In my humble opinion,
you can calculate, figure, scrutinize and tally
all you want. The jobs usually won't go for more than what the market will bear. When the market is tight some contractors are so hungry they actually lose money in their quest to get back to work. Start by Figuring all the material and other overhead costs.
Break the job down into as many little segments as possible and put a labor figure on each task. Add the labor up and see if you get a warm fuzzy feeling inside when you visualize yourself signing the contract to actually do the job. After testing the market for a while you will get the feel of what the jobs are going for. Keep trying to push the envelope to get the best price you can for your services. If you are landing almost every job, it's time to beef up the bids a little. More info than you asked for but I thought it might also help other newbies.
