At the assumed 2 earned-project equivalents monthly and $28,000 net value per equivalent, the Iowa wage reference produces $2,517 mature monthly cash after maintenance. Cash break-even requires 1.824 equivalents versus the assumed 2.2 average ceiling. A 10% lower net contract value, with the 49% direct-cost share held constant, changes mature monthly cash to -$339; overhead, delivery costs, earned workload and collections still need scoped evidence. Deposits and backlog are not earned revenue.
Two-carpenter residential interior remodeling company with paid project management and licensed specialty subcontractors
State benchmarks: May / July 2025 · Page prepared October 2, 2026
The 2022 Economic Census reports 1,072 employer establishments in broad residential remodeling NAICS 236118 for Iowa, with $814,428,000 of nominal revenue. Historical industry totals combine different project scopes and business sizes. They do not establish one small contractor's prices, customers, earned projects, margin or demand. Compare your actual scope and service territory before using any industry ratio. U.S. Census Bureau: 2022 Economic Census BASIC
At the authored 2 earned-project equivalents per month and $28,000 net value per equivalent, the Iowa wage anchors produce $17,343 loaded monthly payroll and $2,517 mature monthly cash after maintenance. Cash-after-maintenance break-even is 1.824 earned equivalents per month against the assumed 2.2 average ceiling. These results change wages while leaving nonwage costs, realized contract value, earned scope, collections and capacity as national planning assumptions. They are not a local startup quote or a statewide average.
| Paid role | SOC | Hourly median |
|---|---|---|
| Two paid carpenters | 47-2031 | 27.75 USD/hour |
| Paid administrative assistance | 43-6014 | 21.71 USD/hour |
| Paid owner construction-management replacement coverage | 11-9021 | 47.73 USD/hour |
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: May 2025 OEWS national and state tables. Owner construction-management coverage is paid replacement work, not an owner distribution or proof of qualification. The separate 18% employer-cost addition is an assumption; verify taxes, insurance, leave and benefits.
Paid labor and earned scope are the key constraints. The two carpenters have 346.667 paid person-hours monthly. The reference allocates 140 person-hours per equivalent and 32 nonproject hours, while management lowers the ceiling to 2.2 equivalents. Access, inspections, trade availability, drying, changes and rework may reduce it further. A fractional earned equivalent measures accepted delivered value across whole projects, not a fractional physical job or a demand forecast.
Employer costs can also reverse a thin surplus. June 2026 BLS small goods-producing employers report $11.95 benefits per $30.99 wages: 38.561% of wages. Applying that broad ratio solely as a sensitivity to this same roster gives -$505 mature monthly cash. It is not a remodeler-specific required load or a workers-compensation quote. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: ECEC Table 6
Before committing: verify address and work authority, full supplier and licensed-trade scope, complete paid hours, actual customer acceptance, retainage, collections and the dated cash balance. The model uses 15-day receivables and assumes no customer advance; supplier prepayments, restricted funds, financing and tax require a dated project schedule.
Test project margin and milestone cash · Control scope, sequence and changes
Planning information only; before financing and income tax. These are scenarios, not forecasts, quotes or guarantees.
We examined the available wage records for this two-carpenter residential interior remodeling company with paid project management and licensed specialty subcontractors, checked the Census population observations and calculated the staffing implications using the stated wage benchmarks. The results below show what that completed analysis establishes.
The same roster costs $17,343 at the selected Iowa wage benchmarks versus $18,734 at national medians, including the stated employer-cost allowance. This isolates wage differences; it does not compare local rent or customer spending.
Inspect the roles and source rows →The reference operating month exceeds EBIT break-even by 0.2 earned-project equivalents per month. That is the sales margin available before the modeled operating profit disappears.
See the calculation and cash results →| Component | What the evidence establishes | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Wage records and state population | Selected May 2025 occupational records and July 2024/2025 Census estimates, with exact fields and source rows. | Source records checked |
| Paid payroll and break-even | Calculated from observed wage benchmarks and the explicitly modeled roster, employer allowance, price and costs. | Derived result |
| Opening budget and commercial costs | Published fit-out, equipment, occupancy and other allowances define this comparison scenario. State-specific commercial quotes have not yet replaced them. | Reference assumptions |
| Revenue | $56,000 per mature month follows 2 earned-project equivalents per month at the stated price. It is not observed sales or a researched state revenue average. | Modeled sales assumptions |
Each test changes one input from the published reference. These are sensitivity tests, not local market forecasts or probability ranges.
