Dirty Business Profit Calculator

The profit calculator helps Dirty Business Early Access players decide whether a contract earns enough to justify heat, machine time, and opportunity cost. After the July 22, 2026 launch �?with 13k+ wishlists converting into active traders and an ~one-year EA roadmap ahead �?guessing margins is how you go broke while looking busy.

Use this page alongside order planner for timing and Early Access start for when to reinvest profits.

What this calculator estimates

Typical inputs include:

• Ingredient costs �?Purchase or farm costs for each input line
• Processing time �?Machine cycles multiplied by batch count
• Sale price or contract payout �?Gross revenue before expenses
• Overhead �?Power, repairs, travel time if modeled
• Net margin �?What you actually keep per run or per in-game hour

Outputs should be compared to your personal minimum acceptable rate �?not absolute leaderboards. Early EA week one might reward any positive cash; month three might require higher margins before you touch risky routes.

When to run numbers

Before accepting contracts. Multi-step orders share intermediates; profit calc shows if the bundle beats selling intermediates elsewhere.

Before machine purchases. Duplicate stations only help if they increase throughput on your highest margin recipe. Cross-check walkthrough hub layout advice before spending.

After patches. Updates hub summarizes economy changes �?rerun old favorites instead of assuming memory from demo or launch week.

Before comparing to Schedule I habits. Schedule I reward loops differ; margin math still applies but inputs change �?do not import foreign spreadsheets wholesale.

How to interpret results

Green-looking profit with zero time buffer is a trap. Subtract 10�?0% effective time for walking, stash deposits, and UI friction unless your base is fully optimized.

If margin is positive but low, ask:

• Can I batch this with another active order? (order planner)
• Is heat or failure risk priced in?
• Will a upgrade break even within X hours I actually play?

Negative margin does not always mean “skip” �?some losses fund unlocks. Track strategic spends separately from mistakes.

Demo vs EA numbers

The free demo teaches recipes with simplified economy. EA launch prices and tiers can differ �?see demo vs EA. Re-enter EA values after purchase; demo muscle memory lies about payouts.

Limitations (read before arguing on Discord)

• Fan-maintained, not Plan Dirty official
• Edge cases (quality bonuses, random events) may not be modeled day one
• Assumes solo routing unless tool notes co-op split later
• Patches can invalidate defaults overnight

Report discrepancies with Steam build hash and contract screenshot when possible.

Example decision flow

1. Scan available contracts in-game
2. Enter top two candidates in calculator
3. Open order planner for the winner’s critical path
4. Execute with walkthrough routing tips
5. Log actual payout vs estimate to refine assumptions

Repeat until estimation error is small �?that skill transfers across the whole EA year.

Related resources

• Tools hub �?all utilities indexed
• Review �?whether EA is worth buying for spreadsheet-friendly players
• Roadmap �?upcoming systems that may need new calc fields

Worked example (illustrative)

Imagine a contract paying $1,200 requiring two processing steps totaling 8 minutes machine time plus $300 in purchasable inputs. Travel and stash overhead adds 2 minutes effective time. Gross margin before opportunity cost is $900 over 10 minutes �?about $90 per minute of active attention if nothing fails.

If a second contract pays $1,500 but needs a duplicate machine you do not own ($2,000), break-even requires many runs �?the calculator keeps you from celebrating headline payout while ignoring capex. Always compare against your current best loop from Early Access start, not against demo payouts from demo vs EA.

Schedule I players importing mental “dealer cut” percentages should replace them with Dirty Business ingredient lines �?same genre tension, different spreadsheet columns.

Updating your personal defaults

After ten tracked runs, maintain a small notes file: contract name, estimated margin, actual margin, patch version. When updates hub announces economy changes, bulk-edit your notes instead of trusting launch-week memory. Community accuracy improves when players share anonymized samples on Discord �?the wiki tools reflect aggregated findings when maintainers verify them.

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Also see: Order planner · Walkthrough · Updates