band, with the CFOS target in its own column beside it.
| Trade | $1M to $5M | $5M to $10M | $10M to $25M | $25M to $50M | $50M to $100M | $100M to $500M | $500M+ | CFOS target, $1M to $5M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIVIL & EARTHWORK | ||||||||
| Civil | 21% | 23% | 25% | 26% | 27% | 28% | 30% | 23% |
| Demolition | 20% | 22% | 23% | 25% | 26% | 28% | 29% | 25% |
| Excavation | 21% | 23% | 24% | 26% | 27% | 28% | 30% | 23% |
| Grading | 18% | 20% | 22% | 23% | 25% | 27% | 28% | 25% |
| Paving | 20% | 22% | 23% | 25% | 26% | 28% | 29% | 23% |
| Remediation° | 23% | 24% | 26% | 27% | 28% | 30% | 31% | 25% |
| Sitework | 18% | 20% | 22% | 24% | 26% | 27% | 28% | 24% |
| SWPPP / Erosion Control | 24% | 26% | 27% | 29% | 30% | 32% | 34% | 24% |
| Underground Utility | 18% | 20% | 22% | 23% | 25% | 27% | 28% | 24% |
| HEAVY CIVIL & INFRASTRUCTURE | ||||||||
| Bridge° | 22% | 23% | 24% | 25% | 27% | 28% | 30% | 24% |
| Tunnel° | 23% | 24% | 25% | 26% | 28% | 29% | 31% | 25% |
| CONCRETE & MASONRY | ||||||||
| Concrete | 21% | 22% | 23% | 24% | 25% | 26% | 28% | 23% |
| ConcreteFlatwork | 22% | 23% | 24% | 25% | 26% | 27% | 29% | 23% |
| Masonry | 21% | 22% | 23% | 24% | 25% | 26% | 28% | 23% |
| PrecastConcrete° | 22% | 23% | 24% | 25% | 26% | 27% | 29% | 24% |
| CONCRETE & SPECIALTY | ||||||||
| ConcretePumping° | 23% | 24% | 25% | 26% | 28% | 29% | 31% | 25% |
| SITE & GROUNDS | ||||||||
| Irrigation° | 22% | 23% | 24% | 25% | 26% | 27% | 29% | 24% |
| Landscaping° | 22% | 23% | 24% | 25% | 26% | 27% | 29% | 24% |
| ELECTRICAL & TECH | ||||||||
| Electrical | 25% | 27% | 28% | 29% | 30% | 32% | 33% | 26% |
| Fiber | 22% | 23% | 24% | 25% | 27% | 28% | 30% | 24% |
| Low Voltage/ AV° | 24% | 25% | 26% | 27% | 29% | 30% | 32% | 25% |
| Security System | 22% | 24% | 25% | 26% | 28% | 29% | 31% | 25% |
| Solar | 22% | 23% | 24% | 25% | 27% | 28% | 30% | 24% |
| Telecom | 22% | 23% | 24% | 25% | 26% | 28% | 29% | 24% |
| MECHANICAL, PLUMBING & HVAC | ||||||||
| HVAC° | 24% | 25% | 26% | 27% | 29% | 30% | 32% | 26% |
| Mechanical | 25% | 26% | 27% | 28% | 30% | 31% | 33% | 26% |
| Plumbing | 25% | 26% | 27% | 28% | 30% | 31% | 33% | 26% |
| Process Piping° | 24% | 25% | 26% | 27% | 29% | 30% | 32% | 25% |
| FIRE & LIFE SAFETY | ||||||||
| Fire Alarm | 24% | 25% | 26% | 27% | 29% | 30% | 32% | 26% |
| FireProtection | 23% | 25% | 26% | 27% | 28% | 30% | 31% | 25% |
| VERTICAL TRANSPORTATION | ||||||||
| Elevator | 27% | 28% | 29% | 30% | 32% | 33% | 35% | 29% |
| STRUCTURE & ENVELOPE | ||||||||
| Curtain Wall/ Glazing | 27% | 28% | 29% | 30% | 31% | 32% | 34% | 28.5% |
| EIFS / Stucco | 23% | 24% | 25% | 26% | 27% | 28% | 30% | 24% |
| Framing | 18% | 19% | 20% | 22% | 23% | 25% | 27% | 22% |
| Insulation | 22% | 23% | 24% | 25% | 26% | 28% | 29% | 23% |
| Roofing° | 22% | 23% | 24% | 25% | 27% | 28% | 30% | 24% |
| Siding° | 21% | 22% | 23% | 24% | 25% | 26% | 28% | 23% |
| Structural Steel | 23% | 24% | 25% | 26% | 28% | 29% | 31% | 24% |
| Waterproofing | 26% | 27% | 28% | 29% | 31% | 32% | 34% | 27% |
| INTERIORS & FINISH | ||||||||
| Acoustic Ceiling° | 21% | 22% | 23% | 24% | 26% | 27% | 29% | 22% |
| Drywall | 19% | 21% | 22% | 23% | 25% | 27% | 28% | 22% |
| Flooring | 19% | 21% | 22% | 23% | 25% | 26% | 28% | 23% |
| Interior | 19% | 21% | 22% | 23% | 25% | 26% | 28% | 22% |
| Painting | 18% | 20% | 21% | 22% | 24% | 25% | 27% | 22% |
| Tile & Stone° | 22% | 23% | 24% | 25% | 26% | 28% | 29% | 23% |
| MARINE & SPECIALTY | ||||||||
| Marine | 22% | 23% | 25% | 26% | 27% | 28% | 30% | 24% |
| INDUSTRIAL & ENERGY | ||||||||
| Tank / Vessel° | 23% | 24% | 25% | 27% | 28% | 30% | 32% | 24.5% |
| ACCESS & SPECIALTY | ||||||||
| Scaffolding° | 26% | 28% | 29% | 31% | 32% | 34% | 36% | 27% |
One point of margin is worth $10,000 at $1M of revenue, $50,000 at $5M, and $100,000 at $10M. The CFOS target column shows $1M to $5M; the per-trade pages carry it for $5M to $10M and $10M to $25M as well.