| Test | Monthly EBIT | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Published reference | $2,600 | The stated inputs on this page |
| 20% fewer sales units | -$3,112 | 1.6 earned-project equivalents per month; other inputs unchanged |
| 25% higher occupancy cost | $2,300 | $1,500 per month; other inputs unchanged |
| 10% higher wage rates | $866 | Same paid roster; employer allowance unchanged |
The completed research covers the source observations and analysis described here. The funding and revenue scenarios still contain commercial assumptions; they are not a completed local feasibility study. Read the evidence and its limits.
Published research and calculations support business planning and education. They are not personalized financial, investment, tax or legal advice, and they do not guarantee costs, revenue, profit or financing. Estimates depend on the stated format, location, source periods and assumptions. Check the requirements and commitments that apply to your circumstances.
This completed planning profile combines checked state wage and population sources with a transparent financial scenario. Use its opening-cost, operating-cost and revenue figures as planning inputs, then replace location-sensitive assumptions when evaluating a specific address or service area.
| Evidence family | Published basis | What to confirm locally |
|---|---|---|
| Opening costs | Published planning inputs — replace with local quotes | premises scope, fitout, equipment, installation freight tax, deposits, preopening training, opening inventory, contingency |
| Operating costs | Published planning inputs — replace with local quotes | occupancy, utilities, insurance, materials, payment fees, marketing, software administration, maintenance |
| Paid labor and employer costs | State wage benchmark used — confirm employer costs | paid roster, wages, wage floor overtime, employer taxes, benefits leave, workers compensation, owner role |
| Revenue and collections | Published planning inputs — validate price and demand locally | realized price mix, demand volume, capacity, industry cross check, launch ramp, seasonality, collections |
| Permissions and fees | Confirm for the selected address | activity address jurisdiction, initial fees, recurring fees |
National equipment prices can support the plan where configuration, delivery and taxes match the intended purchase. Confirm rent, selling prices, demand and permissions for the actual location instead of applying a generic state adjustment.
The Census estimate for Iowa is 3,238,387 people. It grew by 7,933 between July 2024 and July 2025 (+0.25%). This statewide movement cannot identify a achieved residential project demand, accepted earned scope, realized price or a fundable payment calendar.
Using the same paid roster, Iowa occupational wages produce $17,343 of monthly loaded payroll. That is −7.43% relative to the identical roster priced with national occupation medians ($18,734). Only wage benchmarks change in this comparison; it does not measure a state’s overall business attractiveness.
BLS wage source · Census population source · Exact fields and workbook rows
Two-carpenter residential interior remodeling company with paid project management and licensed specialty subcontractors. A small residential interior remodeler controls written scope, employee carpentry, specialty subcontractors, procurement, earned milestones and customer collections.
Two paid carpenters provide 346.67 person-hours per month. After 32 hours of nonproject work, the assumed 140 person-hours per earned-project equivalent supports 2.2476 equivalents on an average-hours basis. A separate authored management ceiling reduces the reference to 2.2. At 2 equivalents, the crew uses 312 hours including nonproject work. Equivalents express earned value of comparable scope; they are not fractional physical jobs, and a dated sequence of whole projects, subcontractors, deliveries and inspections must fit the same paid roster.
| Input | Reference assumption |
|---|---|
| earned-project equivalents per month | 2 |
| Net selling price per earned-project equivalent | $28,000.00 |
| Trading days / month | Monthly recurring-account model |
| Variable cost share | 49% |
| Occupancy / month | $1,200 |
| Other fixed costs / month | $6,500 |
| Employer cost allowance | 18% above base wages |
48% of earned contract value for materials, licensed specialty subcontractors, disposal and other job-specific cash costs, plus a 1% collection-cost provision. Employee carpentry, owner management and administration are paid once in payroll. These are assumed project-cost shares, not a verified local bid or industry margin.. The $6,500 monthly standing allowance covers vehicle running costs, insurance, estimating and project software, communication, marketing, professional support, small tools and administration. The $1,200 storage/dispatch allowance and $1,000 maintenance investment are separate. Obtain matched entity, vehicle, work-category and address quotes.
| Role / SOC | Paid hours / month | Wage benchmark / hour | P25–P75 / hour | Base wages / month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Two paid carpenters47-2031 · Carpenters · State observation | 346.7 | $27.75 | $22.91–$31.69 | $9,620 |
| Paid owner construction-management replacement coverage11-9021 · Construction Managers · State observation | 86.7 | $47.73 | $37.93–$62.94 | $4,137 |
| Paid administrative assistant coverage43-6014 · Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive · State observation | 43.3 | $21.71 | $18.29–$24.56 | $941 |
Base wages total $14,697 per month. An authored 18% allowance for employer costs adds $2,646, giving $17,343 of loaded payroll. The allowance is a planning shortcut; it is not a state-specific payroll tax calculation or benefits quote for Iowa.
