Cost plus 20 feels right. Then the year ends and there's nothing left after you pay yourself. Markup and margin are not the same number, and the difference is your paycheck.
For remodelers, builders and the trades
Know your number before you bid the next job.
Most contractors can tell you what a kitchen costs. Very few can tell you what the business has to bring in this year to pay them, cover the overhead and still make a profit. Squared Away gives you that number in minutes, then helps you price, pick and chase the jobs that get you there.
Free calculator. No credit card. Two minutes.
Busy isn't the same as profitable.
You drive out, measure, spend a Saturday on a proposal, and lose it to a guy half your price. A no-bid you make in two minutes saves you a day.
The jobs are booked but the bank is tight. Deposits and draws land at the wrong time and payroll doesn't wait.
Free break-even calculator
What does your business have to make?
Put in rough numbers. You can fix them later. This is the same math Squared Away runs on your real numbers, called The Beast: your pay plus overhead plus profit, divided by the margin you actually keep on jobs.
- What you take home has to be grossed up for taxes first.
- Overhead is everything the business pays whether you work or not.
- Margin is the share of each job you keep after crew, materials and subs.
How it works
From "I think we're fine" to knowing.
1
See the Beast
Enter what it costs to be you and to keep the doors open. Or attach your P&L and let Foreman fill it in. You get required sales, break-even and the gap, in plain English.
2
Price with margin, not markup
Put in crew hours, materials and subs. Squared Away uses your true hourly cost, with taxes, comp and benefits, and hands you a price that hits the margin the Beast needs. No more "cost plus 20 and pray."
3
Stop bidding jobs you shouldn't win
Ten quick taps score every lead before you drive out: budget, decision-makers, drive time, fit, how they found you. GO, REVIEW or NO BID. Every no-bid gives you a day back.
4
See the cash crunch coming
A 13-week cash view you update on Mondays. Deposits, draws, payroll and bills, and the weeks you'll dip under your cushion, shown in red before they happen.
Meet Foreman
A business coach who knows your numbers.
Foreman is the AI coach built into Squared Away. Ask it anything, like "why do I need so much revenue?" or "how do I raise prices without losing jobs?", and it answers using your actual numbers, like a straight-shooting foreman who also knows the books. Attach a pricing sheet, an estimate or your bank export and it fills in your numbers for you to review.
Want to learn something specific? Type "teach me how to price materials for a drywall job" and Foreman builds you a short lesson on the spot.
Built with working contractors, not in a lab.
Squared Away came out of real coaching work with a remodeling company in Bucks County, PA. Every screen answers a question a contractor actually asked: what do I need to make, what should I charge, which leads are worth my time, and will I make payroll in six weeks.
7short lessons with quick checks
10questions to score any lead
13weeks of cash, at a glance
1number the whole business runs on
Early access
Get your own Squared Away.
We're opening Squared Away to a small group of contractors first. Early members get a free 7-day trial, founder pricing that stays locked in, and a 20-minute setup call so your numbers are real on day one.
- Your data stays private to your company.
- Works on your phone, tablet or computer.
- No contract. Cancel anytime.
Questions contractors ask
Do I need to be good with numbers?
No. If you can read a bank statement, you can use this. Every term is explained the first time it shows up, and Foreman will walk you through anything that doesn't make sense.
Does it replace QuickBooks?
No. QuickBooks tells you what happened. Squared Away tells you what has to happen: what to charge, which jobs to chase and when cash gets tight. Use them together.
Is my information private?
Yes. Each company gets its own private workspace, and only the people you add can sign in. Foreman runs on Anthropic's Claude. When you ask it something, your question and your numbers are sent to answer it, and files you attach are read once and not stored.
What does it cost?
Early access starts with a free 7-day trial. Founder pricing is shared with early members first and stays locked in for as long as you're a customer.
Who's behind it?
Squared Away is built by FIE Consults, a business consulting firm in the Philadelphia area that works with trades and construction owners.
Is this tax or legal advice?
No. Squared Away is a planning and coaching tool. For tax, legal and insurance decisions, check with your CPA or attorney.