Since 1999 we’ve helped thousands of general contractors, new home builders, remodelers, and specialty contractors of all types build stronger, more profitable businesses.

Most contractors start their own business because they know their trade. We help them run a business. Our affordable books and training courses provide the practical knowledge needed to run a profitable construction company.

Markup and Profit, A Contractor's Guide Revisited, Front Cover.
Profitable Sales, A Contractor's Guide, Front Cover.
Estimating Construction Profitably, Front Cover.

Markup & Profit: A Contractor’s Guide Revisited, Profitable Sales, A Contractor’s Guide, and Estimating Construction Profitably were written by a contractor, for contractors. They are available in printed format, as eBooks, and as Audiobooks.

Construction Business Training class, taught by Michael Stone.

Get help with the issues that cause most contractors to lose money in this 12-hour online class, available for viewing on your schedule.


  • I had purchased Markup and Profit. There was a ton of useful information and this was a big help because I was in the process of starting my own remodeling company. As a side, when I had a computer problem, Devon was so very kind and prompt in helping me get some information I needed. Thank you both!

  • Just a quick note to sincerely THANK YOU once again for sharing with me and all your wisdom. An eye opening and game changer for sure. As you know, this is a tough business in which emotions, fears (when pricing) and a bunch of this come into play. Your 2 day course covers all necessary angles to do an x ray on current business practices and company as a whole.

  • We joined our local HBA and had some business questions and a colleague said that I most certainly needed to start reading your markup and profit book and that started our quest for more information to make our business better. I read the book cover to cover and learned a lot of very useful information that will begin and continue to help our business grow. Thank you.

  • Thank you so much for this relevant information!! We are just going through some issues with payment and troublesome clients so I am so grateful for this information. As a first-time business owner, I have been struggling with accounting and contracting issues and I find the newsletter articles very helpful. Thank you again for the wonderful information.

  • Recently there was a tiny mix up with a book I ordered. I really appreciated how it was handled. We all make mistakes, this was a small one. I was impressed that there is an employee out there as cheerful and accommodating in resolving a problem. She owned the mistake and made your company look really good all at once. Thanks!

  • I purchased your contract writing software earlier this year. I've familiarized myself with it and have put it to great use . . . Before I started using your software, our contracts were poor/scant if existent at all. After using your software and realizing how quick, easy and thorough my contracts were, I told my brother he needed to install it on his computer so he could do the same.

  • I have learned a lot over the past nine months about the construction business but I still have much to learn about running it well and efficiently. Your site has been a wealth of knowledge and encouragement for me and I share it with my husband and our new team. Thank you for sharing and helping others with the skills and wisdom given to you.

  • Though I don't always have time to read your newsletters, I always enjoy doing so. What I find interesting is you can take any reference to construction out of the articles and 99% of the material still applies. Even having managed multiple types of businesses over 30 years, including contracting, I always find useful tips within the letters, or at the very least, reminders to put me back on track.

  • We took the continuing education classes required by the State of Oregon Contractors Construction Board from you. They were by far the best and most informative of any continuing education class we have taken. We continue to receive the newsletter which has been beneficial as well.
    Thank you.

  • I have purchased a few of your other products one of which is "Markup and Profit (revisited)". There is no doubt I am more confident in pricing and estimating jobs. Now it's past time to learn more about selling. The statement "nobody makes any money till someone sells something" is so true and overlooked. I'm greatly looking forward to getting into the Profitable Sale's book.

  • I would like to thank you so very much for being a fantastic, positive influence on me and my business. There is not a week that goes by that I don't use a principle you taught us in your two day class or open your book for reference. The class and book have been a blessing to my career in the construction industry. Thank you, thank you thank you!

  • As the saying goes "if I knew then what I know now" I would have read both books and attended this most valuable training class 11 years ago before I started my business. This training should be taught in college for anyone considering a career in construction. Thank you both for sharing your experiences, knowledge and truly helping the little guy.

  • I have been a subscriber to your newsletters for years. Want to first take a moment to thank you for all your insights in the industry. Your newsletters are topics at many of our meetings and I have several of your books which have been of great benefit. Again thank for being such a valuable resource for our industry.

  • I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for all that you do. I took a seminar from you in March of 2000 and was so impressed that I have often advised builders to look into your work. I bought a set of tapes which I lent to several builders over the years. Bottom line: You are an excellent resource for builders in my opinion.

  • I sat through Michaels classes at JLC Live in Portland more than once along with attending the two day class a few years back. I learned the stuff I never would have figured out on my own and we have put our company into profitable territory with a good projection of growth! I appreciate what you folks do and recommend the Markup and Profit book to all of the young tradesmen I know.

  • Michael advised me when I was having a difficult client. He has a great knack for understanding where people stand and I think he has helped many honest contractors go from losing money to having a decent life. I think the biggest change I was able to make was to not be focused on price. To be focused on professional service and professional work. People will pay for that.

  • I have read Mr. Stones articles in trade magazines for years, have his book on Markup & Profit for several years, and just joined the online discussion group today. I am preparing to hire a sales person, and this should be of some help. Thank you for all the info over the years. It has been of great value.

  • This is the only newsletter that I actually read when it hits my inbox - I have unsubscribed from all the others. Each article that Michael Stone writes is a pleasure to read. Even though they are about a different industry than I am in - the principle of each article always applies to all business including mine. So I just wanted to say thank you for the articles and the good business principles.

