A house flipping calculator helps real estate investors estimate the expected profit from buying, renovating, and reselling a property. By factoring in the After Repair Value (ARV), rehab costs, holding costs, financing, and selling expenses, you can quickly determine whether a deal is worth pursuing before committing any capital. The 70% rule check gives you an instant benchmark for your maximum offer price.
Deal Numbers
Monthly Holding Costs
Selling Costs
Financing Details
How to Use the House Flipping Calculator
Whether you are analyzing your first fix-and-flip deal or comparing multiple properties in a hot market, this free house flipping calculator gives you the numbers that matter: expected profit, ROI, and whether the deal passes the 70% rule. No spreadsheet required — enter your numbers and get an instant analysis.
Step 1: Enter Your Purchase Price and ARV
Start with the price you plan to pay (or have under contract) and the After Repair Value — what you expect the property to sell for once renovations are complete. The ARV is typically estimated by looking at recently sold comparable properties in the same neighborhood. Being realistic with your ARV is critical; overestimating sale price is the most common mistake new flippers make.
Step 2: Enter Rehab Costs and Holding Period
Enter your total renovation budget and how many months you expect the project to take from purchase to sale. Include all labor and materials: kitchen, bathrooms, flooring, paint, roofing, HVAC, landscaping, and any structural work. Always add a 10-20% contingency buffer because rehab projects almost always run over budget. The holding period directly multiplies your monthly costs, so every extra month eats into profit.
Step 3: Add Monthly Holding Costs
Holding costs are the silent profit killer in house flipping. Enter your monthly mortgage or hard money loan payment, property insurance, utilities you must keep running during renovation, and monthly property taxes. These costs accrue every month the property sits — from the day you close on the purchase to the day you close on the sale. The calculator shows your total burn rate so you can see exactly how each month of delay impacts your bottom line.
Step 4: Set Selling Costs and Financing
Agent commission (typically 5-6% of sale price) and closing costs (1-3%) are the two largest selling expenses. If you plan to sell without an agent, set commission to 0%. For financing, enter the loan amount and any origination points or fees your lender charges — hard money lenders commonly charge 2-4 points upfront. These fees are added to your total investment cost.
Step 5: Analyze Your Results
After clicking Calculate, review the deal verdict first: Good Deal means healthy profit and the purchase passes the 70% rule; Marginal means the numbers work but leave little room for error; Bad Deal means you would likely lose money or earn too little to justify the risk. The investment breakdown table shows exactly where every dollar goes. The 70% rule analysis tells you the maximum price you should offer based on the standard investor formula. Use the holding cost breakdown to see how your monthly burn rate compounds over the project timeline.
FAQ
Is this house flipping calculator free?
Yes, this house flipping ARV calculator is completely free with no signup, no hidden fees, and unlimited calculations. Everything runs locally in your browser, so your deal numbers stay completely private.
Is my financial data safe?
Absolutely. All calculations run entirely in your browser using client-side JavaScript. Your property details, purchase prices, and profit projections are never sent to any server or stored anywhere. You can even use it offline.
What is ARV in house flipping?
ARV stands for After Repair Value — the estimated market value of a property after all renovations and improvements are complete. ARV is the cornerstone of every house flip analysis because your profit depends on selling the property at or near this value. Investors typically estimate ARV by comparing recently sold, similar properties in the same neighborhood.
What is the 70% rule in house flipping?
The 70% rule states that an investor should pay no more than 70% of the ARV minus repair costs. For example, if a property has an ARV of $300,000 and needs $50,000 in rehab, the maximum purchase price should be $160,000 (300,000 x 0.70 - 50,000). This rule builds in a margin for profit and unexpected costs.
What holding costs should I include in my flip calculation?
Holding costs are the monthly expenses you pay while renovating the property. These typically include mortgage or loan payments, property insurance, utilities (electric, water, gas), property taxes, and HOA fees if applicable. The longer the renovation takes, the more holding costs eat into your profit.
How do I estimate rehab costs for a house flip?
Start by getting contractor bids for major items like roofing, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, kitchen, and bathrooms. Add 10-20% as a contingency buffer for unexpected issues. Common per-square-foot rehab ranges are $15-30 for cosmetic updates, $30-60 for moderate renovations, and $60-100+ for full gut rehabs.
What ROI is considered good for a house flip?
Most experienced flippers target a minimum ROI of 15-20% on their total cash invested. A deal with less than 10% ROI carries significant risk because unexpected costs can easily wipe out profit. The ideal flip generates at least $25,000-$30,000 in net profit to justify the time and effort involved.
What selling costs should I budget for when flipping a house?
Typical selling costs include real estate agent commissions (5-6% of sale price), closing costs (1-3% of sale price), title insurance, transfer taxes, and staging or photography costs. Combined, selling costs usually total 7-10% of the sale price, which is a substantial portion of your profit margin.