Excel Waterfall Chart: Show a Total at the End

To show a final total in an Excel waterfall chart, select the last bar, right-click it, and choose Set as Total. The bar will start at the chart’s baseline instead of floating from the previous step; make sure the source cell contains the full final total, not just the last change.

What Set as Total does

A waterfall chart shows how a starting amount changes through a sequence of positive and negative values. Ordinary points represent changes: an increase lifts the running level, and a decrease lowers it. Excel draws those change bars between the previous level and the new one, so they appear to float rather than all beginning at zero.

A total point works differently. Excel anchors its column to the horizontal axis and uses the value in the source data as the full height of the column. Marking the ending balance as a total therefore makes it read like a final result, rather than one more increase or decrease in the sequence.

This is a chart setting, not a change to your worksheet data. Excel does not calculate whether the total is correct or change the value in the cell. It changes how that data point is drawn. You can set an opening balance, an ending balance, or an intermediate subtotal as a total.

Prepare the data in the right order

Put the category labels in one column and their values in the next, with the opening amount first and the final amount last. Between them, list the changes as positive or negative values. The last row should contain the complete ending balance or total, not merely the final movement.

For example, a simple cash movement could use these rows:

Opening balance: 100
Sales: 40
Costs: -25
Other change: 10
Ending balance: 125

The arithmetic is 100 + 40 – 25 + 10 = 125. The first and last rows are full balances; the rows in between are changes. This distinction is essential. If the final cell contains 10 instead of 125, setting that point as a total will correctly draw a total of 10, but it will not infer the intended ending balance.

Insert the waterfall chart in Excel

In Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows, select the labels and values, including the starting and ending rows. Then choose Insert > Insert Waterfall, Funnel, Stock, Surface or Radar Chart > Waterfall. Excel creates the chart from the selected range.

If the range has headers, include them so Excel can use them for the chart title or legend as appropriate. Check that the categories appear in the intended order. A waterfall chart follows the row order in the data; it does not automatically sort the steps into a meaningful sequence.

If you already have the chart, you do not need to rebuild it just to make the final bar a total. Click the chart and then click the specific data point you want to change. If selecting the point is difficult, click once to select the series and click the same bar again to select only that point.

Set the final bar as a total

Click the final column in the waterfall chart. If all columns become selected, click the final column once more to select that data point alone.
Right-click the selected column.
Choose Set as Total from the context menu.
Check that the column now begins at the horizontal axis and shows the ending value.

The command applies to the selected point. It does not automatically identify the last row as a total, and the fact that a row is named Ending Balance does not affect the chart’s behavior. If you change the chart’s source range or replace the data point, check the setting again.

To undo the total treatment, select that point, right-click, and choose Set as Total again if the command is available as a toggle in your Excel build, or use the point’s context-menu option to clear the total status. Menu wording and presentation can vary slightly between releases. The key check is the result: a change should float, while a total should start at the baseline.

Set the opening balance and intermediate subtotals

The first value in a waterfall is often a starting balance, not a change from zero. For a chart that begins with an existing amount, select the first bar and use Set as Total as well. Otherwise, Excel may treat the opening balance as an increase from zero. That can look similar in a simple chart, but explicitly marking it as a total makes its meaning clear and keeps the chart’s logic consistent.

You can also mark a subtotal in the middle of the chart as a total. This is useful when a report groups steps into stages, such as revenue, operating costs, and then a subtotal before taxes. The subtotal’s cell should contain the full cumulative amount at that point. Later change bars then continue from that level.

Do not mark every bar as a total. Doing so removes the visual bridge between steps and makes the chart behave more like a set of separate columns. Use total status only for points representing full balances or cumulative subtotals; leave individual increases and decreases as changes.

Check the example and interpret the result

In the example above, mark Opening Balance and Ending Balance as totals. Leave Sales, Costs, and Other Change as ordinary movement bars. The chart then starts with a column reaching 100, rises by 40, falls by 25, rises by 10, and ends with a separate column reaching 125.

