Brewery Startup Cost Calculator
Price out a 1–7 BBL brewery line by line, then see month by month how much cash you need before it pays its own way. Honest defaults, every number editable.
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How to use this calculator
- Pick a starting point. Choose your brewhouse size, how you’ll sell, and whether you’ll can. The list fills with typical costs for that brewery.
- Replace our numbers with yours. Every line can be changed or removed, and you can add your own. Bräu Supply equipment shows its current price. Everything else shows a typical range.
- Be honest about sales. Set how much of your capacity you’ll sell in month 1, once established, and how long it takes to get there.
- Read the cash chart. The low point is how much cash the brewery burns before it pays its own way. You need that money on top of the build.
- Check the slow case. If your plan only works when sales come fast, it doesn’t work yet.
What it costs to open a nanobrewery
These are the typical ranges from the calculator for new equipment and a normal buildout. The low end is a space that needs little work and some used gear. The high end is a full restaurant-grade taproom in a building that needs drains, power and ventilation.
| Brewhouse | Taproom brewery (US$) | Kegs to bars, no taproom (US$) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 BBL | $75,000–$280,000 | $55,000–$190,000 |
| 3 BBL | $200,000–$620,000 | $150,000–$445,000 |
| 5 BBL | $300,000–$865,000 | $220,000–$610,000 |
| 7 BBL | $390,000–$1,080,000 | $285,000–$760,000 |
The building usually costs more than the brewing equipment. Floor drains, a sloped floor, electrical service and a finished taproom can easily cost two or three times what the brewhouse does. Look at a space that was a brewery, restaurant or food plant before you sign a lease on a bare shell.
The number most brewery plans miss
Most startup budgets stop at the cost to open. But a new brewery doesn’t sell at full speed on day one. For the first year or so, rent, wages and loan payments go out every month while sales build. That gap is real money, and it has to come from somewhere.
This calculator models it month by month. The cash to survive the ramp-up is the lowest point on the chart: the most money the brewery will have burned before it starts paying its own way. Add it to your share of the build and you get the cash you actually need to raise.
Why we don’t assume full tanks
A brewery never sells everything its tanks could make. Tanks sit empty for cleaning, batches get dumped, winter is slow, and a new taproom takes months to find its regulars. Planning at 100% of capacity makes almost any brewery look like a gold mine on paper.
We start at 30% in month 1 and 75% once established, over 18 months. Try the slow case: if the numbers only work at 90% or more, the plan is too tight.
Taproom or wholesale?
Where you sell each barrel matters more than almost anything else.
| How you sell a barrel | What it brings in (US$) |
|---|---|
| Poured in your taproom (248 × 16 oz pints at $7) | About $1,700 |
| Canned and sold to stores (248 × 16 oz cans at $2.25) | About $560 |
| Kegged and sold to bars (two ½ BBL kegs at $180) | About $360 |
A pint poured over your own bar brings in several times what the same beer earns in a keg sold to a bar. That’s why most new small breweries open with a taproom. Selling only kegs and cans to others can work, but it takes much more volume to cover the same rent and wages. Switch the calculator to Kegs to bars, no taproom to see the difference.
Ways to open for less
- Start small and add tanks. A 1 BBL brewhouse with several fermenters lets you prove your beer and your taproom before you commit to a big system.
- Skip the brite tank. A unitank can ferment, carbonate and serve from the same vessel.
- Size glycol for growth. Buy a glycol chiller big enough for the tanks you plan to add, so you only buy it once.
- Find a space that’s nearly ready. Existing drains, power and restrooms can save more than the whole brewhouse costs.
- Buy used where it’s safe. Kegs, coolers, furniture and some tanks are fine used. Check pressure ratings and welds on anything that holds pressure.
Licences and taxes
United States: file a Brewer’s Notice with the TTB before you brew for sale. Filing is free. You’ll also need a state manufacturer licence and local zoning and health approvals. Federal excise tax is $3.50 per barrel on the first 60,000 barrels a year for small brewers, plus your state’s beer tax.
Canada: you need a brewer licence from the CRA for excise duty, plus a manufacturer licence from your province’s liquor regulator and local permits. Small brewers pay a reduced federal excise rate on their first hectolitres; provincial markups vary by province.
Rules and rates change, so check with each office before you sign a lease.
Questions
How much does it cost to open a nanobrewery?
Most 1–3 BBL taproom breweries cost somewhere between $75,000 and $600,000 to open, in US dollars. The building and taproom usually cost more than the brewing equipment. On top of that, plan for enough cash to cover losses while sales build, often $50,000–$100,000 or more.
How much does a 3 BBL brewery cost?
A 3 BBL taproom brewery with six fermenters typically costs $200,000–$620,000 to open. The brewhouse and tanks are often under $100,000; the rest is the building, taproom, licences and opening costs.
Can a 1 BBL brewery make money?
It can pay its own costs if the owner does most of the work and almost everything is poured in a busy taproom. A 1 BBL brewery with six fermenters makes about 8–9 barrels a month, roughly 2,000 pints. Many owners use 1 BBL to prove their beer and taproom, then add a bigger brewhouse.
How long does it take a brewery to become profitable?
Many small taproom breweries take 12–24 months to reach a profitable month, and several years to pay back the owners’ money. The calculator shows the first profitable month and when your cash comes back for your numbers.
How much working capital does a new brewery need?
Enough to cover every month’s losses until sales catch up with costs. The calculator works this out from your rent, wages, loan and sales ramp: it’s the lowest point on the cash chart. Keep a cushion on top of it for surprises.
How much of a brewery can a loan cover?
Equipment loans and SBA loans in the US often cover 60–80% of the project, and banks will want to see your own money in it. Set the loan share, rate and term in the calculator to see the monthly payment.
What equipment do I need to start a nanobrewery?
A brewhouse (mash tun and kettle), fermenters, a glycol chiller, hot water, pumps and hoses, cleaning gear, a grain mill, lab gear, a CO₂ system, kegs, and a way to keep kegs cold and serve them. The calculator lists each one with a typical price.