Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Monthly profit
$6,721
Monthly revenue
$20,100
Occupied run-nights per month
353
Break-even occupancy rate
34.0%
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How to use this
- 1Enter boarding runs/kennels.
- 2Enter average occupancy (%).
- 3Enter nightly boarding rate ($).
- 4Enter add-on revenue per occupied night ($).
- 5Enter variable cost per occupied night ($).
- 6Enter monthly fixed cost (labor, facility) ($).
- 7Read your monthly profit on the right — it updates as you type.
- 8Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
A boarding or kennel add-on to a veterinary practice is a real estate and staffing decision as much as a service line. This calculator computes occupied-run-nights against total available run-nights to get an occupancy rate, then applies your nightly rate and add-on revenue (daycare, grooming, medication administration) against variable and fixed costs to produce a monthly profit figure, letting you see the occupancy level where the operation actually turns a profit versus just covering its own variable costs.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Boarding runs/kennels: 20
- Average occupancy: 58 %
- Nightly boarding rate: 48 $
- Add-on revenue per occupied night: 9 $
- Variable cost per occupied night: 11 $
- Monthly fixed cost (labor, facility): 9500 $
Results
- Monthly profit: $6,721
- Monthly revenue: $20,100
- Occupied run-nights per month: 353
- Break-even occupancy rate: 34.0%
What each field means
Inputs
- Boarding runs/kennels
- The boarding runs/kennels used in the calculation. Starts at 20 so you have a working example on load.
- Average occupancy (%)
- The average occupancy used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 58 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–100 %.
- Nightly boarding rate ($)
- The nightly boarding rate used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 48 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Add-on revenue per occupied night ($)
- The add-on revenue per occupied night used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 9 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Variable cost per occupied night ($)
- The variable cost per occupied night used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 11 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Monthly fixed cost (labor, facility) ($)
- The monthly fixed cost (labor, facility) used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 9500 $ so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Monthly profit
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Monthly revenue
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Occupied run-nights per month
- Returned as a whole number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Break-even occupancy rate
- Returned as a percentage. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
What occupancy rate does a boarding operation need to break even?
It depends entirely on fixed cost load and margin per night, which is exactly what the break-even output solves for. A facility with lean staffing and a strong nightly rate might break even near 35-40% occupancy, while a heavily staffed, low-rate operation could need 60%+ just to cover fixed costs.
Should daycare be modeled separately from overnight boarding?
Yes, ideally — daycare has a different cost structure (day staffing only, higher run turnover) and often better margin per hour than overnight boarding. This calculator treats add-ons as incremental revenue per occupied overnight stay; if daycare is a large stand-alone volume, run it through separately with its own capacity and rate.
How seasonal is boarding occupancy typically?
Very — most practices see occupancy spike around major holidays and summer travel weeks, sometimes hitting 90-100% for a handful of weeks, while shoulder-season weeks can drop to 30-40%. Use a realistic average across the year rather than your best week when budgeting.
Accuracy and 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.
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Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Boarding/Kennel Occupancy Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/boarding-kennel-occupancy
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/boarding-kennel-occupancy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boarding/Kennel Occupancy Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Boarding/Kennel Occupancy Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/boarding-kennel-occupancy) (2026).