Fix & Flip Profit Calculator
Estimate acquisition, renovation, financing, holding, and selling costs for a property flip. See expected profit, ROI, cash required, break-even sale price, target purchase price, and downside/upside scenarios.
Property & Purchase
Renovation
Financing
Holding & Sale
Project Snapshot
EstimateUtiliverse Fix & Flip Profit Estimate
Planning estimate based on the entered assumptions.
Cost Breakdown
| Purchase closing costs | — |
| Renovation + contingency | — |
| Financing costs | — |
| Holding costs | — |
| Selling costs | — |
| Estimated net sale proceeds | — |
| Estimated loan amount | — |
Quick Purchase Checks
Profit Sensitivity
| Rehab \ Sale | -10% | -5% | Base | +5% | +10% |
|---|
Browser-based calculation: acquisition, renovation, financing, holding, selling-cost, profit, ROI, break-even, target-purchase, sensitivity, copy, print, and theme calculations are performed locally in this page. The financial assumptions you enter are not submitted to a Utiliverse processing server. The page itself still loads interface and advertising resources from external providers.
How the Fix & Flip Profit Calculator Works
The calculator starts with the purchase price and adds acquisition closing costs, renovation costs, a rehab contingency, financing charges, monthly holding expenses, and selling costs. It then subtracts those modeled costs from the expected resale price to estimate profit.
If financing is selected, the tool estimates the loan amount as a percentage of the purchase price, adds origination points and other lender fees, and estimates simple interest over the holding period. Real hard-money and private-loan structures may use renovation draws, interest reserves, minimum interest, extension charges, or other terms, so lender documents should always control the final analysis.
Costs to Include in a Property Flip
Acquisition Costs
Beyond the purchase price, acquisition costs may include title, escrow or attorney fees, transfer-related charges, inspection, appraisal, recording, lender fees, and other local closing expenses.
Renovation and Contingency
A renovation budget should account for labor, materials, permits, demolition, disposal, design, and project management when applicable. A contingency reserve can help model the possibility of hidden damage, change orders, or price increases.
Holding Costs
Property tax, insurance, utilities, HOA charges, lawn or pool service, security, maintenance, loan interest, and other recurring expenses continue while the property is held. Delays can therefore affect profit even if the renovation budget itself does not change.
Selling Costs
Sale-related costs can include brokerage compensation, seller closing costs, title or attorney costs where applicable, concessions, staging, photography, marketing, repairs identified during inspection, and other transaction expenses.
Understanding the Results
Expected Profit
Expected profit is the estimated sale price minus all project costs modeled by the calculator.
ROI on Total Cost
This is estimated profit divided by total project cost. It shows profit relative to the entire modeled cost of the project, not just the investor's cash contribution.
Cash-on-Cash ROI
This estimate divides profit by the modeled cash required before the property sells. It can look higher when leverage is used, but leverage also increases financing risk and carrying costs.
Break-Even Sale Price
The break-even estimate solves for the sale price at which net proceeds after percentage-based selling costs approximately equal the modeled project costs.
What Is the 70% Rule?
The so-called 70% rule is a common rule-of-thumb sometimes used by property investors: multiply the expected after-repair value by 70%, then subtract renovation costs. The result is treated as a rough purchase-price reference. It is not a substitute for a full analysis because local selling costs, financing, taxes, holding time, market conditions, property type, and desired return can make a very different purchase price appropriate.
Calculation Methodology, Assumptions, and Important Limits
The calculator treats the project as a single estimated purchase-and-resale cycle. It adds modeled acquisition, renovation, financing, holding, and selling costs to the purchase price, then compares that total with the expected sale price. All results are estimates derived from the values entered on this page.
sale price − total modeled project cost.profit ÷ total project cost × 100.profit ÷ modeled cash required before sale × 100.Worked example: financed purchase
Purchase price: $220,000
Loan: 80% of purchase = $176,000
Interest rate: 11% annually
Holding period: 6 months
Simple interest:
176,000 × 0.11 × (6 ÷ 12)
= $9,680
Points at 2%:
176,000 × 0.02
= $3,520
Other financing fees:
$750
Modeled financing cost:
9,680 + 3,520 + 750
= $13,950
Worked example: selling costs
Expected sale price: $350,000
Agent commission: 5%
Seller closing costs: 2%
Staging / marketing: $2,500
Percentage selling costs:
350,000 × 7%
= $24,500
Total modeled selling costs:
24,500 + 2,500
= $27,000
Purchase closing costs are percentage-based
The calculator multiplies the purchase price by the entered Purchase Closing Costs percentage, then adds Other Acquisition Costs as a separate fixed amount. It does not automatically itemize title, escrow, attorney, transfer, inspection, appraisal, recording, or lender charges.
