Free tool 01

Adult Day Care Startup Cost Calculator

There is no honest national answer to what a center costs; there is your rent, your build-out, your wages, and your census curve. Put in your local numbers and get your estimate: startup capital, monthly operating cost, runway, and the break-even census. Everything runs in your browser; nothing is saved or sent.

One-time startup costs

Build-out and accessibility work ($)renovation, bathrooms, secure entry; use contractor quotesFurniture and equipment ($)chairs with arms, tables, recliners, activity and serving equipmentFees, deposits, professional costs ($)license fee, lease deposit, insurance down payment, legal and accounting

Monthly operating costs

Program space (sq ft)your state sets usable space per participant; size to your capacityRent ($ per sq ft per year)from local listings; triple-net extras go in other costsUtilities and maintenance ($/month)Payroll with taxes and benefits ($/month)director + aides to ratio + nurse hours if medical model; the staffing planner computes thisFood cost per participant-day ($)meals and snacks; CACFP participation can offset this for qualifying centersInsurance, transport, everything else ($/month)

Census and revenue assumptions

Average daily attendanceestimate low; centers rarely open fullOperating days per monthAverage revenue per participant-day ($)your blended rate across payers; use your private rate until you know your mixRunway to fund (months)months of operating cost until break-even census; public payer enrollment makes this longer than founders expect

Your numbers, estimated

One-time startup: $63,000
Rent / month: $3,600
Food / month: $2,772
Operating total / month: $31,272
Runway to fund: $187,632
Capital to open: $250,632
Revenue / month at your census: $26,180
Net / month at your census: -$5,092
Break-even census: 16.7 / day

Estimates from your own inputs, before taxes and financing costs. Not a quote, a business plan, or advice. Break-even census means average daily attendance whose revenue covers monthly operating costs on these inputs.

The budget is one page of the launch. The kit is the rest.

The Adult Day Care Licensing Kit pairs this arithmetic with the model decision, the licensing application stack, the policies outline, and the payer-by-payer funding guide. $199 once, 30-day money-back guarantee.

See the Licensing Kit Next: plan your staffing