{
  "slug": "mobilization-demobilization-cost",
  "title": "Mobilization & Demobilization Cost Calculator",
  "heading": "Mobilization & Demobilization Cost Calculator",
  "category": "financial",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/mobilization-demobilization-cost",
  "summary": "Price the fixed cost of setting up and tearing down a jobsite.",
  "description": "Mobilization covers everything it takes to get equipment, crew, and temporary facilities onto a site and ready to work before productive construction begins: equipment transport and setup, temp fencing and site security, temp power hookup, office trailer delivery and connection, and initial safety setup. Demobilization is the mirror cost at the back end: equipment removal, site cleanup, trailer pickup, and final restoration of laydown areas. On heavy civil and remote projects these costs can be substantial enough to warrant their own bid line item (often paid as a lump sum early in the schedule specifically so the contractor isn't financing it out of pocket), while on smaller local jobs they're usually absorbed into general conditions. This calculator sums equipment transport, temp facility setup and teardown, and crew travel cost for a mobilization/demobilization line item, and shows it as a percentage of contract value so you can judge whether it deserves a standalone line or fits inside overhead.",
  "formula": "Mob/demob cost = Equipment transport (both ways) + Temp facility setup/teardown + Crew travel cost for setup/breakdown days.",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=mobilization-demobilization-cost",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "equipmentTransport",
      "label": "Equipment transport, round trip",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 18000,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "tempFacilitySetup",
      "label": "Temp facility setup + teardown",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 9500,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "crewTravelDays",
      "label": "Crew days spent mobilizing/demobilizing",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 6,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "crewDayRate",
      "label": "Crew cost per day",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 2400,
      "unit": "$/day",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "contractValue",
      "label": "Contract value",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 950000,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 1,
      "max": null
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "total",
      "label": "Total mobilization/demobilization cost",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "pctOfContract",
      "label": "As % of contract value",
      "format": "percent",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "crewCost",
      "label": "Crew travel/setup labor cost",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Equipment transport, round trip: 18000 $",
      "Temp facility setup + teardown: 9500 $",
      "Crew days spent mobilizing/demobilizing: 6",
      "Crew cost per day: 2400 $/day",
      "Contract value: 950000 $"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Total mobilization/demobilization cost: $41,900.00",
      "As % of contract value: 4.41%",
      "Crew travel/setup labor cost: $14,400.00"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter equipment transport, round trip ($).",
      "Enter temp facility setup + teardown ($).",
      "Enter crew days spent mobilizing/demobilizing.",
      "Enter crew cost per day ($/day).",
      "Enter contract value ($).",
      "Read your total mobilization/demobilization cost on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "equipmentTransport": 11000,
        "tempFacilitySetup": 5500,
        "crewTravelDays": 4,
        "crewDayRate": 1400,
        "contractValue": 570000
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "equipmentTransport": 18000,
        "tempFacilitySetup": 9500,
        "crewTravelDays": 6,
        "crewDayRate": 2400,
        "contractValue": 950000
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "equipmentTransport": 29000,
        "tempFacilitySetup": 15000,
        "crewTravelDays": 10,
        "crewDayRate": 3800,
        "contractValue": 1520000
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.",
    "Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.",
    "This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "When should mob/demob be its own bid line versus folded into GCs?",
      "a": "Public heavy civil contracts often require a separate mobilization pay item specifically so the contractor gets paid early for these front-loaded costs without waiting for progress billing on the actual work — this protects contractor cash flow on remote or large-scope jobs. Smaller local commercial and residential jobs typically absorb it into general conditions since the amounts are small relative to overall GC cost."
    },
    {
      "q": "What's a reasonable mobilization line item as a percentage of contract value?",
      "a": "Public works mobilization pay items are commonly capped by the owner at 5-10% of total contract value specifically to prevent front-loading a bid (getting paid disproportionately for early work to improve cash flow at the owner's expense). If your calculated mob cost exceeds that range, review whether you're including costs that belong elsewhere, like ongoing equipment rental that should be spread across the schedule."
    },
    {
      "q": "Does remote or difficult site access significantly change this cost?",
      "a": "Yes substantially — projects requiring barge, helicopter, or extensive temporary road construction just to get equipment on site can see mobilization costs multiply several times over versus a standard urban or suburban site with direct road access. Always price mobilization from the actual site access conditions in the bid documents, not a generic average."
    },
    {
      "q": "Should demobilization cost assume full equipment removal even on a phased project?",
      "a": "Not necessarily — on a multi-phase project where the same contractor is likely to remain on site or return for a subsequent phase, it may make sense to negotiate a reduced demobilization scope (partial teardown, equipment staying on site) rather than pricing full mob/demob for each phase independently, which can meaningfully reduce total project cost."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/jobsite-overhead-per-day",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/general-conditions-percentage",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/equipment-rental-vs-buy-crossover"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Mobilization & Demobilization Cost Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/mobilization-demobilization-cost)"
}