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Solar installation: Can I average the two margin percentages?

Check how the mix of two services changes total contribution margin.

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Solar installation / installation economics
Answer

Weight by revenue; a simple average gives the smaller service too much influence. Fixed overhead is excluded.

Try this with your own numbers

Formula and worked example

Combined margin = (total revenue − total variable cost) / total revenue × 100

Example figures
InputExample
Revenue from service A12,000
Variable cost of service A6,000
Revenue from service B8,000
Variable cost of service B6,000
Calculated result40 %

Illustrative example: $20 profit on a $100 sale is a 20% margin; compared with $80 cost, it is a 25% markup.
Illustrative example: $20 profit on a $100 sale is a 20% margin; compared with $80 cost, it is a 25% markup.

Choose reliable inputs

Plan materials, travel and crew time before committing to a price. For this solar installation calculation, use a completed job sheet, supplier quotes and a crew schedule and a consistent definition of one installation.

  • Equipment: include the portion belonging to this installation or reporting period, and record where the value came from.
  • Subcontract work: include the portion belonging to this installation or reporting period, and record where the value came from.
  • Site access: include the portion belonging to this installation or reporting period, and record where the value came from.

Use the same currency for every money input. Do not mix weekly costs with monthly revenue, or count the same expense in both an itemised cost and allocated overhead.

Can I average the two margin percentages?

Weight by revenue; a simple average gives the smaller service too much influence. Fixed overhead is excluded.

Compare a different assumption

What if this input changes?

If revenue from service a rises by 10%, this example changes by 3.3962 %. This shows the effect of one change; it does not predict what will happen.

Open the calculator, save your baseline, then change the input supported by the least reliable estimate in your records. Compare both scenarios before committing to a price or capacity promise.

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