Chiropractic Clinic Break-Even Analysis: $345K Monthly Revenue

Fixed costs $28.6K/mo Month 1 base

Contribution margin 83% After variable costs

Break-even revenue $34.5K/mo Monthly target

Break-even timing Month 25 Forecast cross-over

Break-even calculator

Test monthly revenue, variable expenses, and fixed costs to see when the clinic covers its overhead.

Lean Base Full

Monthly revenue Revenue sets the pool that pays direct costs and overhead. $ Slow start Busy clinic Variable expenses These are the direct costs that rise as visits and treatments rise. $ Lower costs Higher costs

Money available to cover fixed costs $78,619 $93,594 revenue - $14,975 variable expenses

Margin ratio

84%

Covers fixed costs

Yes

Fixed monthly costs This is the monthly overhead the clinic must cover before profit starts. $ Lean team Expanded team

Break-even chart Revenue Total costs

Which clinic expenses stay fixed, and which move with patient visits?

Cost classification

Break-even gets shaky when visit-linked expenses are treated like rent. Here, recurring overhead starts at $8,200/month before payroll, while Year 1 variable items reduce contribution by 17% of revenue.

Expense	Cost	Break-Even Treatment	Common Mistake
Clinic Rent, $5,000/month	Fixed	Include in monthly overhead.	Tying rent to patient visits.
Utilities, $800/month	Semi-variable	Model base overhead, then watch usage pressure as treatment rooms fill.	Ignoring higher room use at capacity.
Insurance Premiums, $1,200/month	Fixed	Include as a recurring monthly overhead item.	Treating professional coverage as optional.
Billing Software, $300/month	Fixed	Include in monthly administrative overhead.	Burying it inside general admin noise.
Medical Supplies, 3% of revenue	Variable	Subtract from revenue when calculating contribution margin.	Putting supplies in rent-like overhead.
Patient Acquisition Costs, 8% in Year 1	Variable	Reduce contribution margin before covering fixed overhead.	Calling all marketing fixed.
Lead Chiropractor, $120,000/year	Fixed	Include recurring provider payroll in break-even overhead.	Excluding provider income from the model.
Receptionist, $35,000/year	Semi-fixed	Step up staffing as visit volume and front-desk load rise.	Hiring ahead of the forecast schedule.

How does break-even change from a lean launch to a full clinic schedule?

Scenario table

Lean staffing keeps fixed costs high relative to revenue, so break-even stays out of reach. As the clinic adds clinicians and fills more visits, contribution lifts faster than overhead, and the model moves from loss to cushion.

Planning cases only. Actual patient flow, payer mix, and staffing productivity can move break-even up or down.

Scenario	Monthly Revenue	Variable Costs	Fixed Costs	CM Ratio	Operating Profit	Break-Even Signal
Lean launch	$233k	$40k	$286k	83%	-$93k	Still below break-even, with about a $111k revenue gap.
Base scale	$936k	$150k	$467k	84%	$319k	Above break-even, so volume now covers overhead and leaves surplus.
Full schedule	$2,287k	$343k	$649k	85%	$1,295k	Strong cushion, because higher revenue outpaces fixed cost growth.

What breaks the break-even plan for a chiropractic clinic?

Stress test

At the launch case, break-even is about $345k against $233k of revenue, so the cushion is only about $112k. A 10% revenue miss, a 3-point margin drop, or 10% higher fixed costs all push it deeper into loss; together, break-even climbs to about $394k.

Stress Case	Changed Assumption	Break-Even Revenue	Revenue Gap	Risk Signal
Current plan	No change.	$345k	$112k gap	A modest sales miss leaves little cushion.
Revenue shortfall	Revenue falls 10% to about $210k while costs stay flat.	$345k	$135k gap	Slow patient acquisition widens the loss quickly.
Fixed-cost pressure	Fixed costs rise 10% to about $315k.	$379k	$146k gap	Rent or payroll growth before volume catches up hurts fast.
Margin pressure	Variable expenses rise 3 points, cutting contribution margin to 80%.	$358k	$125k gap	Lower collections per visit push break-even higher.
Combined pressure	Revenue falls 10%, variable costs rise 3 points, and fixed costs rise 10%.	$394k	$184k gap	This mix turns a thin cushion into a heavy cash burn.

Can this chiropractic clinic cover the lease, staffing, and equipment before you commit?

Founder checklist

Before you sign the lease or hire up, make sure the clinic can carry $5,000 rent, $8,200 of fixed overhead, and about $20.4K of launch payroll. The model does not reach breakeven until Month 25, so the real test is whether you can fund the gap and fill the visit plan.

1Lease load$5.0K/mo

Confirm the rent stays at $5,000 a month, because lease cost is the first fixed load the clinic has to cover.

2Fixed overhead$8.2K/mo

Add rent, utilities, insurance, billing software, maintenance, and professional fees; if this runs higher, break-even moves out fast.

3Contribution margin83% CM

Check that 3% medical supplies, 2% product COGS, 8% patient acquisition, and 4% variable supplies stay at 17% of revenue so each dollar can fund payroll and overhead.

4Visit fill180/66/65

Verify Year 1 can support 180 chiropractor visits, 66 physiotherapy visits, and 65 massage visits per month, or the clinic will miss the revenue needed to break even.

5Equipment plan$99K capex

Budget the full startup build for tables, X-ray equipment, ultrasound machines, reception furniture, treatment room setup, computers, massage beds, and display units before opening.

6Cash runwayMonth 25 / $629K

Keep enough cash to reach Month 25, since minimum cash is $629,000 and breakeven lands in Month 25; do not lock in long-term commitments before that runway is covered.