What Five KPIs Should A Screen Enclosure Installation Business Track?
KPI Metrics for Screen Enclosure Installation
You need to track seven core metrics to ensure your Screen Enclosure Installation business scales efficiently past the initial three-month breakeven point (March 2026) Financial health starts with Gross Margin, which should target 780% in Year 1, before operational costs Your Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) starts at $450, requiring careful monitoring against project profitability Operational KPIs focus on efficiency: Pool Cages require 85 billable hours, while Patio Enclosures take 40 hours Review financial KPIs like EBITDA and Internal Rate of Return (IRR) (3436%) monthly, and operational efficiency metrics weekly This guide provides the formulas and benchmarks needed to turn raw data into actionable decisions for 2026 and beyond
7 KPIs to Track for Screen Enclosure Installation
#
KPI Name
Metric Type
Target / Benchmark
Review Frequency
1
Revenue Per Billable Hour
Pricing effectiveness
Exceed weighted average labor rate
Weekly
2
Gross Margin %
Project-level profitability
Start near 780% in 2026
Monthly
3
Project Cycle Time
Operational speed
Align with 85 hours for Pool Cages
Weekly
4
Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
Cost efficiency
$450 or lower
Monthly
5
Labor Cost %
Labor efficiency
Keep low to sustain 52% EBITDA margin
Monthly
6
EBITDA Margin %
Overall operating profit
Starting around 52%
Monthly
7
Avg Project Value
Revenue generation
Increase mix toward Pool Cages (30% in 2026)
Monthly
What revenue drivers must I track to ensure sustainable growth?
Sustainable growth for your Screen Enclosure Installation business defintely hinges on tracking the mix between Patio and Pool Cage projects and ensuring your pricing covers rising labor costs, which is why understanding owner earnings is crucial; check out How Much Does A Screen Enclosure Installation Owner Make? You must monitor the weighted average project value to understand if you are selling more complex, higher-margin work.
Track Project Mix Impact
Pool Cage projects often carry a higher average ticket, say $35,000 versus Patio enclosures at $15,000.
If your sales mix shifts from 50/50 to 75% Patio jobs, your overall revenue might hold steady, but gross margin will drop significantly.
Calculate the weighted average project value monthly to spot these subtle margin erosions early.
A $21,000 weighted average suggests a balanced mix, but a drop to $18,000 signals trouble.
Price Against Labor Costs
Track the price per billable hour separately for Patio versus Pool Cage work.
If your burdened labor cost (wages, insurance, overhead allocation) rose 7% last year, your hourly rate must rise too.
For a $35,000 Pool Cage project requiring 150 labor hours, you need a minimum realization of $233/hour just to cover costs.
If you are realizing only $190/hour on that job type, you are losing money on complexity.
How do I measure true profitability beyond the top line?
You measure true profitability for your Screen Enclosure Installation business by calculating the Gross Margin Percentage (GM%) after accounting for materials and permits, then seeing how that margin covers your fixed overhead to determine the EBITDA margin. Understanding these core cost drivers is crucial before you even look at the top line, which is why you need a solid plan, like reviewing How To Write A Business Plan For Screen Enclosure Installation?
Pinpoint Direct Cost Drag
You must nail down your Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) components first.
Material costs hitting 180% in 2026 will defintely crush your initial margin projections.
Permits add another 40% cost factor that year, directly reducing revenue per job.
GM% calculation subtracts these direct costs from project revenue to show job profitability.
Covering Overhead with EBITDA
EBITDA margin (profit before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) shows operational health.
Your Screen Enclosure Installation business starts with a strong 52% EBITDA margin in Year 1.
This margin must absorb your fixed overhead of $5,950 per month.
Labor costs must be accurately classified; they often sit between COGS and fixed costs.
Where are the biggest bottlenecks in project execution time?
The biggest bottleneck in Screen Enclosure Installation execution time is the variance between estimated labor hours and actual time spent, which directly impacts profitability margins. You need to rigorously track project cycle time against those estimates to keep labor costs in line with project revenue, a crucial step when you map out your financial projections, which you can review in detail when learning How To Write A Business Plan For Screen Enclosure Installation?
Measure Time Versus Estimate
Track project cycle time in days against estimated billable hours.
A Pool Cage job might estimate 85 hours of labor input.
A simpler Patio Enclosure might only require 40 hours.
If actual days drag on, your labor cost eats the margin.
Control Crew Efficiency
Crew efficiency is the lever that keeps labor costs proportional.
Monitor time variance to ensure crews aren't padding hours.
If a 40-hour job takes 60 hours, your profit is cut by 33%.
This variance shows where you need better scoping or training, defintely.
How do I quantify the long-term value of a new customer?
