Estimate annual revenue, operating costs, payback period, and 10-year profit for your
controlled environment agriculture operation — indoor farm, vertical greenhouse, or indoor flower facility.
Planning a commercial build? Talk to our commercial team.
Enter your facility details, costs, and revenue targets. Use the Yield Mode toggle to input yield by area or by harvest. Expand Financing for loan modeling.
Quick Start Preset (Optional)
Facility & Yield
Capital Expenses (CapEx)
Annual Operating Expenses (OpEx)
+ Financing (Optional — model a business loan)
% (0 = no loan)
Scenario:
i
Conservative: −20% yield, +10% costs. Moderate: your inputs as entered. Optimistic: +15% yield, −5% costs. Stress-test your plan before committing capital.
Annual Revenue—per year
Total Annual Costs—OpEx + annualized CapEx
Net Profit / Year—before tax
Profit Margin—% of revenue
Payback Period
—
Simple payback: total CapEx ÷ (annual revenue − OpEx), before financing and taxes.
Annual Yield
—
Total lbs harvested per year at stated cycles and yield per cycle.
Annualized CapEx
—
Setup cost amortized over facility lifespan (straight-line, minus salvage).
10-Year Net Profit
—
Cumulative net profit over 10 years, CapEx fully accounted for.
Annual Loan Payment
—
Annual principal + interest payment (cash). Only the interest is added to Year 1–7 costs; principal repays the equipment already counted above.
Cash-on-Cash Return
—
Annual cash flow after loan payments ÷ equity invested (CapEx not financed). Strong projects target 20%+.
⚠️ This calculator provides estimates for planning purposes only. Actual results depend on crop quality, market conditions, operational efficiency, regulatory costs, and many other factors. Projections are not a guarantee of profitability. Consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
How to use this calculator
Choose a preset or start from scratch with your own numbers.
Select Yield Mode: "By Area" uses lb/sq ft/harvest; "By Harvest" takes a total per-cycle weight.
Enter your CapEx — total setup cost, expected lifespan, and salvage value.
Fill in OpEx — electricity, labor, nutrients, rent, and other annual costs. Use our Electricity Calculator for an accurate energy number.
Optional: Expand the Financing section if you're modeling a business loan.
Select a scenario (Conservative / Moderate / Optimistic) to stress-test your plan.
Click Calculate ROI — review all 8 output metrics and open the 10-year chart.
Click Calculate ROI above to populate the 10-year projection chart.
The chart shows cumulative revenue, costs, and net profit over 10 years — including the break-even point where cumulative profit turns positive.
CEA Quick Reference — Benchmarks by Operation Type
Industry benchmarks for common CEA operation types. Actual results vary widely by market, crop, and operational efficiency.
Operation Type
Typical Canopy
Cycles / Year
Yield / sq ft / yr
CapEx / sq ft
Target Payback
Small Indoor Leafy Greens
200–1,000 sq ft
6–9
4–8 lb (fresh weight)
$50–$150
2–4 years
Indoor Flower Room
500–5,000 sq ft
4–6
35–70 g/sq ft
$150–$400
2–5 years
Vertical Farm (multi-tier)
2,000–20,000 sq ft (footprint)
8–12
20–60 lb/sq ft (all tiers)
$300–$800
4–8 years
Greenhouse Tomatoes / Cucumbers
5,000–50,000 sq ft
2–4
10–15 lb/sq ft (≈50–70 kg/m²)
$20–$80
3–6 years
Microgreens (indoor)
100–500 sq ft
20–26
15–30 lb/sq ft
$30–$100
1–3 years
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good ROI for a CEA operation?
A well-run indoor farm typically targets a 3–5 year payback period and 20–40% net margin at scale. ROI varies significantly by crop, market (wholesale vs. direct), location, and energy costs. Leafy greens in high-cost urban markets often achieve the strongest margins; high-value flower operations have higher revenue potential but also higher regulatory and capital costs.
How do I calculate CEA operating costs accurately?
CEA operating costs include electricity (25–40% of OpEx), labor (20–35%), nutrients and media (5–15%), water, HVAC maintenance, packaging, and overhead. Use your local utility rate and actual fixture wattage for the most accurate electricity estimate — our Electricity Calculator makes this easy. Build in a 10–15% contingency on OpEx for your first year.
What is a realistic yield per square foot for indoor farming?
Yields vary widely by crop: leafy greens and herbs in vertical systems can reach 25–50+ lb/sq ft/year with fast cycling; high-value flower crops in optimized flowering rooms typically yields 50–80 grams per sq ft per harvest (4–6 harvests/year); tomatoes in high-tech greenhouses produce about 10–15 lb/sq ft/year (50–70 kg/m²). This calculator accepts your actual expected yield rather than assuming a default — which is why accurate trial data from a pilot run is invaluable before scaling.
Should I use wholesale or retail pricing in my CEA ROI model?
Model both scenarios. Retail or direct-to-consumer pricing is 2–4× wholesale but requires sales infrastructure and volume caps. Most operations blend channels: a base of wholesale/distributor volume topped with higher-margin direct sales. For initial planning, using a blended price 15–25% above your expected wholesale floor is a reasonable conservative assumption — and always stress-test with the Conservative scenario toggle.
How does financing affect my CEA payback period?
Financing increases annual costs during the repayment window (loan interest is added to costs; principal repays equipment already counted in annualized CapEx). Simple payback is shown before financing; financing mainly means you invest less equity upfront, improving cash-on-cash return on your equity. Use the Financing section to model exactly how a loan at a given rate and term changes your Year 1–7 cost structure vs. full cash purchase. Many operators find that financing 60–75% of CapEx at sub-10% rates is favorable if revenue projections are solid.
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