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How it works The Acquisition EngineAttention × Offer × Sales × System.How It StartsFive steps, no surprises.Free ToolsLead value, break-even CPL, ad budget.
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FREE TOOL

Break-even ad spend: how much before you stop making money?

Every ad budget has a line where the jobs stop paying for it. Find that line before you get near it.

By the BlueSmith team · Updated

At a glance

You enter
  • Signed jobs you expect per month
  • Average project value
  • Gross margin
  • Other monthly marketing fees
You get
  • Break-even monthly ad spend
  • Gross profit those jobs bring
  • Break-even ad spend per signed job
How the math works
  • Gross profit on the table
  • Break-even monthly ad spend
  • Per signed job
  • Example (not a benchmark)
What it costs
Free. No signup, no email. Arithmetic on your own numbers, not a promise of results.
35%

Break-even monthly ad spend: $32,000

Break-even monthly ad spend$32,000
Gross profit those jobs bring
$35,000
Break-even ad spend per signed job
$8,000

4 signed jobs at $25,000 and 35% margin, minus $3,000 in other fees.

See what we’d build for these numbers

Starts with example numbers. Change them to yours. Arithmetic only, not a promise of results.

HOW IT WORKS

Three steps. Your numbers.

  1. 01

    Enter your numbers

    Enter the signed jobs you expect per month.

  2. 02

    Watch it recalculate

    Add your average project value and gross margin.

  3. 03

    Use the answer

    Add your other monthly marketing fees, like an agency or software.

How the math works

Gross profit on the table

Signed jobs × average project value × gross margin. The most the work itself can pay toward winning it.

Break-even monthly ad spend

Gross profit − other marketing fees. If the fees already eat all the gross profit, it shows zero.

Per signed job

Break-even ad spend ÷ signed jobs. The most each job can carry in ad spend before it earns nothing.

Example (not a benchmark)

3 jobs at $15,000 and a 30% margin: $13,500 gross profit. Minus $2,500 in fees: $11,000 break-even ad spend, or about $3,667 per signed job.

KEEP GOING

Use it with these.

STRAIGHT ANSWERS

Questions we hear.

Should I spend up to the break-even number?

No. Break-even means zero profit on those jobs. It’s a ceiling to stay well under, not a budget. The calculator is arithmetic on your inputs, not a recommendation.

How is this different from break-even cost per lead?

That tool works from the share of profit you choose to spend and breaks it down per lead. This one shows the absolute monthly ceiling, after fees, where profit hits zero.

What if I’m not sure how many jobs to expect?

Run it with a cautious number and a hopeful one. If the cautious case already breaks even at your planned spend, rethink the plan.

Does overhead belong in the fees?

Only marketing fees. Office rent and trucks sit below gross profit. If you want them in the picture, run the project margin calculator next.

Numbers are the start. Let’s build the system.

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