Worked example: a $6,000 camera
Here's the calculator at its default numbers — a $6,000 camera, $250 charged per tour, $85 of variable cost per tour, $69 a month in fixed costs, and 12 tours a month:
- Profit per tour: $250 − $85 = $165
- Fixed cost per tour: $69 ÷ 12 tours = $5.75
- Net per tour: $165 − $5.75 = $159.25
- Tours to break even: $6,000 ÷ $159.25 = 38 tours, or about 3.2 months at 12 a month
- Year one: 144 tours bring in $36,000 against $19,068 of costs including the camera — about $16,900 of profit
Break-even by camera cost and monthly volume
Same price and costs as above ($250 per tour, $85 variable cost, $69/month fixed), across three camera budgets and three shooting volumes:
| Camera cost | 6 tours / month | 12 tours / month | 20 tours / month |
|---|---|---|---|
| $3,000 | 20 tours · 3.3 months | 19 tours · 1.6 months | 19 tours · 0.9 months |
| $6,000 | 40 tours · 6.7 months | 38 tours · 3.2 months | 38 tours · 1.9 months |
| $10,000 | 66 tours · 11 months | 63 tours · 5.2 months | 62 tours · 3.1 months |
Read across a row: volume barely changes the number of tours you need — it changes how long they take to shoot. At 3 tours a month, the same $6,000 camera takes 43 tours and more than 14 months to pay off. Be honest about your realistic volume before you buy.
Price moves break-even more than volume
Price changes the number of tours itself. The same $6,000 camera at 12 tours a month:
| Price per tour | Net per tour | Tours to break even | Months at 12 / month |
|---|---|---|---|
| $200 | $109.25 | 55 | 4.6 |
| $250 | $159.25 | 38 | 3.2 |
| $350 | $259.25 | 24 | 2.0 |
| $450 | $359.25 | 17 | 1.4 |
Dropping from $250 to $200 to win work adds 17 tours to your payoff. Raising to $350 removes 14. Before you discount, see what the job should cost with the 3D tour price calculator, and check what your rates mean for the year with the income goal calculator.
Costs people forget to include
- Accessories. Tripod, spare batteries, chargers, and the phone or tablet the capture app runs on — add them to the camera cost.
- Hosting. Many platforms charge monthly to keep tours live, and archived tours can still count against your plan. The hosting comparison breaks down what each platform charges.
- Per-tour fees. Processing, floor plan, or publishing fees charged per job belong in your variable cost.
- Insurance and repairs. Equipment coverage and liability insurance are fixed monthly costs; a dropped camera is a second camera purchase.
Once the camera is paid off, turn your prices into a rate sheet and add floor plans and drone to raise the value of each shoot.