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
Annual ROI
46.2%
Annual net income
$19,408
Annual gross revenue
$28,908
Simple payback period
2.2
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One click, a permanent link with your numbers baked in.
How to use this
- 1Enter total unit investment (unit + site prep) ($).
- 2Enter nightly rate ($).
- 3Enter annual average occupancy (%).
- 4Enter annual operating cost (cleaning, utilities, maintenance) ($).
- 5Read your annual roi on the right — it updates as you type.
- 6Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Adding a glamping unit, yurt, or small cabin to an existing campground or rural property is a common way to raise average rate without full hotel-level construction cost. This calculator takes the unit's purchase and site-prep cost, expected nightly rate and occupancy, and annual operating cost, then computes annual net income, cash-on-cash return, and simple payback period so you can compare a glamping unit investment against alternative uses of that capital, like adding more standard RV or tent sites.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Total unit investment (unit + site prep): 42000 $
- Nightly rate: 165 $
- Annual average occupancy: 48 %
- Annual operating cost (cleaning, utilities, maintenance): 9500 $
Results
- Annual ROI: 46.2%
- Annual net income: $19,408
- Annual gross revenue: $28,908
- Simple payback period: 2.2
What each field means
Inputs
- Total unit investment (unit + site prep) ($)
- The total unit investment (unit + site prep) used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 42000 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Nightly rate ($)
- The nightly rate used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 165 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Annual average occupancy (%)
- The annual average occupancy used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 48 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–100 %.
- Annual operating cost (cleaning, utilities, maintenance) ($)
- The annual operating cost (cleaning, utilities, maintenance) used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 9500 $ so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Annual ROI
- Returned as a percentage and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Annual net income
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Annual gross revenue
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Simple payback period
- Returned as a decimal number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
What occupancy is realistic for a single glamping unit?
Well-marketed glamping units in destination areas often achieve 45-60% annual average occupancy, higher in warm-climate or four-season markets, lower for units limited to a 5-6 month operating season in colder regions — factor seasonality into your occupancy assumption directly.
What operating costs are easy to underestimate?
Linen laundering and cleaning between every stay (glamping units are cleaned like hotel rooms, not left for guest self-service like a basic campsite), propane or electric heating/cooling, and more frequent furniture and canvas/structure maintenance than a standard hard-sided cabin.
How does glamping ROI compare to adding standard RV sites?
Glamping units usually command 2-4x the nightly rate of an RV site but cost significantly more upfront and carry higher operating cost per night, so ROI often lands in a similar 15-30% range — the real advantage of glamping is diversifying your guest base and improving average property rating and social media visibility.
Should financing cost be included as an operating cost?
Not in this simplified ROI calculation — this model shows unlevered return on the total investment. If you're financing the unit, calculate cash-on-cash return separately using just your down payment as the investment and subtracting debt service from net income.
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
Campground Site Revenue Calculator
Model revenue across RV, tent, and cabin sites at different occupancy and rate mixes.
Hotel Renovation Payback Calculator
Years to recover a renovation's cost from the incremental RevPAR it generates.
Seasonal Pricing Uplift Calculator
Revenue impact of raising or lowering rate for peak and off-peak seasons.
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Glamping / Cabin Unit ROI Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/glamping-cabin-roi-calculator
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/glamping-cabin-roi-calculator" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Glamping / Cabin Unit ROI Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Glamping / Cabin Unit ROI Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/glamping-cabin-roi-calculator) (2026).