What is payback period?

The payback period is how long it takes for the savings from the equipment to equal its purchase cost. For example, if a machine costs £1,000 and saves you £50 per week, the payback period is 20 weeks. After that, the savings are pure profit.

What is a good ROI for cleaning equipment?

A positive first-year ROI means the equipment pays for itself within 12 months — this is generally a good investment. Higher-cost items like ride-on scrubber dryers may take 2-3 years to pay back but offer significant long-term returns through labour savings.

Should I buy or lease equipment?

Buying is better for equipment with a long lifespan that you will use frequently. Leasing suits expensive equipment you need immediately but cannot afford outright, or equipment that becomes obsolete quickly. Compare the total leasing cost over its life against the purchase price.

How do I estimate time saved per job?

Time a job before and after using the new equipment. Common examples: a cordless vacuum saves 5-10 minutes per job on setup; an auto-scrubber saves 15-30 minutes per 100m² of floor area; a backpack vacuum saves 5 minutes per room in multi-room cleans.

CleanCalcs

Equipment ROI Calculator

Calculate the return on investment and payback period for cleaning equipment purchases.

Equipment Purchase Cost

Total cost including VAT

Time Saved Per Job

Minutes saved per cleaning job

Jobs Per Week

Average weekly jobs

Hourly Charge Rate

What you charge per hour

Annual Maintenance

Yearly upkeep cost

How We Calculate This

This calculator estimates the financial return from investing in cleaning equipment based on the time it saves.

Formula

Weekly saving = (time saved per job ÷ 60) × jobs per week × hourly charge rate

Annual saving = weekly saving × 52

Payback period = purchase cost ÷ weekly net saving

ROI = ((annual net benefit - purchase cost) / purchase cost) × 100

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Calculators

Hourly Rate Calculator

Calculate the hourly rate you need to charge to cover costs and make a profit.

Quote Builder Calculator

Build a detailed cleaning quote with line items, labour, materials and markup.

Job Cost Calculator

Calculate the total cost of a cleaning job including labour, materials, travel and overheads.

Profit Margin Calculator

Work out your profit margin from revenue and costs, or find the price needed for a target margin.

Staff Cost Calculator

Calculate the true cost of employing cleaning staff including NI, pension and holiday.

Last updated: February 2026

All calculations are estimates. Always verify quantities and timings for your specific situation.