May 2025 Carpenter, Construction Manager and Administrative Assistant occupation medians anchor the complete paid roster. The construction-manager wage is a replacement-cost proxy for the stated owner duties, not a draw, recruiting quote or proof of qualifying-person eligibility. The 18% employer allowance is an authored teaching input; benefits, overtime and actual employer costs require a separate quote and sensitivity. Every operating role is paid, including management or supervision. If the owner performs a modeled role, their compensation occupies that role once; no additional owner draw is included in operating profit.
The middle 50% wage interval describes the occupation’s observed wage distribution. It is not a confidence interval for this business’s total payroll. Allocate the aggregate hours across an actual roster and check wage rules, overtime, leave and employer obligations for the chosen location.
| Use of funds | Cash paid |
|---|---|
| Used service van and basic upfit allowance | $35,000 |
| Tools, dust control and site protection allowance | $16,000 |
| Storage and dispatch setup allowance | $4,000 |
| Credential, insurance and professional setup allowance | $5,000 |
| Estimating software, computers and website setup allowance | $5,000 |
| Launch marketing allowance | $8,000 |
| Opening material inventory allowance | $6,000 |
| Opening contingency allowance | $9,000 |
| Refundable deposit (two months of occupancy) | $2,400 |
| Paid pre-opening training | $2,911 |
| Total payments before opening | $93,311 |
The equipment and premises allowances are the same in all 50 states for this operating format. They are a comparison baseline and must be replaced with local scopes and quotes. Training uses 80 aggregate paid hours at the modeled team’s weighted loaded rate. The refundable deposit is cash tied up, not an operating expense.
The cash schedule tests 60 months, with sales ramping through 40%, 55%, 70%, 82%, 90%, 96%, 100% of the volume assumption. Full payroll and fixed costs begin in month one. The reserve covers the deepest cumulative operating deficit plus the stated buffer. A buffer is retained cash, not spending and not part of project payback twice.
Recognize revenue only for accepted delivered scope under the stated contract and accounting policy, expressed as comparable earned-project equivalents. Signed estimates, backlog, purchased materials, customer advances and open invoices are different records. The monthly reference assumes 15 days of earned revenue remains receivable and no advance; the separate milestone guide shows how collections can lag earned work. Track actual dated receipts, supplier payments, paid wages, customer advances, retainage, tax, refunds and changes independently. Asset purchases are depreciated over 60 months for this scenario. No sale or deposit recovery is assumed at the end.
At the assumed 2 earned-project equivalents per month, the reference scenario produces $2,600 of mature monthly EBIT, a 4.6% operating margin. It requires 1.8 earned-project equivalents per month for EBIT break-even. This result depends on unverified selling price, demand and premises inputs.
| Measure | Monthly amount |
|---|---|
| Revenue | $56,000 |
| Variable operating costs | $27,440 |
| Loaded payroll, including management | $17,343 |
| Occupancy assumption | $1,200 |
| Other fixed operating costs | $6,500 |
| EBITDA | $3,517 |
| Depreciation | $917 |
| Operating profit (EBIT) | $2,600 |
| Maintenance capital expenditure | $1,000 |
| Mature project cash flow | $2,517 |
EBIT break-even revenue is $50,901 per month: $25,960 of fixed costs plus depreciation divided by a 51% contribution margin. At $28,000.00 per earned-project equivalent, that means 1.8 earned-project equivalents per month and 82.6% of the stated capacity.
| Measure | Months 1–12 | Mature month |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $578,480 | $56,000 |
| Operating profit (EBIT) | -$16,490 | $2,600 |
| Project cash flow | -$45,490 | $2,517 |
Project payback is not reached within the 60-month reference schedule. It measures recovery of actual pre-opening payments from cumulative project cash, with no financing or owner distributions. It does not measure cash paid back to an owner.
