WHAT'S THE AVERAGE OVERHEAD RATE FOR YOUR TRADE?
Most subcontractors bid 10 percent overhead while really running 18 to 28 percent. That distance is the most common reason net profit sits below benchmark, and it's invisible until the cash runs out in month four.
Overhead Rate across commercial construction trades runs from 13 percent at the leanest (framing, acoustic ceiling, drywall at $1M to $5M) to 18 percent at the heaviest. For a subcontractor doing $1M to $12M, industry overhead sits between 13 and 18 percent depending on trade. Lower is the goal, and every point off overhead drops straight to net profit. The CFOS target is set a point leaner than your trade's average at your revenue.
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 | 14% | 13% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 9% | 8% | 13% |
| Demolition | 16% | 15% | 14% | 13% | 12% | 10% | 9% | 15% |
| Environmental Remediation° | 16% | 15% | 14% | 13% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 15% |
| Excavation | 14% | 13% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 9% | 8% | 13% |
| Grading | 16% | 15% | 14% | 13% | 12% | 10% | 9% | 15% |
| Paving | 14% | 13% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 9% | 8% | 13% |
| Sitework | 15% | 14% | 13% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 9% | 14% |
| SWPPP and Erosion Control | 14% | 13% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 9% | 8% | 13% |
| Underground Utility | 15% | 14% | 13% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 9% | 14% |
| HEAVY CIVIL & INFRASTRUCTURE | ||||||||
| Bridge° | 15% | 14% | 13% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 9% | 14% |
| Tunnel° | 16% | 15% | 14% | 13% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 15% |
| CONCRETE & MASONRY | ||||||||
| Concrete | 14% | 13% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 9% | 8% | 13% |
| Concrete Flatwork | 14% | 13% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 9% | 8% | 13% |
| Masonry | 14% | 13% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 9% | 8% | 13% |
| Precast Concrete° | 15% | 14% | 13% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 9% | 14% |
| CONCRETE & SPECIALTY | ||||||||
| Concrete Pumping° | 16% | 15% | 14% | 13% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 15% |
| SITE & GROUNDS | ||||||||
| Irrigation° | 15% | 14% | 13% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 9% | 14% |
| Landscaping° | 15% | 14% | 13% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 9% | 14% |
| ELECTRICAL & TECH | ||||||||
| Electrical | 16% | 15% | 14% | 13% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 15% |
| Fiber | 15% | 14% | 13% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 9% | 14% |
| Low Voltage and AV° | 16% | 15% | 14% | 13% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 15% |
| Security Systems | 16% | 15% | 14% | 13% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 15% |
| Solar | 15% | 14% | 13% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 9% | 14% |
| Telecom | 15% | 14% | 13% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 9% | 14% |
| MECHANICAL, PLUMBING & HVAC | ||||||||
| HVAC° | 16% | 15% | 14% | 13% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 15% |
| Mechanical | 16% | 15% | 14% | 13% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 15% |
| Plumbing | 16% | 15% | 14% | 13% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 15% |
| Process Piping° | 16% | 15% | 14% | 13% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 15% |
| FIRE & LIFE SAFETY | ||||||||
| Fire Alarm | 16% | 15% | 14% | 13% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 15% |
| Fire Protection | 15% | 14% | 13% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 9% | 14% |
| VERTICAL TRANSPORTATION | ||||||||
| Elevator | 18% | 17% | 16% | 15% | 13% | 12% | 10% | 17% |
| STRUCTURE & ENVELOPE | ||||||||
| Curtain Wall and Glazing | 18% | 17% | 16% | 15% | 13% | 12% | 10% | 17% |
| EIFS and Stucco | 15% | 14% | 13% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 9% | 14% |
| Framing | 13% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 9% | 8% | 8% | 12% |
| Insulation | 14% | 13% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 9% | 8% | 13% |
| Roofing° | 15% | 14% | 13% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 9% | 14% |
| Siding° | 14% | 13% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 9% | 8% | 13% |
| Structural Steel | 15% | 14% | 13% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 9% | 14% |
| Waterproofing | 17% | 16% | 15% | 14% | 13% | 11% | 10% | 16% |
| INTERIORS & FINISH | ||||||||
| Acoustic Ceiling° | 13% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 9% | 8% | 8% | 12% |
| Drywall | 13% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 9% | 8% | 8% | 12% |
| Flooring | 14% | 13% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 9% | 8% | 13% |
| Interiors | 13% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 9% | 8% | 8% | 12% |
| Painting | 13% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 9% | 8% | 8% | 12% |
| Tile & Stone° | 14% | 13% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 9% | 8% | 13% |
| MARINE & SPECIALTY | ||||||||
| Marine | 15% | 14% | 13% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 9% | 14% |
| INDUSTRIAL & ENERGY | ||||||||
| Tank and Vessel° | 15% | 14% | 13% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 9% | 14% |
| ACCESS & SPECIALTY | ||||||||
| Scaffolding° | 18% | 17% | 16% | 15% | 14% | 12% | 11% | 17% |
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 show 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 Management, 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.
- 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 run 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.
| 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 and never in a report.
Your bookkeeper still does the books.
You stop touching the books.
Everything in Core, and we run the bookkeeping and the controllership as well. Your office stops answering coding questions and stops chasing a reconciliation on the last day of the month.
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 books, the job costing, and the software. No payroll.
FREQUENTLY ASKED.