Rehab contingency applies only to the base renovation budget
Contingency is calculated as renovation budget × contingency %. The result is then added to the base renovation budget. It does not apply to acquisition, financing, holding, or selling costs.
The financing model is intentionally simplified
For loan financing, the initial loan amount is purchase price × LTV. Points are charged on that loan amount, and interest is modeled as simple interest on the full initial loan for the entire holding period. The model does not simulate rehabilitation draws, declining principal, amortization, interest-only monthly payment schedules, interest reserves, extension fees, minimum-interest clauses, or staged lender funding.
Cash Required Before Sale excludes modeled selling costs
The cash-required figure includes purchase equity, acquisition costs, renovation, financing costs, and holding costs. It intentionally does not include selling costs because those are modeled as paid from sale proceeds at closing. This is a budget estimate, not a month-by-month cash-flow schedule.
Cash-on-cash ROI can rise with leverage while risk also rises
Because the denominator is modeled cash required before sale, using debt can reduce the cash denominator and increase the displayed cash-on-cash ROI. That does not mean leverage improves the underlying project economics; financing costs, default risk, extension risk, and liquidity needs still matter.
Break-even sale price includes percentage selling costs algebraically
The calculator first totals fixed modeled costs before sale, including staging, then divides by 1 − selling-cost percentage. This is why break-even is not simply equal to total cost when commission and seller closing costs are entered as percentages of the sale price.
Target Max Purchase is a back-solved estimate
The tool solves approximately for the purchase price that would leave the entered target profit after the other assumptions. Because purchase closing costs, loan points, and simple interest are functions of purchase price, those factors are included in the purchase-price coefficient. Renovation, holding, staging, fixed acquisition costs, and other financing fees are treated as fixed under the entered assumptions.
The 70% rule intentionally ignores many modeled costs
The reference is exactly 70% × expected sale price − base renovation budget. It does not subtract contingency, financing, taxes, insurance, utilities, HOA, selling commission, seller closing costs, staging, or other acquisition/holding costs. It is therefore shown only as a rough comparison.
Sensitivity analysis changes only sale price and base rehab
The sensitivity table recalculates profit for sale-price scenarios of −10%, −5%, base, +5%, and +10%, combined with rehab scenarios of −10%, base, and +10%. Other assumptions—including holding period, financing rates, closing-cost percentages, monthly expenses, and staging—remain unchanged.
Profit per Holding Month is not annualized
If the holding period is greater than zero, the tool divides total estimated profit by the entered number of months. If the holding period is zero, it displays the full project profit instead. This metric is a simple average and should not be interpreted as an annualized return or time-weighted investment performance measure.
All displayed money values are rounded to whole dollars
The underlying JavaScript calculations use Number arithmetic, while the visible currency output uses U.S. dollar formatting with zero decimal places. Percentage outputs are shown to one decimal place. Small differences can therefore be hidden by display rounding.
Negative numeric inputs can still enter the calculation if HTML validation is bypassed
The page validates purchase price, expected sale price, holding period, and percentage inputs for key limits, but most fixed-dollar fields rely on their HTML min="0" controls rather than explicit JavaScript rejection. Normal browser use prevents many negative entries, but the calculator should still be treated as an estimation interface rather than a hardened accounting system.
Common mistakes
- Using an optimistic ARV without support from current comparable sales.
- Modeling lender interest on a draw schedule when this calculator uses the full initial purchase loan for the full hold.
- Forgetting that delays increase both holding costs and modeled interest.
- Treating cash-on-cash ROI as annualized performance.
- Using the 70% rule as a substitute for a complete project budget.
- Assuming a profitable sensitivity cell includes a change in project duration or financing terms when it changes only sale price and rehab.
Last reviewed: October 3, 2026 · Purchase/closing math, rehab contingency, simple-interest financing, holding costs, selling costs, total project cost, profit, ROI, cash required, break-even algebra, target-purchase back-solve, 70% reference, sensitivity scenarios, copy/print behavior, and theme handling reviewed against the current implementation.
Fix & Flip Profit Calculator FAQ
How is estimated flip profit calculated?
The tool subtracts the purchase price, acquisition costs, renovation and contingency, financing costs, holding costs, and selling costs from the expected sale price.