A price can look viable before material scope, specialist work, rework and all paid employee hours are reconciled. Unpriced changes or allowances can consume the small modeled surplus.
Protection, travel, receiving, preparation, cleanup, coordination and rework consume paid person-hours. A trade delay or customer-selection hold can reduce earned monthly scope without reducing fixed payroll.
Change the assumptions to see how this format responds. The sections above remain the published reference, so you can compare your scenario with the original. Use the browser-local export buttons below to save only the scenario you are working on.
Reference scenario. JavaScript enables editing and exports.
2 earned-project equivalents per month × $28,000.00 = $56,000 revenue. Loaded payroll: $17,343 per month. Break-even uses 82.6% of capacity.
The download preserves the published scenario and its source references.
Take the exact business entity, ownership, qualifying person, service jurisdiction, interior work categories, existing structure, specialty electrical/plumbing/HVAC scope, paint disturbance, customer contracts, cancellation and advance terms, premises and vehicle use, employees, waste handling, insurance and record obligations to the responsible contractor authority, building department, labor and safety agencies, consumer office, insurer and advisers. Confirm which credentials, permits, inspections, bonds, contract disclosures and payment restrictions apply to the actual operation.
| Workstream | Official starting points | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Business and activity | Which entity, name or activity registrations apply, and which local or specialist office also has responsibility? | |
| Tax | Which registrations and treatment apply to the actual goods or services, location and staffing arrangements? | |
| Employers | Which employer accounts, reporting steps and labor obligations apply to the planned paid roster? |
Take the activity, address, proposed equipment and staffing plan to the relevant office. Record applicability, supporting documents, fees, dependencies and renewal terms from the actual official response.
Agency routes were listed on the IRS Iowa directory when retrieved September 5, 2026. Links identify starting offices; they do not verify a permit, tax treatment, fee or opening time for this business. Open the full Iowa opening checklist →
Confirm entity and contractor authority, qualifying person, trade permissions, permits, consumer-contract rules, deposit terms, insurance and lead-safe applicability for the exact jurisdiction and property.
Measure and document existing conditions, obtain supplier and authorized specialty-trade quotes, establish customer selection deadlines, and schedule whole projects with protection, preparation, inspection and punch-list work.
Match lawful customer receipts to material orders, subcontractor payments, wages and overhead. Retain enough unrestricted cash to bridge delayed milestones and callbacks without using another customer advance as profit.
Supplier payments and wages may precede acceptance and collection. Lawful advances carry a customer obligation and cannot substitute for a dated cash forecast. Reconcile deposits, earned invoices, refunds and retainage against each contract.
For a selected address or service area, collect an evidence pack covering premises and equipment quotes, paid demand, staffing, collection terms and the responsible authorities. The state wage and population evidence on this page does not supply those location-specific inputs.
State: Iowa, FIPS 19. Cross-industry, ownership 1235. H_MEDIAN supplies an available hourly benchmark; H_PCT25 and H_PCT75 describe the occupational distribution. 47-2031 (Carpenters), state workbook row 11024; 11-9021 (Construction Managers), state workbook row 10517; 43-6014 (Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive), state workbook row 11001. Retrieved October 2, 2026.
The national comparison uses the same paid roster and these national H_MEDIAN observations: 47-2031, national workbook row 978; 11-9021, national workbook row 42; 43-6014, national workbook row 922. Any national value substituted for a suppressed state value is identified separately. National observations do not become state observations.
SUMLEV 040; STATE 19; POPESTIMATE2025 and POPESTIMATE2024. July 1 estimates; change and percentage change are calculated within the same vintage. Population is context, not a customer forecast.
OEWS covers employee jobs across industries. It is a statistical benchmark, not a hiring quote or legal wage floor. Employer benefits and overtime premiums are outside the wage measure; tips can be included.
An official route to the state government and major agencies. This directory does not confirm the fees, permits or approval times for a particular address or business.
All selling prices, demand, paid hours, employer allowance, premises, startup allowances, cost shares, ramp and cash buffer are authored planning inputs. No commercial quote or researched state total is implied.
A business format and a state record are joined by stable IDs. The shared calculation computes the outputs, and the template publishes static HTML with the source fields and original inputs. A change to evidence or a format triggers recalculation and review before republication.
Choose the next planning or verification step →