MASONRY CONTRACTOR NET PROFIT MARGIN.
Healthy net profit margin for masonry contractors runs 5.5–6.5% at $1M–$10M in revenue, below the 12% CFOS target. The single biggest compressor is scaffold cost that's front-loaded before any billing milestone, combined with wall-type labor variance that isn't tracked weekly.
Masonry work carries a specific cash timing problem: scaffold has to go up, and be paid for, before wall work generates any billable progress. Layer on labor productivity that varies significantly by wall type and complexity, and a job can look fine on the estimate while actual cost quietly runs ahead of the bid. Net margin here is a function of how well both of those are tracked, not how well the wall was built.
Net Profit Margin Formula: Net Profit ÷ Total Revenue × 100. Net margin measures what's left after every cost is paid, including overhead; gross margin only measures job-level cost before overhead absorption.
MASONRY NET PROFIT BENCHMARKS WHERE YOU SHOULD BE.
| METRIC | INDUSTRY LOW | SPM TARGET | STRONG | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net Profit Margin | 5.5% | 12% | 11.5% | Primary bottom-line indicator; most compressed by unbilled cost categories. |
| Gross Margin | 21% | 22–30% | 28% | Job-level margin before overhead absorption. |
| Overhead Rate | 14% | 9–13% | 8% | Lower is better; scales down as revenue grows. |
| Days Sales Outstanding | 90 | 45 | 30 | Time from billing to cash in hand. |
| Working Capital Ratio | 1.0 | 1.5 | 2.0+ | Current assets to current liabilities. |
DSO and Working Capital Ratio targets are flat across trades; margin and overhead targets are CFOS targets applied to masonry subcontractors. Benchmarks validated 2026-06-14.
WHAT MOVES THIS NUMBER.
Scaffold front-loading and untracked wall-type variance are the primary compressors
Scaffold cost hits before any billing milestone is reached, creating a cash gap on every job start. At the same time, labor productivity by wall type, straight runs versus corners, openings, and detail work, isn't tracked separately in most shops, so variance compounds without anyone seeing which wall type is actually driving the overrun.
Above-benchmark masonry contractors bill scaffold as its own SOV line and track cost by wall type
Top performers structure scaffold as a distinct billing milestone instead of folding it into the wall rate, and they track weekly unit cost by wall type so productivity variance is caught while there's still time to adjust crew assignment or sequencing.
Check scaffold billing structure, wall-type cost tracking, and weather delay documentation first
If net margin is below benchmark, check whether scaffold is billed as its own SOV line, whether labor productivity is tracked separately by wall type, and whether cold weather or weather delay costs are documented as change orders instead of absorbed.
FLAT MONTHLY FEE. NO SURPRISES.
Three tiers based on trailing 12-month revenue. No hourly billing. No payroll. No add-ons.
| Revenue (Trailing 12 Months) | Monthly Fee |
|---|---|
| Under $1M | $1,900 – $2,900 |
| $1M–$3M | $2,600 – $3,900 |
| $4M–$6M | $3,800 – $5,700 |
| $7M–$9M | $5,100 – $6,900 |
| $10M–$12M | $6,100 – $8,500 |
| $13M+ | Quoted |
Range reflects three service tiers (Core Financial, Executive Financial, Strategic Financial) · scope and fee within each band depend on which tier fits your business. Strategic Financial includes ControlQore job costing and WIP software at no added cost. SPM does not handle payroll.
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