Post-Construction Cleaning Break-Even Analysis: Month 7 Target

Fixed costs $18.5K/mo Year 1 base

Contribution margin 73% After variable costs

Break-even revenue $25.4K/mo Needed each month

Break-even timing Month 7 Model payback point

Break-even calculator

Use this calculator to test monthly revenue, variable expenses, and fixed costs against break-even for post-construction cleaning.

Lean Base Full

Monthly revenue Revenue is the pool that covers direct costs and overhead. $ Low sales High sales Variable expenses Use direct costs that move with each job and sale. $ Low costs High costs

Money available to cover fixed costs $106,434 $140,600 revenue - $34,166 variable expenses

Margin ratio

76%

Covers fixed costs

Yes

Fixed monthly costs Use the monthly cost base that stays in place even if sales dip. $ Light overhead Heavy overhead

Break-even chart Revenue Total costs

Which post-construction cleaning fixed costs and variable expenses belong in break-even?

Cost classification

Use fixed monthly overhead for the baseline, then subtract variable percentages from revenue to find contribution margin. Misclassifying one-time equipment or step-up payroll can make the Month 7 break-even look safer than it is.

Expense	Cost	Break-Even Treatment	Common Mistake
Office Rent & Storage	Fixed	Include $1,500 per month in baseline overhead.	Treating storage as job-level spend.
General Liability Insurance	Fixed	Include $300 per month across the planning range.	Moving it with each booked clean.
Scheduling & CRM Software	Fixed	Include $150 per month before contribution margin.	Ignoring small tools that still hit cash monthly.
Cleaning Crew Lead Payroll	Semi-fixed	Model $45,000 per year per FTE, stepping up as crew capacity rises.	Spreading added lead labor evenly across all months.
Cleaning Crew Member Payroll	Semi-fixed	Model $35,000 per year per FTE, then step up when staffing expands.	Treating full-time crew pay as purely job-variable.
Material & Supply Costs	Variable	Apply 12% of first-year revenue in contribution margin.	Booking supplies as fixed monthly overhead.
Fuel & Vehicle Maintenance	Variable	Apply 5% of first-year revenue for project-specific usage.	Mixing van purchases into operating break-even.
Marketing & Sales	Variable	Apply 8% of first-year revenue for non-CAC selling spend.	Confusing percentage marketing with the annual budget.

How does break-even shift across lean, base, and full post-construction cleaning scenarios?

Scenario table

Lean keeps storage off and crew hours tight, so fixed costs fall. Base uses the model’s Year 1 load, while full reflects later-year crew adds and the jump from $20k EBITDA in Year 1 to $355k in Year 2 and $885k in Year 3.

Planning case only; real results will move with job mix, crew use, and close rates.

Scenario	Monthly Revenue	Variable Costs	Fixed Costs	CM Ratio	Operating Profit	Break-Even Signal
Lean launch case	$20,500	$5,535	$14,517	73%	$448	Close to the line; a small miss pushes it under water.
Base Year 1 case	$28,219	$7,619	$18,933	73%	$1,667	Thin cushion, but it crosses break-even in Month 7.
Full Year 3 build	$147,169	$39,736	$33,683	73%	$73,750	Wide cushion; scale supports added crews and admin.

What breaks the break-even plan for post-construction cleaning?

Stress test

This plan is tight because $189k of fixed monthly costs need $259k in revenue at a 73% contribution margin. A 10% sales dip, variable costs rising to 32%, or fixed-cost creep can push break-even to roughly $278k-$306k a month.

Stress Case	Changed Assumption	Break-Even Revenue	Revenue Gap	Risk Signal
Current plan	No change.	$259k/month	$0 gap	Break-even only works if monthly revenue holds.
Revenue shortfall	Monthly sales run 10% below plan.	$259k/month	$26k gap	A small demand miss wipes out the monthly cushion.
Fixed-cost pressure	Fixed monthly costs rise 10% to about $208k.	$285k/month	$26k gap	Extra overhead pushes the target up fast.
Margin pressure	Variable expenses rise from 27% to 32%.	$278k/month	$19k gap	Re-cleans, disposal overruns, and long routes squeeze margin.
Combined pressure	Fixed costs rise 10% and variable expenses rise to 32%.	$306k/month	$47k gap	Overhead and margin pressure together can break the model.

What should a post-construction cleaning founder verify before buying vehicles and hiring beyond the first crew?

Founder checklist

Don’t buy the second van or hire past the first crew until you can quote each site in writing, fill the pipeline at the Year 1 CAC, and fund the Month 2 cash trough. In this model, break-even only works if scope, margin, and cash all hold together.

1Scope Sheets$65/$50 per hour

Confirm every quote spells out access rules, debris responsibility, punch-list limits, and billing terms so Final Clean at $65/hour and Rough Clean at $50/hour do not get eaten by rework.

2Demand Pipeline$250 CAC

Verify you can keep enough low-cost leads coming before you add vehicles, because Year 1 assumes a $5,000 marketing budget and a $250 customer acquisition cost.

3Fixed Load$18.5K/mo

Make sure you can carry the steady monthly burn from rent, insurance, software, utilities, and base payroll until break-even, which the model puts in Month 7.

4Margin Check73% CM

Check that quoted hours still leave about 73% after supplies, fuel, non-CAC marketing, and project insurance, because that margin has to pay wages and overhead.

5Crew Coverage1 lead + 2 crew

Confirm contractor coverage or early hires can handle the Year 1 staffing load without adding the admin role before Month 25, or payroll will outrun job flow.

6Cash Cushion$824K min cash

Hold enough cash for the Month 2 trough and the $97.5K of listed equipment and vehicles, and delay the second van or specialty gear if repeat jobs are not there yet.