Glamping Site Break-Even Analysis: $90K Monthly Revenue Target

Fixed costs $25.0K/mo Base overhead

Contribution margin 83% After variable costs

Break-even revenue $30.1K/mo Revenue target

Break-even timing Month 1 Launch month

Break-even calculator

Use this to test how monthly revenue, direct costs, and fixed overhead line up with break-even.

Lean Base Full

Monthly revenue Use total monthly room and add-on revenue before direct costs. $ Low sales High sales Variable expenses Use costs that move with bookings, like commissions, guest supplies, food, and beverage. $ Low direct cost High direct cost

Money available to cover fixed costs $365,000 $405,000 revenue - $40,000 variable expenses

Margin ratio

90%

Covers fixed costs

Yes

Fixed monthly costs Use the monthly overhead the site must cover before profit starts. $ Lean overhead Heavy overhead

Break-even chart Revenue Total costs

Which expenses are fixed, variable, semi-variable, or semi-fixed for a glamping site break-even model?

Cost classification

Break-even only works if each expense follows the right driver. Keep insurance, taxes, and base utilities fixed, treat commissions and supplies as sales-linked, and model staffing in steps as occupancy grows.

Expense	Cost	Break-Even Treatment	Common Mistake
Property insurance ($3,500/month)	Fixed	Include the full monthly amount before calculating required room nights.	Treating it as occupancy-linked and understating slow-week losses.
Property taxes ($4,000/month)	Fixed	Carry as a recurring monthly overhead from Month 1 through Month 60.	Leaving it below the break-even line because it is not a cash selling expense.
Utilities base ($6,000/month)	Semi-variable	Model the $6,000 base as due each month, then add usage above base as occupied nights rise.	Treating utilities as fully variable when the base bill remains due in slow weeks.
Site maintenance contracts ($5,000/month)	Fixed	Include the full contract amount in fixed overhead for the monthly break-even hurdle.	Assuming maintenance disappears when occupancy drops.
General Manager ($120,000/year)	Semi-fixed	Hold at 1.0 FTE across the forecast unless the operating plan changes.	Spreading payroll per booking as if management pay moves with each reservation.
Hospitality staff ($45,000 per FTE)	Semi-fixed	Add staff in steps as the plan moves from 4.0 FTE in the first year to 8.0 FTE by the fifth year.	Using one straight percentage of revenue instead of staffing levels.
Marketing and OTA commissions (8.0% in the first year)	Variable	Apply the rate to booked revenue, then reduce the rate by forecast year if direct bookings improve.	Putting commissions in fixed overhead and overstating margin at higher occupancy.
Guest supplies and consumables (3.0% in the first year)	Variable	Tie the expense to occupied stays because amenities, toiletries, and restocking rise with guests.	Budgeting one flat monthly amount and missing peak-season usage.

How does break-even shift from a lean opening to a base scale and full-scale glamping site?

Scenario table

Higher occupancy lifts revenue, but payroll and guest-service costs rise too, so break-even only improves when CM stays ahead of fixed overhead. Lean is the launch-risk view, base is the staffing plan, and full is the owner-return view.

Planning assumptions only; actual results will move with booking pace, labor, and room mix.

Scenario	Monthly Revenue	Variable Costs	Fixed Costs	CM Ratio	Operating Profit	Break-Even Signal
Lean opening	$121K	$21K	$62K	83%	$38K	Launch still has cushion, but booking pace must stay steady.
Base scale	$405K	$61K	$82K	85%	$262K	Best planning anchor; revenue covers overhead with room to staff safely.
Full-scale site	$527K	$69K	$93K	87%	$365K	Largest cushion, but labor and guest-service costs still need tight control.

What breaks the break-even plan for a glamping site?

Stress test

Year 1 break-even sits near $901K, so the site has little room for soft occupancy or cost creep. Year 2 fixed overhead and any margin squeeze can push the break-even bar above $1.0M.

Stress Case	Changed Assumption	Break-Even Revenue	Revenue Gap	Risk Signal
Current plan	No change in Year 1 mix or overhead.	$901K	$0 gap	The model only works if occupancy and ancillaries hit plan.
Revenue shortfall	Year 1 revenue misses plan by $10K.	$901K	$10K gap	A $10K miss cuts contribution by about $8.3K at an 83% margin.
Fixed-cost increase	Year 2 overhead rises to $865K.	$1,029K	$128K gap	Insurance, utilities, maintenance, and staffing lift the bar fast.
Margin pressure	Year 1 variable costs stay at 17% of revenue: 8% marketing and OTA commissions, 3% guest supplies, 4% restaurant food, and 2% bar beverage cost.	$901K	$0 gap	Those lines are the main margin squeeze, so pricing and ancillary sales matter.
Combined pressure	Year 2 overhead of $865K and the Year 1 83% margin both hold.	$1,042K	$141K gap	Soft shoulder-season occupancy plus cost spikes can push the site past break-even.

What should a glamping founder verify before buying land and starting the build?

Founder checklist

Before you commit to the land and build, make sure the site can open cleanly, staff to the plan, and survive the Month 12 cash trough. The model only works if bookings hit the Year 1 occupancy target and the fixed load stays covered.

1Site access$2.5M

Verify land access, water, septic, power, road, internet, and emergency access before the $2.5M acquisition, because a weak site kills the build before revenue starts.

2Opening capacity25 units

Stage the $1.2M site development and $1.8M first accommodation buildout so the opening plan matches 25 units, not a bigger layout that drags cash.

3Fixed load$25K/mo

Confirm the model can carry the $25k monthly fixed stack after the 17% variable load from food, bar, marketing and OTA commissions, and guest supplies.

4Staffing ramp$597.5K

Test the Year 1 roster against $597.5k of payroll and 11.5 FTE, and slow the next hire wave if occupancy does not support the load.

5Cash trough-$6.187M

Build enough cash or committed capital to cover the Month 12 trough of -$6.187M, because the ramp does not fix a short reserve.

6Booking ramp45.0%

Check that launch demand can support 45.0% Year 1 occupancy and the move to 58.0% in Year 2; if bookings lag, delay hiring and spending.