You quantify long-term value by comparing your initial Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) of $450 against the expected Lifetime Value (LTV) derived from future maintenance or upgrade projects, and you should review How Increase Screen Enclosure Installation Profits? to see how those initial costs affect long-term margins. Also, track referrals since they represent a much lower-cost acquisition channel for your Screen Enclosure Installation business.
CAC vs. Project LTV
Initial CAC starts at $450 per new client acquisition.
LTV must include revenue from maintenance contracts.
Factor in potential revenue from future upgrade projects.
Compare the $450 spend against the 5-year projected client spend.
Low-Cost Acquisition Levers
Referral rates are a critical, low-cost acquisition metric.
Strong referrals lower the blended CAC significantly over time.
Track the cost of acquiring a customer via word-of-mouth.
Focus on high-value projects to maximize initial revenue capture.
Key Takeaways
Sustaining the high Year 1 EBITDA margin of 52% demands rigorous monthly review of financial health indicators like Gross Margin and Labor Cost Percentage.
Operational speed is critical, requiring weekly tracking of Project Cycle Time to ensure billable hours align with high-value Pool Cage installations (85 hours).
Founders must actively manage the project mix, prioritizing higher-revenue Pool Cages to increase the Weighted Average Project Value and support overhead.
Monitor Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC), which starts at $450, against potential Lifetime Value to ensure marketing spend drives profitable, long-term customer relationships.
KPI 1
: Revenue Per Billable Hour
Definition
Revenue Per Billable Hour (RBH) tells you how much money you bring in for every hour your team spends working on a client project. It is the core measure of your pricing effectiveness. Your target RBH must always be higher than your weighted average labor rate to ensure you cover fixed overhead and hit profit goals.
Advantages
Directly measures if pricing covers labor costs plus overhead.
Reveals pricing effectiveness across different enclosure types.
Forces accountability on accurate time tracking per job.
Disadvantages
Ignores the significant cost of materials in the final price.
Can encourage padding billable hours if not strictly audited.
Doesn't capture the value of non-billable activities like sales support.
Industry Benchmarks
For custom installation work like yours, a good benchmark is ensuring your RBH is at least 2.5x to 3.5x your fully loaded hourly labor cost. This margin above the labor rate is what pays for sales, marketing, rent, and profit. If your weighted average labor rate is $50/hour, you should aim for an RBH of $125 or more to support your high margin goals.
How To Improve
Increase the hourly rate charged to homeowners for design and labor.
Reduce Project Cycle Time to complete jobs faster without sacrificing quality.
Prioritize sales of Pool Cages, aiming for the target 30% mix in 2026.
How To Calculate
You find the Revenue Per Billable Hour by dividing the total money earned from projects by the total hours logged against those projects. This calculation must be done using the same time period for both inputs, typically monthly.
RBH = Total Revenue / Total Billable Hours
Example of Calculation
Say in May, Oasis Enclosures billed 1,000 hours across all installations and generated $150,000 in total revenue from those projects. If your weighted average labor rate (wages plus benefits) is $60 per hour, this RBH shows you have $90 per hour left over to cover all overhead and generate profit.
RBH = $150,000 / 1,000 Hours = $150.00 per hour
Tips and Trics
Review the RBH figure every single week without fail.
Segment RBH by project type to spot pricing inconsistencies.
Ensure field teams log hours daily; delays skew the weekly average.
Compare actual RBH against the initial quoted rate for variance analysis; defintely check this against your target.
KPI 2
: Gross Margin %
Definition
Gross Margin Percentage (GM%) tells you the profitability of each project before you pay for rent or marketing. It measures how much revenue is left after subtracting only the direct costs, like materials and permits, associated with building that specific enclosure. You need this number to confirm your pricing strategy is sound; if GM% is low, you're leaving money on the table, defintely.
Advantages
Isolates direct project costs from overhead.
Shows pricing power over materials and labor.
Helps decide which project types to push more.
Disadvantages
Ignores fixed costs like office rent.
Can hide labor inefficiency if not tracked well.
Doesn't account for sales or marketing spend.
Industry Benchmarks
For custom contracting work involving materials and specialized labor, a healthy Gross Margin usually falls between 40% and 60%. Your internal target to start near 780% in 2026 is extremely aggressive, suggesting you plan to price materials at a massive markup or have near-zero direct costs. You must track this monthly against your target to see if the pricing model holds up.
How To Improve
Shift sales mix toward Pool Cages (30% target in 2026).
Lock in material costs with suppliers early.
Reduce Project Cycle Time to lower labor burn.
How To Calculate
Gross Margin Percentage is found by taking the revenue from a job, subtracting the Cost of Goods Sold (COGS)-which includes materials and permits-and then dividing that result by the total revenue. This calculation must be done for every project and reviewed monthly.
