Dryer Vent Cleaning Break-Even Analysis: $29K Monthly Revenue

Fixed costs $3.7K/mo Base overhead

Contribution margin 71.5% After variable costs

Break-even revenue $5.1K/mo Revenue target

Break-even timing Month 6 Launch ramp

Break-even calculator

See how monthly revenue, variable costs, and fixed costs compare with break-even for this dryer vent cleaning service.

Lean Base Full

Monthly revenue Revenue is the top line the business has to cover costs. $ Low sales High sales Variable expenses Use direct costs that rise with each job, like supplies, fuel, processing fees, and referral commissions. $ Low costs High costs

Money available to cover fixed costs $28,779 $40,250 revenue - $11,471 variable expenses

Margin ratio

72%

Covers fixed costs

Yes

Fixed monthly costs This is the monthly cost base that contribution margin must cover. $ Low overhead High overhead

Break-even chart Revenue Total costs

Which expenses are fixed and which move with sales in a dryer vent cleaning service?

Cost classification

Break-even works only if fixed overhead stays fixed and job-level costs move with revenue. In the first year, listed variable items total 28.5% of sales, so every $1,000 of revenue leaves about $715 before payroll and fixed overhead.

Expense	Cost	Break-Even Treatment	Common Mistake
Small Warehouse Rent	Fixed	Use $2,200 per month within the normal planning range.	Spreading rent across jobs and making it look variable.
General Liability Insurance	Fixed	Use $450 per month from Month 1 through Month 60.	Dropping insurance from break-even because it is not tied to each cleaning.
Cleaning Supplies and Consumables	Variable	Apply 8.5% of revenue in the first year, with lower rates in later years.	Using one flat monthly amount as job count grows.
Vehicle Fuel and Direct Maintenance	Variable	Apply 12.0% of revenue in the first year, then update by year.	Treating route-heavy fuel and maintenance as fixed overhead.
Payment Processing Fees	Variable	Apply 3.0% of collected revenue in the first two years.	Forgetting card fees on every paid invoice.
Referral Commissions	Variable	Apply 5.0% of referred revenue in the first two years.	Counting referral demand as free sales volume.
Technician Payroll	Semi-variable	Model base staffing, then add FTE as volume rises; lead technicians move from 1.0 to 3.0 FTE and junior technicians from 1.0 to 5.0 FTE by Year 5.	Holding labor flat while revenue grows.
Office Coordinator Payroll	Semi-variable	Start at 0.5 FTE in the first year, then scale to 1.5 FTE by Year 5.	Burying owner draw here without a clear label.

How does break-even change across lean, base, and full route-density cases?

Scenario table

Higher route density spreads fixed overhead across more monthly revenue, so the lean case stays in the red, the base case lands at break-even, and the full case builds a small cushion.

These are planning assumptions, not guarantees; actual break-even will move with mix, pricing, and route density.

Scenario	Monthly Revenue	Variable Costs	Fixed Costs	CM Ratio	Operating Profit	Break-Even Signal
Lean route-density case	$19.3K	$5.5K	$20.9K	71.5%	-$7.1K	Still about $7.1K short of break-even.
Base route-density case	$29.2K	$8.3K	$20.9K	71.5%	$0	At break-even; small swings decide profit or loss.
Full route-density case	$40.3K	$11.5K	$20.9K	71.5%	$7.9K	About $7.9K of monthly cushion.

What happens to break-even if local jobs slow or costs jump?

Stress test

The base plan has a cushion, but it shrinks fast if booked jobs slip or routes stay thin. The real risk is the mix of softer revenue, higher fixed overhead, and more fuel, lead spend, and overtime before density improves.

Stress Case	Changed Assumption	Break-Even Revenue	Revenue Gap	Risk Signal
Current plan	No change.	$306K	$96K cushion	Base case clears break-even with room.
Revenue shortfall	Revenue falls 15% to $342K.	$306K	$36K cushion	Sales still cover break-even, but room is thin.
Fixed cost pressure	Fixed costs rise 10% to $229K.	$321K	$81K cushion	Higher overhead is manageable until revenue softens.
Margin pressure	Variable expenses rise to 33.5% of revenue.	$314K	$88K cushion	Fuel, lead spend, and overtime squeeze margin.
Combined pressure	Revenue falls 15%, fixed costs rise 10%, and variable costs worsen.	$345K	$3K gap	This is the break point if density lags.

Is this dryer vent cleaning service ready to scale before break-even?

Founder checklist

Use this check before buying the second van, adding staff, or lifting ad spend. Break-even lands in Month 6, so you want proof of bookings, margin, and cash before you commit.

1Demand proof121 jobs/mo

Verify the pipeline can fill about 121 jobs a month at a $241 weighted average ticket, with a 70% residential, 20% annual subscription, and 10% commercial mix.

2Lead CAC$45 CAC

Keep paid lead costs near the Year 1 CAC of $45 and make scheduling live first, so ad spend does not outrun the 19-month payback window.

3Unit margin71.5% CM

Check that supplies, fuel, payment fees, and referral commissions still leave about 71.5% CM before fixed costs, because each job has to help cover the base load.

4Fixed burn$20.9K/mo

Keep monthly overhead near $20.9K from rent, insurance, software, utilities, licensing, PPE, and payroll until booked volume proves out.

5Field setupAll gear live

Verify the truck, ladder, brush system, HEPA vacuum, inspection camera, PPE, and insurance are ready on day one, so jobs turn into billable work without delays.

6Cash cushion$799K floor

Hold enough cash to absorb the Month 2 minimum cash point of $799K, because break-even does not hit until Month 6 and payback takes 19 months.