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    Plumbing & HVAC Cost Estimator (Free)

    What is the difference between markup and contingency here?

    Markup is your applied margin over direct costs and defaults to 20 percent, while contingency defaults to 10 percent and covers unexpected site conditions, code upgrades, and rework. They compound in sequence: markup is applied to the subtotal first, then contingency is applied to the marked-up amount before tax.

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    Related questions

    Estimates and general guidance only. Verify against your local code and AHJ before any installation. Gas, electrical, and refrigerant work is hazardous to untrained users.

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