Brush Clearing Service Break-Even: About $525K Monthly Revenue

Fixed costs $40.1K Overhead plus payroll

Contribution margin 83.5% After variable costs

Break-even revenue $48.1K Monthly target

Break-even timing Month 5 Cash break-even

Break-even calculator

Use this to test whether monthly revenue can cover variable expenses and fixed costs before the business breaks even.

Lean Base Full

Monthly revenue Use the monthly sales level you expect to bring in; more revenue spreads fixed costs over a bigger base. $ Lower sales Higher sales Variable expenses Include fuel, consumables, and sales commissions that move with each job. $ Lower direct cost Higher direct cost

Money available to cover fixed costs $154,142 $182,417 revenue - $28,275 variable expenses

Margin ratio

84%

Covers fixed costs

Yes

Fixed monthly costs Include shop rent, insurance, software, and payroll that stay due each month. $ Light overhead Heavy overhead

Break-even chart Revenue Total costs

Which brush clearing expenses are fixed, and which move with sales?

Cost classification

Break-even gets more reliable when fixed overhead, job-linked costs, and staffing steps are separated. In the first operating year, fixed overhead is $13,200/month before payroll, so misclassifying one large line can move the Month 5 break-even target.

Expense	Cost	Break-Even Treatment	Common Mistake
Equipment Storage and Shop Rent	Fixed	Use $4,500/month as base overhead from Month 1 through Month 60.	Treating shop rent as a job-level charge.
General Liability and Equipment Insurance	Fixed	Use $2,800/month in the monthly break-even floor before any job margin.	Ignoring insurance before setting bid targets.
Fuel and Equipment Consumables	Variable	Apply 10.5% of revenue in the first year, declining to 8.5% by the fifth year.	Treating fuel as fixed when job volume rises.
Sales Commissions and Referral Fees	Variable	Apply 6.0% of revenue in the first year, declining to 4.0% by the fifth year.	Leaving commissions out of contribution margin.
Equipment Maintenance Reserve	Semi-variable	Start with the $3,200/month reserve, then watch repair risk as equipment hours climb.	Assuming repairs stay flat as workload grows.
Labor Payroll	Semi-fixed	Model first-year wages at about $26,917/month, then add roles as crew capacity steps up.	Spreading payroll like a pure percent of sales.
CRM and Fleet Management Software	Fixed	Use $650/month as stable planning overhead across the model period.	Dropping software from break-even because it feels small.
Utilities and Communications	Semi-fixed	Use the $850/month base, with pressure possible as crews, dispatch, and shop activity expand.	Assuming usage never changes with operating scale.

How does break-even change from a lean start to a base year and a full build-out?

Scenario table

Break-even moves with the mix of jobs and how hard the fleet is working. Lower volume leaves fixed labor and shop costs exposed; higher volume spreads those costs, so the cushion depends on routing density and equipment use.

Planning assumptions only; actual results will vary with weather, routing density, crew use, and job mix.

Scenario	Monthly Revenue	Variable Costs	Fixed Costs	CM Ratio	Operating Profit	Break-Even Signal
Lean break-even month	$48.1K	$7.9K	$40.1K	83.5%	$0.0K	Near overhead coverage; any slip in volume can turn profit negative.
Base opening year average	$81.7K	$13.5K	$40.1K	83.5%	$28.1K	Above break-even, but the cushion is still modest.
Full mature year average	$529.9K	$66.2K	$113.1K	87.5%	$350.6K	Strong cushion if staffing and equipment use stay tight.

What breaks the break-even plan for a brush clearing service?

Stress test

Year 1 revenue of $980,000 sits about $455,000 above a $525,000 break-even, so the base plan has room. But rain delays, longer hauls, fuel spikes, and underbid jobs can eat that cushion fast.

Stress Case	Changed Assumption	Break-Even Revenue	Revenue Gap	Risk Signal
Current plan	No change.	$525,000	$455,000 cushion	Base year stays above break-even with room to spare.
Revenue shortfall	Year 1 revenue drops 20% on slower bookings and rain-delay days.	$525,000	$259,000 cushion	A 20% booking miss burns $196,000 of cushion.
Fixed-cost increase	Monthly overhead rises $1,000 from storage, insurance, or shop costs.	$540,000	$440,000 cushion	Each extra $1,000 a month adds about $14,000 to break-even.
Margin pressure	Fuel, repairs, or underbid jobs cut contribution margin by 1 point.	$532,000	$448,000 cushion	A 1-point margin slip adds about $7,000 to break-even.
Combined pressure	Revenue falls 25%, monthly overhead rises $1,000, and margin slips 2 points.	$553,000	$182,000 cushion	The cushion shrinks fast, so a weak month gets much closer to break-even.

Can this brush clearing service cover its monthly fixed load before you buy equipment, hire the crew, or sign the yard lease?

Founder checklist

Don’t buy the first big machine until booked work can cover the monthly fixed load. In this model, Year 1 fixed costs run about $43.9K/month and break-even lands near $52.6K/month after the 16.5% variable load.

1Booked Work$81.7K/mo

Verify the quote pipeline can support the Year 1 average revenue run-rate, because that is the first test of whether demand can clear fixed costs.

2Fixed Load$43.9K/mo

Check that wages, rent, insurance, software, maintenance reserve, utilities, professional services, and marketing stay inside this monthly burden.

3Margin Math83.5% CM

Confirm the Year 1 variable load of 10.5% fuel and consumables plus 6.0% sales fees stays close to plan, because that margin funds break-even.

4Crew Coverage5.0 FTE

Verify the first-year crew of 1 general manager, 1 lead operator, 2 ground techs, and 1 sales manager can handle weather delays and route density.

5Cash Buffer$436K

Keep cash planning tied to the Month 6 low, because the model also carries $480K of one-time equipment buys that sit outside monthly break-even.

6CAC Fit$450 CAC

Test whether the launch mix can pay back a $450 customer acquisition cost, since that equals 2.6 months of Basic Maintenance and 1.3 months of Premium Firewatch.