The true cost per space of your operation
How to work out what each parking space really costs to run — and what that number reveals about pricing and which sites are worth keeping.
Most operators know their revenue per space but few know the true cost behind it. Until you do, pricing is guesswork and it is impossible to say which sites earn their keep. Working out cost per space turns a hunch into a number you can act on.
Everything that goes into the number
Cost per space is more than the ground it sits on. It includes the upfront capital of surfacing, lines, signage and equipment, spread over its life, plus the running costs that recur month after month. Leave any of these out and the picture flatters the site.
The honest total usually surprises operators who have only ever tracked takings.
- Capital — surfacing, signage, barriers, cameras and payment hardware
- Maintenance — repairs, cleaning, lighting and resurfacing over time
- Operations — enforcement, payment processing fees and admin
What the number reveals about pricing
Once you know what a space costs to offer, you can see whether the current tariff clears that cost with room to spare or barely covers it. It also exposes hidden drains — a site where payment fees and enforcement eat most of the margin, or one whose low occupancy means the fixed costs are spread too thin.
Deciding which sites are worth it
Cost per space lets you compare sites on the same honest basis and decide where to invest, where to reprice, and where to walk away. A site that never clears its cost may need a higher tariff, a different use, or an exit — but you cannot make that call without the figure.
- Compare sites on a like-for-like cost basis
- Spot spaces where the margin is quietly negative
- Direct investment to sites that genuinely pay
The takeaway
Cost per space is the number that turns parking from a gut feel into a business — once you know it, pricing, investment and the decision to keep or drop a site all get easier.
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Talk to an OPARKO parking consultant about what fits your sites — no obligation.