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
Facility cost per child (current)
$135
Facility cost per child (at full capacity)
$104
Monthly cost of unfilled seats
$2,602
Capacity utilization
77%
Psst — share this and help Rex grow
One click, a permanent link with your numbers baked in.
How to use this
- 1Enter monthly rent or mortgage ($).
- 2Enter monthly utilities ($).
- 3Enter monthly maintenance & janitorial ($).
- 4Enter monthly property/liability insurance ($).
- 5Enter currently enrolled children.
- 6Enter licensed capacity.
- 7Read your facility cost per child (current) on the right — it updates as you type.
- 8Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Facility cost is the second-largest expense line for most childcare centers and schools after labor, and it's fixed regardless of how many seats are filled, which makes utilization the real lever on this number. This calculator sums rent or mortgage payment, utilities, routine maintenance, property/liability insurance, and janitorial cost, then divides by current enrollment to show facility cost per child. It separately shows what that per-child cost would be at full licensed capacity, which is usually dramatically lower — the gap between the two numbers is the financial cost of empty seats and a strong argument for enrollment investment over facility expansion. Centers evaluating a move or a lease renewal should run this at multiple enrollment scenarios (current, break-even, full capacity) rather than relying on a single snapshot, since a bigger, nicer space that looks affordable at full capacity can be a serious drag if it takes a year to fill.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Monthly rent or mortgage: 8500 $
- Monthly utilities: 1400 $
- Monthly maintenance & janitorial: 900 $
- Monthly property/liability insurance: 650 $
- Currently enrolled children: 85
- Licensed capacity: 110
Results
- Facility cost per child (current): $135
- Facility cost per child (at full capacity): $104
- Monthly cost of unfilled seats: $2,602
- Capacity utilization: 77%
What each field means
Inputs
- Monthly rent or mortgage ($)
- The monthly rent or mortgage used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 8500 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Monthly utilities ($)
- The monthly utilities used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 1400 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Monthly maintenance & janitorial ($)
- The monthly maintenance & janitorial used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 900 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Monthly property/liability insurance ($)
- The monthly property/liability insurance used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 650 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Currently enrolled children
- The currently enrolled children used in the calculation. Starts at 85 so you have a working example on load.
- Licensed capacity
- The licensed capacity used in the calculation. Starts at 110 so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Facility cost per child (current)
- 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.
- Facility cost per child (at full capacity)
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Monthly cost of unfilled seats
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Capacity utilization
- Returned as a percentage. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
What should I include in 'maintenance'?
Routine janitorial contracts, HVAC servicing, landscaping, pest control, and a reasonable monthly reserve for repairs (many operators budget 1-2% of the property's value annually for a reserve, converted to a monthly figure). Don't include one-time capital improvements like a roof replacement; those belong in a separate capital budget, not recurring facility cost.
Why show cost per child at full capacity if I'm not there?
It sets the target you're financially working toward and shows how much upside exists from filling seats versus how much downside exists from losing them. If facility cost per child would drop by 40% at full capacity, that's a strong signal that enrollment marketing spend is probably a better investment than facility upgrades.
How does this interact with the classroom breakeven calculator?
This tool gives you the facility-cost input you'd allocate per classroom in a breakeven calculation. Divide total facility cost across classrooms by square footage or seat count, then feed that allocated number into the classroom breakeven tool alongside teacher labor cost for a complete per-room cost picture.
Is a cheaper, smaller facility always better for margin?
Not if it caps your growth. A facility with a lower cost per child at current enrollment but no room to add classrooms limits your revenue ceiling. Model cost per child at capacity for both the current site and any expansion option before deciding — cheap-but-full often loses to a good lease with real growth room.
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.
Related tools
Classroom Enrollment Breakeven Calculator
Find the minimum enrolled children a classroom needs to cover its costs.
Licensing Capacity Revenue Gap Calculator
Find the revenue you're leaving on the table between actual and licensed capacity.
Childcare Staffing Ratio Cost Calculator
Turn a required teacher-to-child ratio into a monthly labor cost per classroom.
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Facility Cost Per Child Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/facility-cost-per-child
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/facility-cost-per-child" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facility Cost Per Child Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Facility Cost Per Child Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/facility-cost-per-child) (2026).