  • Your willingness to answer our questions, classes, and all the resources we have gotten our hands on through markupandprofit.com have proven to be invaluable to us. We'll be celebrating our 10 year business anniversary in July and, in part, that is thanks to the insights we've gleaned from what your business accomplishes.

  • I bought your Markup & Profit Contractor's Guide and it changed the entire way we do business. We have always been profitable but now we purpose to be in control of our numbers and outcome. I finally understand how it works and I am very grateful to you for breaking it down in a very understandable format.

  • Thank you Mr. Stone. I have bought these books several times over and can't keep them in stock. I am buying two of each this time so I can hopefully keep a copy for myself. I love the Fast Track Proposal software. I am still implementing my procedures and have many steps still to take up the mountain, but it's going the right way.

  • I really just wanted to say thank you. I would say that 90% of my business has been structured and based off of the advise in your books and I am now fully employed by my company and I no longer work for any outside employers. I know I am on the right track thanks to all of your help and the products you push on your website. I also just bought the proposal writer and it works great!

  • Been a General Contractor for 20 years now and I ordered your Markup and Profit book. After reading the first 4 chapters, I found out you really can teach an old dog new tricks. I only cringe now thinking how much money I have left on the table in the past 20 years. I'm ordering the software to to replace a stick build one. Going to switch to unit costing as much as possible.

  • Just wanted to also say that Your teachings really have changed my business for the best. We are finally able to grow because we are making enough money to do so. I'm very glad I stopped listening to the idiots preaching the “industry standard” as far as markup and profit. Thanks again for all that you and your wife do.

  • I just started using FTE this week. I'm very pleased with how simple yet effective it is. I've used THOUSANDS of dollars worth of estimating software over the years and most recently Hometech. The latter was the best but very quirky/difficult to customize the database! Should've bought FTE right out of the gate but more importantly, I should've read your books 8-10 years ago!

  • Our team is really enjoying your book, taking it a chapter a week and we have a one-hour conference call every Monday to discuss the previous week's chapter. It's great and confirming that a lot of the things we already do as a company, but there's a lot of things that we don't do. It's allowed us to fine tune and we're looking forward to continued growth.

  • Your books and advice columns have helped us transform our business. We are now more specialized and have systems in place that weren't previously there. We charge a fair amount for our work and have been able to put ourselves on payroll for the first time, ever . . . It's glorious, with so much less stress to run the business when we follow your tenets for success!

  • I had purchased your books a couple of years ago and have also been a subscriber to the newsletter. These were both invaluable to me as educational resources. The newsletter always is a welcome surprise in my inbox each week, and the books have proven to be very helpful in making the improvements to my business.

  • I gave away my first copy of your book to my brother-in-law who's been contracting for 20 years. As he leafed through the pages of your book, he kept saying things like, "That's exactly right, but the way he expressed it makes so much sense..." Thank you for such helpful products. I'm working through your video estimating course (just completed courses 3-4 today between jobs!)


Read our latest article, Don’t Negotiate Your Pricehere.

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Join your peers on Thursday, March 7 (3 pm PST, 6 pm EST) to hear how a fellow contractor has built his business. This is an interactive workshop with a live Q&A so you can ask whatever questions come to mind. Register Here.




Articles by Topic

Finding The Path to Success

You had ambition and energy. Then reality set in.

Guidelines for Success

Guidelines to a more successful construction-related business.

Markup vs Margin

There’s a lot of confusion over using markup vs margin to price jobs.

A Minimum Price

Being profitable doesn’t mean getting rich off your clients.

Why Do You Need To Make A Profit?

Don’t confuse profit with salary or hourly wages. Making a profit isn’t optional: Your business needs profit to survive.

Ten Cardinal Rules for Construction Business Owners

Ten Cardinal Rules for a successful construction-related business.

There is No Industry Standard

Don’t take any job where the client tells you how much you can charge for your work.

Can You Be Both Competitive and Profitable?

You can be competitive, or you can be profitable. You can’t be both.

Construction Estimating: The Basics

The basics of construction estimating, so you can create more accurate estimates in a shorter time.

How to Estimate Construction Costs

Estimating errors cost money. Lower your error factor by considering these common mistakes.

Unit Cost Estimating

Unit cost estimating is breaking down a project to simple assemblies. It’s the best way to consistently acquire accurate estimates.

Free Estimates

What you do has value. Respect your time and your knowledge.

Itemized Estimates

Why clients request itemized estimates, and how you should respond.

Estimating Errors Cost Money

Estimating the cost of a remodeling, renovation or specialty project accurately is critical if you want to be profitable.

Your Price is Too High

“Your price is too high” means you haven’t done your job as a salesperson.

Focusing On Price

“The #1 reason I lose jobs is ‘your price is too high.’ What am I doing wrong?”

Unrealistic Price Expectations

If they called you, doesn’t that mean they need or want the work done?

Transparency – Or Maybe Not

Is transparency the way to go when selling? Be careful who you listen to.

Ten Cardinal Sales Rules

Ten Cardinal Rules for residential construction sales.

Sales: Have Options Ready

Give clients options when you quote the work they want done.

Cost-Plus Contracts

Why cost plus and time & material contracts should be avoided, for both contractors and building owners.

Contracts, Change Work Orders, Punch Lists and More

A selection of issues that should be written into every contract to protect your profitability.

Let Them Know What to Expect

If you’re doing service work, make sure your client knows what to expect before you start.

Dodging Payment

There are things you can and should do when a client tries to dodge making payments.

Design Agreement Contract, Letter of Intent

A design agreement allows you to get paid for your work. Don’t waste your effort or your time.

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