WiFi Site Survey Break-Even Analysis: About $96K Monthly Revenue

Fixed costs $9.6K/mo Base overhead

Contribution margin 70% After variable costs

Break-even revenue $13.6K/mo Monthly target

Break-even timing Month 6 Model crossover

Break-even calculator

Use this to test monthly revenue, variable expenses, and fixed costs against break-even for a wireless site survey service.

Lean Base Full

Monthly revenue Revenue sets the pool that covers direct costs and overhead. $ Soft demand High demand Variable expenses Direct costs that rise with each project, like travel, cabling labor, and software. $ Light cost Heavy cost

Money available to cover fixed costs $72,383 $119,083 revenue - $46,700 variable expenses

Margin ratio

61%

Covers fixed costs

Yes

Fixed monthly costs Salaries and overhead that stay on the month's bill. $ Lean overhead Heavy overhead

Break-even chart Revenue Total costs

Which expenses are fixed, and which move with sales for a WiFi site survey service?

Cost classification

Classification drives break-even reliability because fixed overhead must be covered every month, while variable items rise with billable work. Here’s the quick math: in the first year, known fixed overhead is $9,550/month before payroll.

Expense	Cost	Break-Even Treatment	Common Mistake
Fixed facilities and admin overhead	Fixed	Include $9,550/month: office lease $4,500, insurance $1,200, CRM and project software $650, utilities and internet $800, accounting and legal $1,500, and vehicle insurance $900.	Counting launch equipment as monthly operating expense.
Salaried field team and project management	Semi-fixed	Model first-year payroll at $560,000/year, then step it up only when staffing capacity increases.	Spreading salaries like they rise with every job.
Subcontracted cabling labor	Variable	Deduct 15% of first-year revenue before contribution margin.	Burying subcontract labor in overhead.
Software subscription licensing	Variable	Deduct 5% of first-year revenue as usage-linked delivery expense.	Treating usage-based licensing as fixed software.
Vehicle fuel and maintenance	Variable	Deduct 6% of first-year revenue because site visits drive the spend.	Budgeting fuel as flat office overhead.
Travel and per diem expenses	Variable	Deduct 4% of first-year revenue and tie it to customer location mix.	Treating travel as fixed when jobs are remote.
Annual marketing budget	Semi-variable	Use $45,000/year with customer acquisition cost at $1,500; it can be planned, but spend should flex with lead targets.	Assuming marketing stays fixed while growth targets change.

How does break-even shift from a lean launch to base and full service?

Scenario table

Lean stays near or below break-even because monthly revenue sits under the about $96K threshold. Base clears it at about $119K a month, and full service moves farther ahead as bundled work lifts revenue and spreads fixed costs.

These are planning assumptions, not guarantees; mix, staffing, and travel can move the result.

Scenario	Monthly Revenue	Variable Costs	Fixed Costs	CM Ratio	Operating Profit	Break-Even Signal
Lean RF-only launch	$89K	$27K	$67K	70%	-$5K	Below break-even; under 33 RF-only surveys a month creates pressure.
Base staffed local coverage	$119K	$36K	$67K	70%	$16K	Clears break-even, but the cushion is still thin.
Full bundled field rollout	$242K	$89K	$67K	63.5%	$87K	Well above break-even; bundled projects widen the cushion.

What breaks the break-even plan for the WiFi site survey service?

Stress test

The plan is most exposed to slower bookings and field-cost creep. At $119K monthly revenue and a 70% contribution margin, the share left after variable costs, a 20% sales drop, a $10K overhead jump, or a 5-point margin hit can push break-even past Month 6.

Stress Case	Changed Assumption	Break-Even Revenue	Revenue Gap	Risk Signal
Current plan	No change.	$96,000/month	$23,000 cushion	Rework or idle technicians can eat the cushion.
Revenue shortfall	Revenue falls 20% to about $95,000/month.	$96,000/month	$1,000 gap	A booking dip leaves almost no room for overruns.
Fixed-cost pressure	Fixed costs rise by $10,000/month.	$110,000/month	$9,000 cushion	A $10K monthly overhead jump cuts the cushion.
Margin pressure	Variable expenses rise from 30% to 35%.	$103,000/month	$16,000 cushion	Higher travel and subcontracting push break-even higher.
Combined pressure	Revenue falls 20%, fixed costs rise $10,000/month, and margin drops to 65%.	$118,000/month	$23,000 gap	This can erase the Year 1 EBITDA cushion before Month 6.

Can you prove enough survey demand before you lock the lease, hires, and equipment?

Founder checklist

Don’t add payroll, a lease, or more gear until booked surveys can cover the Year 1 ramp. The model needs $626K of cash at the Month 5 low point, so early demand has to be real.

1Demand proof$560K payroll

Confirm booked surveys can support the Year 1 payroll load before you lock in hires, because this is the first hard break-even test.

2Launch demand$45K budget

Hold the Year 1 marketing budget until proposal flow is steady, so you are buying real bookings instead of empty leads.

3Margin check70% CM

Keep cabling at 15% of revenue and the other variable costs in line, because 15% plus 5% plus 6% plus 4% leaves about 70% contribution before payroll.

4Capacity ramp12.5 hrs

Use the Year 1 average of 12.5 billable hours per active customer to check that survey units, laptops, and reporting flow are near full use before you add consultants or more gear.

5Cash buffer$626K

Keep cash above the Month 5 low point of $626K, because breakeven does not arrive until Month 6 and the early ramp is cash heavy.

6Overhead load$9.6K/mo

Don’t lock the $4,500 lease unless the full monthly overhead of about $9.6K is already backed by booked work and delivery volume.