Fix & Flip Calculator
A flip looks profitable on a napkin. The actual margin lives or dies on holding costs and selling costs, which most beginners undercount. This calculator lays out every line, so the profit number is honest before you offer.
Flip Inputs
Enter ARV, purchase, rehab, and holding details. Selling costs default to 8% (agent + concessions).
Hard money interest + taxes + insurance + utilities during rehab.
Agent commission (5% to 6%) + closing costs + concessions.
Estimated Profit
23.94% return on cash invested
The full flip formula
The four cost buckets
- Buy-side closing: ~2% of purchase price (title, escrow, inspection, recording).
- Rehab: the contractor budget. Pad 15% to 20% for surprises.
- Holding: hard-money interest + taxes + insurance + utilities, monthly.
- Sell-side closing: 8% of ARV (commission + closing + transfer tax + concessions).
The 70% rule sanity check
If your purchase price exceeds 70% of ARV minus rehab, the math probably doesn’t work. Use the 70% Rule Calculator as a fast pre-screen before you bother with a full flip analysis.
Frequently asked questions
How is flip profit calculated?
Profit = ARV − Purchase Price − Buying Closing Costs − Rehab Cost − Holding Costs − Selling Closing Costs. The big four lines investors miss: holding costs (interest + taxes + insurance + utilities during rehab), selling costs (8% typical), buy-side closing (2% typical), and the rehab contingency.
What are holding costs?
Anything you pay while you own the property pre-sale: hard-money interest (often 9% to 12% interest-only), property taxes, insurance, utilities, lawn care. On a 6-month flip, holding costs typically run $8,000 to $15,000.
How big should my profit margin be?
Most flippers target $25k to $50k minimum profit per deal, or 15% to 20% return on total cash invested. Less than $20k is a small margin for what can go wrong: contractor delays, market slowdowns, surprise structural issues.
What about hard-money costs?
Hard money typically charges 2 to 3 points upfront and 9% to 12% interest, interest-only, during the term. A $200,000 hard-money loan for 6 months at 11% with 2 points: $4,000 origination + ~$11,000 interest = $15,000 total. Build it into holding costs.
Why are selling costs 8%?
Listing agent commission (3%) + buyer’s agent commission (3%) + closing costs you contribute toward (1% to 2%) + transfer tax (varies by state). 8% is a reasonable national average; 6% if you list FSBO and skip your own agent.
What’s "return on cost" vs. "ROI on cash"?
ROI on cash = profit ÷ total cash invested (price + rehab + holding + closing). Return on cost = profit ÷ (price + rehab) only. Return on cost is the cleaner deal-quality metric; ROI on cash includes financing efficiency.
How accurate are the rehab estimates?
They’re typically the biggest source of profit erosion. Get 2 to 3 contractor walk-throughs and pad your estimate by 15% to 20%. Surprise items (foundation, sewer, asbestos, roof structure) appear in 30%+ of flips. Build a real contingency line.
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