Does the calculator include financing?
Yes. You can model a loan as a percentage of purchase price, annual interest, origination points, other financing fees, and the holding period. Interest is estimated using a simplified non-amortizing approach.
What does target maximum purchase price mean?
It is the approximate purchase price that would produce the target profit you entered, assuming the rest of the modeled costs and expected sale price remain unchanged.
Should I rely on the 70% rule?
No single percentage rule fits every property or market. The 70% rule is shown only as a quick reference. A detailed cost and risk analysis is more informative.
Why is sensitivity analysis useful?
Flip projects can be affected by lower resale prices and higher renovation costs. The sensitivity table shows how estimated profit changes under several simple downside and upside combinations.
Does this calculator guarantee an investment return?
No. It is a planning calculator. Actual property value, contractor costs, loan terms, taxes, permits, repairs, timeline, transaction costs, and market conditions can differ from the assumptions entered.
How is loan interest modeled?
The tool uses simple interest on the full purchase-based loan amount for the entire holding period. It does not model rehab draws, amortization, declining principal, interest reserves, or lender extension terms.
Does Cash Required Before Sale include selling costs?
No. The current model treats percentage selling costs and staging as paid from sale proceeds, so they are excluded from the pre-sale cash-required figure.
Is Cash-on-Cash ROI annualized?
No. It is estimated project profit divided by modeled cash required before sale for the project period.
What does the sensitivity table change?
It changes expected sale price by −10%, −5%, 0%, +5%, and +10%, and base renovation cost by −10%, 0%, and +10%. All other assumptions remain unchanged.
Why can the break-even sale price differ from total project cost?
Because agent commission and seller closing costs are modeled as percentages of the sale price, the calculator solves break-even after accounting for those percentage-based deductions.
Distinguish profit, cash required, and ROI
Profit subtracts the full project budget from sale price. ROI on cost divides profit by total cost; cash ROI divides profit by modeled cash required before sale. Neither is annualized. The financing option models purchase-based borrowing with simple interest for the full holding period, not a construction draw schedule.
Worked example: an all-cash renovation
Use $200,000 purchase price and $320,000 expected sale price. Set financing to cash, purchase closing costs to 2%, fixed acquisition costs to $1,000, renovation to $40,000, and contingency to 10%. Hold for six months with $800 total monthly holding costs. Set commission to 5%, selling closing costs to 1%, staging to $2,000, and target profit to $40,000.
| Purchase | $200,000 |
|---|---|
| Purchase closing + fixed acquisition | $5,000 |
| Renovation + contingency | $44,000 |
| Six months of holding | $4,800 |
| Selling costs: 6% of sale + staging | $21,200 |
| Total cost | $275,000 |
| Profit before income tax | $45,000 |
ROI on total project cost is $45,000 ÷ $275,000 = 16.36%. The tool's cash-required amount excludes selling costs paid at closing, giving $253,800 and a cash ROI of 17.73%. These are project-period returns. A six-month result does not establish a repeatable annual return.
Common mistakes, assumptions, and sources
- Subtracting loan principal twice. Purchase cost is already included; financing charges are additional costs.
- Calling cash ROI annualized or comparing it directly with a one-year investment yield.
- Leaving taxes, insurance, utilities, or extension fees out of a delayed project.
- Treating the 70% shortcut as a substitute for comparable sales and contractor quotes.
The loan model uses purchase-price LTV, points on the initial loan, and simple interest on that loan for the full hold. It does not model construction draws, amortization, or a rehab credit line. Cash required is a budget total, not a dated draw schedule or a guarantee that the project can be funded.
All returns are before income tax. Tax treatment depends on facts; property held mainly for sale to customers in a business is not a capital asset under the rules explained in IRS Publication 544. Do not assume a flip receives long-term capital-gain treatment. The budget, ROI formulas, and 70% comparison here are original explanations of the calculator's methodology, not IRS valuation guidance.
Read the related guide
Fix & Flip Costs, ROI, and the 70% Rule expands the example and explains the assumptions.
Related tools and guides
- Open Fix & Flip Profit Calculator — apply these assumptions to your own numbers.
- Cap Rate vs Cash-on-Cash Return · Rental Property Calculator
- Compound Interest vs APY · Compound Interest Calculator
See the Editorial & Tool Methodology for our review approach.
Last reviewed: October 3, 2026 · Utiliverse editorial team. Examples are educational estimates in U.S. dollars unless stated otherwise.