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Industry-Specific Startup Costs

Generic startup cost guides give you ranges. These pages give you line-item breakdowns — real equipment prices, named software costs, licensing fee schedules, and the specific hidden costs each industry has that never appear in overview articles.

Bakery Startup Costs 2026

Home/cottage bakery: $2K–$12K. Retail storefront: $75K–$350K. Wholesale production: $200K–$600K. The cottage food law trap, commercial kitchen licenses, and the 3 cost categories that kill first-year bakeries.

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Dog Grooming Business Startup Costs 2026

Home salon: $5K–$20K. Mobile van: $30K–$75K. Retail shop: $40K–$150K. Why mobile groomers earn 40% more per dog than shop-based groomers — and what a fully-converted grooming van actually costs.

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Auto Repair Shop Startup Costs 2026

2-bay starter: $50K–$120K. 3–4 bay general: $100K–$250K. Specialty: $150K–$500K. Lift cost breakdown, diagnostic equipment, bay economics, and why $120/hr labor rate generates 50% more revenue from the same technician hours as $80/hr.

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Brewery Startup Costs 2026

Nanobrewery/taproom: $150K–$500K. Microbrewery: $350K–$1M. Production: $1M–$3M+. A taproom pint generates 5–8x more revenue per barrel than distribution — the math that explains why most new breweries are taproom-first.

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Daycare Startup Costs 2026

Home daycare: $5K–$25K. Small center (20–40 children): $100K–$300K. Large center: $300K–$800K. Staff-to-child ratios, 6–12 month licensing timelines, and the CACFP food program reimbursement most new operators miss.

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Medical Practice Startup Costs 2026

Solo primary care: $100K–$300K. Specialty: $200K–$600K. The insurance credentialing gap (90–180 days, zero revenue) is the #1 reason new practices fail — not equipment costs. EHR pricing, malpractice insurance, and DPC vs. insurance math.

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Restaurant Startup Costs 2026

Fast casual: $350K–$850K. Full service: $500K–$1.5M. Food truck: $75K–$200K. Ghost kitchen: $10K–$50K. Includes the 3 cost killers: equipment, build-out, and liquor license.

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Ecommerce Startup Costs 2026

Dropshipping: $2K–$8K. Owned inventory: $15K–$50K. Amazon FBA: $5K–$20K. Custom DTC brand: $30K–$100K first year. Real CAC benchmarks and the hidden fees that erode margins.

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Consulting Business Startup Costs

Solo consultant: $500–$3K total. Small firm: $5K–$25K. The real cost is 3–6 months of runway while finding clients — not the tools. What to spend on and what to skip.

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Hair Salon Startup Costs 2026

Small salon (4–6 chairs): $75K–$175K. Commission vs. booth rental model explained. The hidden build-out liability most salon owners discover too late — and how to negotiate your way out of it.

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Retail Store Startup Costs 2026

Small retail shop: $20K–$100K. Lease deposit $5K–$20K, initial inventory $10K–$50K, fixtures $2K–$15K. The inventory trap that kills most new retailers — and how to avoid it.

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Real Estate Agent Startup Costs 2026

Agent under a broker: $3K–$8K. Own brokerage: $15K–$50K. License exam $100–$300, NAR/MLS $500–$2K/yr. The commission split math that determines when going independent makes financial sense.

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Cleaning Business Startup Costs 2026

Solo residential: $2K–$8K. Commercial operation: $10K–$40K. The highest revenue-per-startup-dollar of any service business — and why margins get cut in half the moment you hire your first employee.

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Food Truck Startup Costs 2026

Food truck: $30K–$130K. Used truck $20K–$50K, new custom build $50K–$100K. The commissary kitchen requirement, location strategy, and why catering (not street service) drives real profit.

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Gym & Fitness Studio Startup Costs 2026

Traditional gym: $50K–$200K. Boutique studio (yoga, cycling, HIIT): $80K–$300K. Equipment vs. build-out tradeoff, franchise vs. independent math, and the sound system everyone underestimates.

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Tutoring Center Startup Costs 2026

In-home tutoring: $2K–$8K. Physical center: $30K–$100K. Why SAT prep packages generate 4.5x more revenue per tutor-hour than individual sessions — and the seasonal cash flow problem.

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Photography Business Startup Costs 2026

Mobile photography: $5K–$15K. Full studio: $30K–$100K. Camera $2K–$7K, lenses $1K–$5K, editing software $600/yr. The underpricing trap and why $150/session leaves most photographers below minimum wage.

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Landscaping Business Startup Costs 2026

Lawn care: $5K–$20K. Full landscaping: $15K–$75K. Truck and trailer dominate costs. Route density math, seasonal cash flow survival, and why equipment financing destroys margins.

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Coffee Shop Startup Costs 2026

Kiosk/cart: $25K–$75K. Small café: $80K–$200K. Full café: $150K–$500K. Drive-through: $400K–$1M. The throughput ceiling you set at build, and why prime rent absorbs the 65% gross margins that make coffee look so attractive.

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Laundromat Startup Costs 2026

Small (15–20 machines): $200K–$400K. Full-service (30–40 machines): $400K–$800K. One of the best EBITDA margins in small business (20–35%), runs largely unattended — but water costs are 15–25% of revenue and equipment age determines acquisition value.

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Car Wash Startup Costs 2026

Self-serve bay: $80K–$150K each. Automatic in-bay: $300K–$800K. Express tunnel: $1M–$3M+. The monthly membership model that turned car washes into subscription businesses — and why 1,000 members at $25/mo changes the math entirely.

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More Industry Guides

Looking for a different industry? Our guides section covers startup costs across 14 industries including childcare, healthcare, auto repair, trucking, and more.

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