Industry averages are shown for all 7 bands as published. The CFOS target stops at $10M to $25M on purpose: above that, the source reference's own gross margin and overhead rows imply a net profit 8 to 12 points higher than the net profit row it publishes, so a target derived from them wouldn't be defensible. Those bands are being reconciled against CFMA Benchmarker data by revenue segment. We would rather leave a column blank than publish a number that doesn't survive checking.
Trade figures are from the SPM Trade Benchmark Reference, 48 trades, published by Sulphur Prairie Operations LLC. Net profit by trade and revenue band, validated at all 336 values against SPM_Trade_Benchmarks_Master.xlsx. Gross margin and overhead from SPM's trade benchmark engine, with 16 trades derived from the nearest comparable and disclosed as such on the page. Re-validate against CFMA reporting on the normal quarterly cycle, per the benchmark reference's own instruction.
- /* Only the benchmarks references. A surety prequalification article does not validate a gross margin figure, so citing it here would overstate what the reference covers. See _appliesToRule in sources.json. */
- 2024 Construction Financial Benchmarker, Executive Summary, Construction Financial Management Association, 2024. 21.8% gross profit margin, 11.8% SG&A and 6.3% net income before taxes across all respondents, with a best-in-class top quartile at 11.9% net income before taxes.
- 2025 Performance Benchmarks, Construction Companies, Jones Maresca and Company, 2025. Specialty contractor gross margin of 15% to 25%, net profit of 5% to 8% for a well managed company, and total indirect cost of 8% to 15%.
All 48 trades are available as JSON and CSV, one plain-language statement per row, free to use with attribution under CC BY 4.0.
WHY IT IS NOT ONE NUMBER.
A single target across every trade and every size is the reason most benchmark tables are useless. A framing contractor at $2M and an electrical contractor at $18M don't carry the same overhead, don't bid the same way, and can't reach the same margin by the same route.
The CFOS target is set a point leaner than your trade's average at your revenue.
The CFOS target is set at 10 percent before taxes or 3.5 points better than your trade's average at your revenue, whichever is higher, and it's stated before taxes.
The CFOS target is set at whatever gross margin produces that net profit once your overhead is paid, and never below your trade's own average. The three tie out: the gross margin target minus the overhead target equals the net profit target on every row of the table.
FLAT MONTHLY FEE. NO SURPRISES.
Three tiers, priced by your trailing twelve month revenue. Which one you're in depends on how much of the work you want off your desk. No hourly billing and no payroll.
Pricing
| Last 12 months revenue | Monthly fee |
|---|---|
| Up to $1M | $1,900 to $2,900 |
| $1M to $3.5M | $2,600 to $3,900 |
| $3.5M to $6.5M | $3,800 to $5,700 |
| $6.5M to $9.5M | $5,100 to $7,100 |
| $9.5M to $12.5M | $6,100 to $8,500 |
| $12.5M to $15.5M | $7,400 to $11,000 |
| $15.5M to $18.5M | $9,400 to $13,500 |
| $18.5M+ | Quoted individually |
Range reflects the three tiers below. Which one you're in depends on how much of the work you want off your desk. No payroll. No hidden line items.
You stop guessing.
You get the CFO work. Job costing built against the way you estimate, a 13 week cash forecast, monthly WIP, and a meeting every month that ends in decisions rather than a report.
Your bookkeeper keeps doing the books.
You stop touching the books.
Everything in Core, and we run the bookkeeping and the controllership as well. Nobody in your office is answering coding questions or chasing a reconciliation at month end.
We do the books. No payroll.
Every job shows its margin while it's still running.
Everything in Executive, plus the job costing and WIP platform set up, loaded with your cost codes, and managed for you every month. You never have to learn it.
We do the job costing.
FREQUENTLY ASKED.