Example of Calculation
Imagine you complete a standard porch enclosure project. The total revenue booked for that job was $25,000. Your direct costs-the aluminum framing, screening material, and the required city permit-added up to $8,500. Here's the quick math to see the project's profitability:
(Revenue - COGS) / Revenue
Plugging in those numbers gives you the actual margin achieved on that specific build:
($25,000 - $8,500) / $25,000 = 66%
Tips and Trics
Track COGS granularly; don't lump permits with materials.
Review GM% weekly, even if the target review is monthly.
If Labor Cost % rises, GM% drops fast; watch both together.
Ensure your Revenue Per Billable Hour covers your target GM%.
KPI 3
: Project Cycle Time
Definition
Project Cycle Time (PCT) measures operational speed, tracking the days between contract signing and the final project completion date. This metric shows how quickly your team turns signed contracts into finished, billable work. Keeping PCT tight is crucial for managing cash flow and scheduling installation crews efficiently.
Advantages
Faster revenue recognition from completed jobs.
Higher customer satisfaction scores (CSAT).
Improved crew utilization rates across projects.
Disadvantages
Rushing can lead to quality defects post-install.
May force overtime, spiking Labor Cost %.
Focusing only on speed ignores material lead times.
Industry Benchmarks
For custom construction like enclosures, external benchmarks are tough because scope varies wildly. The real benchmark here is internal alignment: your target PCT must directly reflect the standard billable hours budgeted for the job type. For instance, a standard Pool Cage job budgeted for 85 hours of labor should have a corresponding PCT target, maybe 14 days, depending on your crew size.
How To Improve
Standardize installation workflows for common enclosure types.
Tie weekly PCT reviews directly to crew utilization reports.
Pre-order long-lead materials immediately upon contract signing.
How To Calculate
PCT is the difference between when the client signs the final agreement and when the project is fully complete and ready for final payment processing. You must ensure this time aligns with the labor hours budgeted for that specific scope.
PCT (Days) = Project Completion Date - Contract Signing Date
Example of Calculation
Say you budgeted 85 billable hours for a standard Pool Cage installation. The contract was signed on September 5, 2025, and the crew finished all work, including cleanup, on September 19, 2025. This gives you a PCT of 14 days, which you must review weekly to ensure it stays tight.
PCT = September 19, 2025 - September 5, 2025 = 14 Days
Tips and Trics
Track start date from deposit receipt, not just contract signing.
Flag any project exceeding 110% of budgeted labor hours.
Use the weekly review to identify bottlenecks in permitting or supply chain.
If onboarding takes 14+ days, churn risk rises for the next project, defintely.
KPI 4
: Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
Definition
Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) shows how much money you spend to land one new client. It's key for checking if your marketing spend makes sense compared to the value you get back. For this enclosure business, we need to keep this cost low to protect high margins.
Advantages
Shows marketing spend efficiency.
Helps set realistic marketing budgets.
Allows comparison against Customer Lifetime Value.
Disadvantages
Ignores the total value of the customer.
Can be misleading if marketing is seasonal.
Doesn't show if the acquired customer is high-value or low-value.
Industry Benchmarks
For high-ticket home improvement projects, a target CAC often ranges from 5% to 15% of the initial project value. If your average project is high, you can afford a higher CAC, but for this business, the target of $450 suggests a tight focus on efficiency.
How To Improve
Boost referrals from existing happy homeowners.
Improve lead quality to reduce sales cycle waste.
Focus ad spend on zip codes matching ideal customer profiles.
How To Calculate
You find CAC by taking all your marketing and sales expenses for a period and dividing that total by the number of new customers you signed up in that same period. This metric must be reviewed monthly to catch spending creep fast.
Example of Calculation
We are planning $45,000 in Total Marketing Spend for 2026. If the target CAC is $450 or lower, you need to know how many new customers that budget supports. Here's the quick math to find the required customer volume:
So, to meet the efficiency target in 2026, marketing must generate at least 100 new enclosure contracts from paid efforts. If you spend $45,000 but only get 80 customers, your actual CAC is $562.50, which is too high.
Tips and Trics
Track marketing spend by channel rigorously.
Ensure sales credits are excluded from marketing spend.
If CAC exceeds $450, pause underperforming channels.
Review CAC defintely on the first business day of every month.
KPI 5
: Labor Cost %
Definition
Labor Cost Percentage measures how much of every revenue dollar goes directly to paying your team wages. Keeping this metric low is the single most important operational defense for protecting your target 52% EBITDA margin in Year 1. You must review this KPI monthly to ensure efficiency.
Advantages
Directly guards the 52% Year 1 EBITDA goal.
Shows crew efficiency against project revenue targets.
Flags immediate need to improve pricing or scheduling.
Disadvantages
Can pressure crews to rush, hurting installation quality.
Hides inefficiencies if material costs fluctuate wildly.
A low number doesn't account for overhead absorption.
