Rock Climbing Gym Break-Even Analysis: About $65K Monthly Revenue

Fixed costs $57.1K/mo Overhead plus payroll

Contribution margin 83% After variable costs

Break-even revenue $69.2K/mo Monthly target

Break-even timing Month 2 Launch ramp

Break-even calculator

Test monthly revenue, variable expenses, and fixed costs to see when the climbing gym clears break-even.

Lean Base Full

Monthly revenue Revenue from memberships, day passes, classes, events, and add-ons. $ Thin month Peak month Variable expenses Direct costs that rise with use, like route upkeep and retail or cafe cost of goods. $ Tight cost Higher cost

Money available to cover fixed costs $77,205 $82,900 revenue - $5,695 variable expenses

Margin ratio

93%

Covers fixed costs

Yes

Fixed monthly costs The monthly cost base this gym has to cover. $ Lean base Scaled base

Break-even chart Revenue Total costs

Which climbing gym expenses are fixed, and which move with sales?

Cost classification

Break-even only works if overhead stays in overhead and traffic-linked costs move with visits or sales. Rent and core payroll set the monthly hurdle; retail goods, instruction load, and equipment wear rise as volume grows.

Expense	Cost	Break-Even Treatment	Common Mistake
Facility Lease ($20,000/month)	Fixed	Include in monthly overhead from Month 1.	Spreading rent into visit volume.
Utilities ($3,000/month)	Semi-variable	Start with the base amount, then test higher HVAC load as visits rise.	Treating power and climate control as purely per-visit.
Commercial Insurance ($1,500/month)	Fixed	Include from launch month regardless of attendance.	Tying coverage only to daily traffic.
Front Desk Staff ($70,000 in Year 1)	Semi-fixed	Step payroll up when open hours or coverage needs expand.	Modeling desk labor as one flat headcount forever.
Climbing Instructors ($90,000 in Year 1)	Semi-variable	Link staffing to class volume and private coaching demand.	Staffing classes before bookings support the hours.
Head Route Setter ($60,000/year)	Semi-fixed	Keep core route setting in operating overhead.	Treating route setting as optional until cash is tight.
Retail Goods Cost (3.0% in Year 1)	Variable	Tie directly to retail sales.	Applying the percentage to total gym revenue.
Equipment Maintenance (3.0% in Year 1)	Variable	Move with climbing usage and overall traffic.	Freezing maintenance during busy months.

How does break-even change from a lean opening year to a base case and a full year for a rock climbing gym?

Scenario table

As memberships, day passes, and classes scale, revenue rises faster than fixed staffing and overhead, so break-even gets easier to cover. CM ratio is the share left after variable costs, and the lean case stays closest to the line.

Planning assumptions only; actual results will move with traffic mix, staffing, and rent pressure.

Scenario	Monthly Revenue	Variable Costs	Fixed Costs	CM Ratio	Operating Profit	Break-Even Signal
Lean opening year	$84.6k	$10.1k	$57.1k	88.0%	$17.4k	Above the ~$64.8k break-even line, but the cushion is tight.
Base stabilized year	$132k	$15.3k	$71.7k	88.4%	$45.0k	Well above the ~$81.1k break-even line, with room for normal swings.
Full capacity year	$188k	$18.8k	$75.4k	90.0%	$93.8k	Clears the ~$83.8k break-even line by a wide margin.

What breaks the break-even plan for this climbing gym?

Stress test

The base plan clears break-even by a wide margin, with about $181k of monthly cushion. The real risk is a 15% sales drop paired with higher payroll, maintenance, or other fixed overhead, which can pull the plan close to a monthly loss.

Stress Case	Changed Assumption	Break-Even Revenue	Revenue Gap	Risk Signal
Current plan	No change.	$648k	$181k cushion	Strong base buffer if traffic holds.
Revenue shortfall	Monthly revenue falls 15% to $705k.	$648k	$57k cushion	Still above break-even, but the buffer shrinks fast.
Fixed-cost pressure	Fixed overhead rises 10% to $628k.	$713k	$116k cushion	Higher payroll or rent eats into the cushion.
Margin pressure	Contribution margin slips from 88% to 83%.	$688k	$141k cushion	Maintenance or staffing pressure pushes break-even up.
Combined pressure	Revenue falls 15% and fixed overhead rises 10%.	$713k	$8k gap	This is the near-fail case and needs tight control.

Can this climbing gym clear break-even before you sign the lease?

Founder checklist

Yes, but only if the lease, build-out, staffing, and demand stack still work at the model’s run-rate. Here’s the quick check: protect the Month 6 cash floor, and do not commit major cash until the Year 1 volume and margin look real.

1Lease load$23k/mo

Confirm the space can carry $20k rent and $3k utilities without crowding out payroll, because occupancy cost sits under every future climb visit.

2Build-out$940k

Verify the full capex package still pencils out, including $400k for facility build-out, $300k for climbing walls, $75k for initial equipment, and $45k for bouldering mats.

3Demand proof$82.9k/mo

Validate the Year 1 monthly run-rate of 1,200 memberships, 1,500 day passes, 400 classes, and 40 private events, because that is the revenue base the gym needs to support break-even.

4Margin check13.7% EBITDA

Here’s the quick math: $994.8k of Year 1 revenue turns into $136k of EBITDA, so the operating buffer is thin enough that weak fill rates will show up fast.

5Staffing ramp7.5 FTE

Make sure the opening team can cover the Year 1 payroll of $350k, and lock insurance, waiver software, POS, cleaning, and safety workflows before the full front desk and route-setting load starts.

6Cash floor$96k

Set pre-sale targets before opening and keep cash above the Month 6 low, because the model reaches breakeven in Month 2 but still needs that reserve to survive the ramp.