The ending bar is not an extra 125 added on top of the preceding movements. It is a visual summary of the current running amount. The correct calculation is still the opening amount plus each intervening change. This is a common point of confusion: the ending total belongs in the data series so Excel can display it, but it should not be included as another movement when someone independently calculates the balance.

If your chart uses percentages, units, or another measure, the same principle applies. The final total must be expressed in the same units as the movements’ resulting cumulative level. A chart cannot reconcile values that mix, for example, dollars and thousands of dollars without a deliberate conversion in the source data.

Fix common problems with the ending total

The final bar floats. The point is probably still treated as a change. Select that single bar and choose Set as Total.
The final bar starts at zero but has the wrong height. Check the source cell. A total point displays its own value; it does not calculate the running sum for you.
The ending bar is missing. Confirm the final row is included in the chart’s data range. If it was added after the chart, expand the source range or recreate the chart with the complete selection.
The chart begins at the wrong level. Set the opening balance as a total, and confirm that the starting amount is in the first category row.
A change moves the chart in the wrong direction. Check its sign. Increases are usually positive and decreases negative. Also confirm that the categories are in the intended sequence.
The labels show an unexpected value. Verify that the labels display values from the correct cells and that the final cell contains the full total. Formatting a number as currency or a percentage changes its display, not its underlying value.

When the data is correct but the chart still looks confusing, review the axis scale and number format. A chart with a large range can make smaller changes difficult to see. Avoid changing the scale just to exaggerate minor movements without making that choice clear to readers.

Format the final bar so readers can spot it

Once the total is anchored correctly, use clear category labels such as Opening Balance and Ending Balance. Data labels can help readers distinguish a final result from the intermediate steps, especially when the chart is small. In Excel for Windows, select the chart and use Chart Design > Add Chart Element > Data Labels to choose a label placement, or use the chart’s plus button where available.

Excel’s waterfall chart uses distinct colors for increases, decreases, and totals, though the exact appearance depends on the chart theme and formatting. Keep those categories visually consistent. If you change a point’s fill color manually, make sure the total still looks different enough from movement bars to be recognized. A useful chart title and readable labels often matter more than decorative effects.

If you add data labels, check that they do not overlap or obscure the columns. You can enlarge the chart, simplify category names, or reduce the number of displayed labels. For a chart with many steps, consider labeling only key points and explaining the smaller movements in a nearby table or note.

Excel for Mac and other ways to show the total

The instructions above are for Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows. Excel for Mac also supports waterfall charts, but ribbon and context-menu details can differ by version. Select the individual chart point and look for the total-setting command in its contextual options. If you use Excel for the web and do not see the same point-level command, open the workbook in the desktop app to set or verify the total.

If a waterfall chart is not the right presentation, a regular column chart can show the starting and ending balances as separate columns, but it will not automatically depict the intervening increases and decreases as floating steps. A table with a running-balance column is another clear option when exact values matter more than the visual story. For a sequence of changes leading to a final result, however, the waterfall chart is designed to show both the movements and the ending total.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I make the last bar a total in an Excel waterfall chart?

Select the last bar, right-click it, and choose Set as Total. Confirm that the source cell contains the full ending amount. The setting changes the bar’s position in the chart, not the worksheet value.

Why is my waterfall chart total floating?

Excel is treating the point as a change rather than a total. Select that individual bar and apply Set as Total. If it still looks wrong, check that the correct point was selected and that the chart includes the intended final row.

Should I set the first bar as a total too?

Usually, yes, if the first bar represents an opening balance. Marking it as a total anchors it to the baseline as a starting amount. If the first value is genuinely a change from zero, leave it as a change.

Does Excel calculate the ending total automatically?

No. Excel draws a total point using the value already in its source cell. Calculate or enter the ending balance in the worksheet, then mark that point as a total in the chart.

Can I show a subtotal in the middle of a waterfall chart?

Yes. Select the subtotal’s data point and set it as a total. Its source cell should contain the full cumulative subtotal at that stage, rather than only the latest movement.

Try it: the Percentage Formula Generator: percent of, percent change, increase and decrease, with the formula.

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Sources: Function behaviour and menu paths: Microsoft Support documentation for Excel. Method & sources

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