Industry Benchmarks
For specialized trade services like custom construction, Labor Cost % often sits between 25% and 40% of total revenue. Because your projects involve high-touch design and installation, you need to aim for the lower end of that range to support premium margins. If you are targeting 52% EBITDA, your labor costs need to be lean, definitely under 35%.
How To Improve
Increase Revenue Per Billable Hour (RBH) above the weighted labor rate.
Standardize site prep and installation checklists to cut wasted time.
Shift sales focus toward higher-value Pool Cages to improve revenue density per labor hour.
How To Calculate
You calculate this by dividing all wages paid to installation staff and supervisors by the total revenue billed for that period. This gives you the percentage of sales consumed by payroll.
Labor Cost % = Total Wages / Total Revenue
Example of Calculation
Say in your first month, total wages paid to your construction crew amounted to $80,000. Total revenue billed that same month was $250,000. Here's the quick math:
Labor Cost % = $80,000 / $250,000 = 0.32 or 32%
A 32% labor cost is strong for custom work and supports your high margin goals. If this number jumped to 45% next month, you'd need to investigate immediately.
Tips and Trics
Track wages against billable hours weekly, not just monthly totals.
If Gross Margin is near the 780% target but this metric rises, you have a productivity issue.
Ensure you are defintely capturing all direct labor, including overtime, in 'Total Wages.'
Use this metric to set performance targets for your site supervisors.
KPI 6
: EBITDA Margin %
Definition
EBITDA Margin % shows your core operating profitability before accounting for non-cash items like depreciation and interest payments. It tells you how efficiently the business converts sales into operating cash flow. For this enclosure business, the Year 1 target is a strong 52%.
Advantages
Funds rapid scaling without immediate reliance on new debt.
Signals strong control over fixed and variable operating expenses.
Creates a substantial buffer before hitting operational break-even points.
Disadvantages
It ignores necessary capital expenditures (CapEx) for new tools.
It masks the true cost of financing via interest expense.
It doesn't reflect taxes owed, which reduces actual cash in hand.
Industry Benchmarks
For custom construction or high-touch installation services, margins vary widely based on material markup and labor efficiency. A 52% target is aggressive, suggesting excellent cost management, especially compared to general contracting where margins might hover between 10% and 20%. This high benchmark reflects the premium pricing model tied to custom design work.
How To Improve
Aggressively manage Labor Cost % to keep it low relative to revenue.
Boost Revenue Per Billable Hour by optimizing design consultation fees.
Negotiate better terms with material suppliers to reduce Cost of Goods Sold.
How To Calculate
You calculate this metric by taking operating profit before interest and depreciation and dividing it by total sales. For Year 1 projections, we see strong performance that hits the target range.
EBITDA Margin % = EBITDA / Revenue
Example of Calculation
To confirm the Year 1 target, use the provided figures. If EBITDA is $1,637k against $3,155k in revenue, the resulting margin is 51.88%, which meets the 52% goal.
51.88% = $1,637,000 / $3,155,000
Tips and Trics
Review this figure every single month, not quarterly.
Track it alongside Labor Cost %; they move together.
Ensure depreciation schedules are consistent year-over-year.
Average Project Value (APV) is the typical revenue you pull in from a single contract. This metric shows how much money each installation-Patio, Pool Cage, or Porch-brings in on average. Tracking this helps you understand if your pricing strategy is working across different product lines.
Advantages
Shows true revenue power per sale.
Guides sales team toward higher-ticket items.
Directly impacts overall revenue goals.
Disadvantages
Can hide low overall job volume.
Weighting mix calculation is complex.
Doesn't account for project complexity or margin.
Industry Benchmarks
For custom home improvements, a healthy APV often sits between $15,000 and $40,000, depending on regional material costs. If your APV is low, it means you're likely selling too many small jobs or discounting too heavily. This metric is crucial for forecasting capital needs.
How To Improve
Aggressively push Pool Cage sales volume.
Target a 30% mix of Pool Cages by 2026.
Review pricing tiers for Patio and Porch jobs.
Incentivize sales staff based on WAPV achieved.
How To Calculate
You calculate APV by dividing total revenue by the total number of projects completed in that period. However, to get the Weighted Average Project Value (WAPV), you must weight the revenue contribution from each service type.
Say you want to see the impact of hitting your 2026 goal. If Pool Cages represent 30% of your revenue mix, and that job type averages $35,000, while the other jobs average $20,000 for the remaining 70% mix, here's the math.
This shows that shifting the mix toward Pool Cages lifts the average revenue per contract from a baseline of $20,000 to $24,500. That's a clear driver for profitability, especially since the EBITDA Margin target is high at 52%.
Tips and Trics
Track revenue contribution by project type daily.
Ensure Pool Cage pricing reflects its higher complexity.
Review sales training on upselling to premium enclosures.
If onboarding takes 14+ days, churn risk rises due to lost momentum.
