For Contractors
Commission Ladder
Pay your closer on margin, not on revenue
- Paid on margin, not revenue
- Floor and target, priced back
- Works in free Google Sheets
What it does
Inside the workbook.
Most contractors pay commission on revenue and lose money on low-margin jobs.
WHAT YOU GET
- A 5-tab workbook: START HERE · LADDER · JOB LOG · DASHBOARD · FAQ
- 2 charts that update themselves as you type
- Realistic example figures already filled in, so you can watch it work before you replace them
- A plain-English START HERE guide built into the file, plus a 11-question FAQ
WHY THIS ONE
- Works in FREE Google Sheets. Also opens in Excel. No add-ons.
- One-time purchase. No subscription, no account, no upsell.
- Nothing connects to your bank or your accounting software. You type the numbers in yourself.
- Input cells are unlocked and formulas are protected so a stray paste cannot break the math — and there is NO password, so you can unlock and change anything.
- Every formula was opened in a calculation engine, fully rebuilt, and checked against values worked out independently of the file. If one disagreed, it would not be on sale.
HOW IT WORKS
1. Download and open the file. Nothing to unzip.
2. Read the START HERE tab — about two minutes.
3. Type your numbers over the examples in the blue cells.
GOOGLE SHEETS
File > Import > Upload > choose the file > Replace spreadsheet. Every formula was written to work in Google Sheets as well as Excel — no XLOOKUP, no LAMBDA, nothing that breaks on import.
INSTANT DOWNLOAD
Available immediately after purchase under Purchases and Reviews. Nothing ships.
REFUNDS AND SUPPORT
Instant digital downloads cannot be returned automatically through Etsy. Message me — if something is broken or not what you expected, I will fix it or refund you.
AI DISCLOSURE
This workbook was built with AI assistance. Every formula in it was then opened in a calculation engine and tested against independently calculated values before it was listed. The math is checked, not assumed.
This is a digital file only. No physical item will be shipped.
The proof
Every figure, worked out twice.
Before this workbook was listed it was opened in a calculation engine, rebuilt, and every headline figure was compared to a value computed independently in code from the same seed inputs. This is an excerpt of that ledger.
- BuildGenerated from a written spec, opened in a calculation engine, fully rebuilt.
- RecomputeEach figure worked out again in code — never read back from the sheet.
- CompareCell by cell, to a stated tolerance. One disagreement and it does not go on sale.
| Sheet | Cell | Expected | Calculated | Figure | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LADDER | F5 | 10,000 | 10,000 | ✓ | gross revenue |
| LADDER | F8 | 1,000 | 1,000 | ✓ | house fee 10% off the top |
| LADDER | F11 | 6,200 | 6,200 | ✓ | total hard costs |
| LADDER | F14 | 2,800 | 2,800 | ✓ | net profit |
| LADDER | F15 | 28.0% | 28.0% | ✓ | actual net margin |
| LADDER | F16 | -2.0% | -2.0% | ✓ | distance above the 30% floor |
| LADDER | F17 | -7.0% | -7.0% | ✓ | distance from the 35% target |
| LADDER | F18 | 10,333.33 | 10,333.33 | ✓ | price needed to clear the floor |
Questions
Before you buy.
Will it work in free Google Sheets?
Yes. File > Import > Upload > choose the file > Replace spreadsheet. Every formula was written to run in Google Sheets as well as Excel — no XLOOKUP, no LAMBDA, no dynamic arrays, no add-ons and no subscription.
Why can't I type in some cells?
Those are formulas, locked so a stray paste cannot quietly break the math and hand somebody the wrong payout. There is no password. Review > Unprotect Sheet opens the whole thing if you want to change a formula.
Are the seeded numbers real?
The house rules and the ladder structure come from a working contractor pay plan, not from a template: a 10% house fee taken off the top, a 30% margin floor, a 35% target, and a penalty rate that drops to 7% below the floor. The $10,000 job on the LADDER tab is that plan's own worked example — $7,200 of cost once the house fee is counted, a 28.0% net margin, and a commission that falls from $1,500 to $700. The twelve jobs in the log are illustrative, built to make every band fire. Type over all of it.
Should the rate apply to revenue or to net profit?
This workbook pays a percentage of collected revenue, with the percentage chosen by the job's net margin. That is what a settlement sheet reconciles and it is the easier of the two to explain to a closer. Paying a percentage of net profit also works, but the rates then have to be roughly twice as high to land in the same place, and the closer ends up carrying cost overruns he did not cause. The LADDER tab prints both so you can see the gap. Pick one and write it down.
My payout came out negative. Is that a bug?
No. It means the booking draw plus back-charges exceeded the commission the job earned — which is exactly what a floor penalty on a thin job looks like. The sheet is doing its job. What you do about it is a policy question: most plans carry the negative into the next settlement rather than asking for a cheque back.
Does it work in free Google Sheets?
Yes. Every workbook is built with an older, universal formula vocabulary so it imports into free Google Sheets without add-ons, and it opens in Excel as well. You get both in one purchase.
How was it tested?
The workbook was opened in a calculation engine, fully rebuilt, and 42 figures were compared to values worked out independently in code from the same seed inputs. One disagreement would have stopped the release. An excerpt of that ledger is on this page.
Get it
Commission Ladder — $24.99
Instant download on Etsy. Google Sheets and Excel versions in the same purchase. No subscription, ever.
Educational estimates only. These calculators and workbooks do the arithmetic on the figures you enter; they are general-purpose tools, not financial, investment, tax, legal, lending, insurance or construction advice, and no result is a quote, an offer, or a guarantee of any outcome. Results depend entirely on your inputs and assumptions. Verify anything you intend to rely on with a licensed professional — a CPA, attorney, lender, licensed contractor, or your own agent. WorkbookBarn and Marcos Gil accept no liability for decisions made using these tools. Marcos Gil is a licensed Kentucky real estate agent (License No. 296259) and is not a lender, CPA or attorney.