Golf Driving Range Lighting Break-Even: About $84K Monthly Revenue

Fixed costs $12.7K/mo Monthly overhead base

Contribution margin 70.5% After variable costs

Break-even revenue $18.0K/mo Needed each month

Break-even timing Month 9 Model break-even point

Break-even calculator

Test monthly revenue, variable expenses, and fixed costs against break-even for golf driving range lighting installation.

Lean Base Full

Monthly revenue More monthly sales give you more room to cover fixed overhead. $ Low load Peak load Variable expenses These are direct costs that rise as project work and travel grow. $ Lean costs Heavy costs

Money available to cover fixed costs $149,145 $203,750 revenue - $54,605 variable expenses

Margin ratio

73%

Covers fixed costs

Yes

Fixed monthly costs This is the monthly overhead your margin has to cover. $ Tight overhead Heavy overhead

Break-even chart Revenue Total costs

Which golf range lighting installation expenses are fixed, and which move with sales?

Cost classification

Break-even gets reliable when overhead stays separate from job-driven spend. In this model, Month 9 break-even depends on treating recurring base expenses differently from labor, travel, and project coverage that rise with revenue.

Expense	Cost	Break-Even Treatment	Common Mistake
Regional Office Lease	Fixed	Hold at $6,500/month from Month 1 through Month 60.	Treating lease payments as project-driven.
General Business Insurance	Fixed	Include $1,200/month in base overhead before job margin.	Leaving it out of monthly overhead.
Utilities and Communications	Semi-fixed	Use the $850/month baseline, then review as office and field support capacity grows.	Assuming it scales perfectly with sales.
Cloud Design Suite Subscription	Fixed	Keep $1,500/month in fixed overhead, separate from project modeling fees.	Confusing subscriptions with job-specific design fees.
Vehicle Fleet Maintenance	Semi-fixed	Start with the $2,200/month baseline and add capacity steps when fleet use expands.	Ignoring usage spikes on remote jobs.
CEO and Principal Designer Payroll	Fixed	Include the $155,000/year salary as recurring operating payroll.	Treating founder labor as free.
Subcontracted Electrical Labor	Variable	Model as 18.0% of first-year revenue, falling to 16.0% by mature year.	Underpricing field labor in bids.
Travel and On-Site Logistics	Variable	Model as 6.0% of first-year revenue, falling to 4.0% by mature year.	Missing travel time and remote-site logistics.

How do lean, base, and full pipeline months change break-even for golf driving range lighting installation?

Scenario table

The model reaches minimum cash in Month 8 and break-even in Month 9, so the lean case has little room. Year 1 pricing starts at $210/hour for installs, $165/hour for maintenance, and $250/hour for consulting, and mix drives the cushion.

Planning figures use model assumptions and month averages, so actual results can shift with project timing, site access, and service mix.

Scenario	Monthly Revenue	Variable Costs	Fixed Costs	CM Ratio	Operating Profit	Break-Even Signal
Lean Year 1 pipeline	$77.7k	$22.9k	$65.8k	70.5%	-$11.0k	Still below break-even; cash stays tight.
Base break-even pipeline	$93.3k	$27.6k	$65.8k	70.5%	$0	At break-even; any slip turns profit negative.
Full Year 2 pipeline	$146.2k	$41.2k	$68.0k	71.8%	$36.9k	Comfortable cushion; overhead is covered.

What breaks the break-even plan if sales slow or launch costs climb?

Stress test

The plan breaks fastest if revenue slips, subcontractor and travel costs rise, or overhead grows before the crew is fully used. At current economics, a 15% revenue miss leaves about an $88k monthly gap, and cost pressure pushes break-even past $900k.

Stress Case	Changed Assumption	Break-Even Revenue	Revenue Gap	Risk Signal
Current plan	No change in sales mix, overhead, or field cost rates.	$839k/month	$0 cushion	Base case is balanced, but cash stays tight.
Revenue shortfall	Monthly revenue lands 15% below break-even at about $713k.	$839k/month	$88k gap	A sales miss leaves too little contribution to cover fixed overhead.
Fixed-cost pressure	Fixed overhead rises 10% to about $650k per month.	$922k/month	$58k gap	Extra overhead makes launch efficiency and crew use matter more.
Margin pressure	Variable expenses rise from 29.5% to 34.5%, so contribution margin falls to 65.5%.	$903k/month	$41k gap	Higher subcontractor, travel, or permit cost cuts the cushion fast.
Combined pressure	Revenue falls 15%, variable expenses rise to 34.5%, and fixed overhead climbs 10%.	$992k/month	$183k gap	Slow permits plus cost inflation can push the business deeply underwater.

What should the founder verify before signing the lease and buying the fleet for golf range lighting work?

Founder checklist

Don’t lock in rent, hires, or vehicles until the quoted pipeline can hold at least $84K a month, launch cash can cover the Month 8 low point, and the spend stack still works against Month 9 break-even. In this model, demand has to show up before fixed costs do.

1Pipeline$84K/mo

Verify booked quotes and lead flow can sustain this revenue pace while keeping Year 1 CAC near $2,500.

2Margin Mix70.5% CM

Check that the 18% subcontract labor load, plus design, travel, and insurance, still leaves enough contribution margin to fund fixed costs.

3Cash Buffer$520K

Keep enough working capital to survive the Month 8 low point, because break-even does not show up until Month 9.

4Fixed Load$12.7K/mo

Confirm the full fixed stack, including the $6,500 regional office lease, fits before you commit to the space.

5Payroll Ramp$512K

Validate the Year 1 payroll line against actual booked work and crew capacity, including the 42.5 monthly billable hours per active customer.

6Capex Timing$243K

Phase the meters, hardware, vehicles, buildout, racking, project portal, and safety gear so the $95K fleet buy waits until jobs are truly scheduled.