What Is a Fix and Flip Calculator?
A fix and flip calculator helps real estate investors quickly estimate whether a deal is worth pursuing. You enter the key numbers — purchase price, rehab costs, after repair value (ARV), and hold time — and it tells you your projected profit, return on investment, and whether you're paying too much.
Experienced flippers never buy on gut instinct. Every deal gets run through the numbers before an offer goes in. A fix and flip calculator is how you do that in under 60 seconds.
How to Calculate Fix and Flip Profit
The basic fix and flip profit formula is:
In practice, most investors use the following cost estimates:
Closing Costs (sell) ≈ 8% of ARV (agent fees + transfer taxes)
Carrying Costs = (Loan interest + taxes + insurance) × months held
What Is ARV?
ARV — After Repair Value — is what the property will be worth after all renovations are complete. It's the most important number in any flip. Your ARV should be based on recent comparable sales (comps) of similar renovated properties within a half-mile radius. Overestimating ARV is the #1 reason flips lose money.
What Should My Profit Margin Be?
Most experienced flippers target a minimum 15–20% profit margin on ARV. A deal with a 10% margin technically works, but leaves very little room for cost overruns — and rehab projects almost always run over. Deals at 20%+ margin are considered strong; anything below 10% is generally a pass.
The 70% Rule Explained
The 70% rule is the most common quick-filter formula in house flipping:
If you're buying at or below this number, you generally have enough margin to cover all costs and turn a profit. It's a rule of thumb, not gospel — costs vary by market — but it's a solid starting point for filtering deals fast.
Want to go deeper on the 70% rule? See our dedicated 70% rule calculator.
Fix and Flip vs. Other Exit Strategies
A flip isn't always the best exit. Depending on the market and the property, holding as a rental or executing a BRRRR strategy might generate better long-term returns. FlipIQ's full analyzer compares all three exit strategies side by side so you can pick the one that works best for each deal.