Startup Costs Across 10 Industries — Side-by-Side Comparison (2026)

The Master Startup Cost Comparison Table

Restaurant Startup Costs: What the Numbers Actually Mean

The restaurant industry has one of the highest startup cost floors of any vertical. Here is where the money goes:

Commercial kitchen equipment: $50,000-$175,000. Hood systems ($15,000-30,000), commercial ranges ($8,000-25,000), walk-in coolers ($10,000-20,000), dishwasher ($5,000-15,000). New vs. used equipment dramatically changes this number.

Lease and buildout: $75,000-$250,000. Landlords typically require 3-6 months of rent upfront. Buildout includes plumbing, electrical, HVAC (yes, restaurants need their own HVAC system separate from the building), and aesthetic finishes. A "white box" space costs less than a dark shell.

Licensing and permits: $5,000-15,000. Includes business license, food handler permits, liquor license (if applicable — $1,000 in some states, $500,000 in California for a full liquor license), health department permits, and certificate of occupancy.

Working capital (3 months): $30,000-80,000. Payroll, food costs, and fixed expenses before reaching cash-flow positive. Most restaurant failures happen in the working capital gap — the business is profitable on paper but runs out of cash.

Source: National Restaurant Association 2025 Opening Costs Survey, SBA restaurant lending data.

HVAC and Trades: Capital-Efficient Businesses

Skilled trades have among the best capital efficiency in small business. Here is the HVAC breakdown at different scales:

Solo operator launch: $25,000-40,000. One used service van ($12,000-20,000), basic equipment and tools ($5,000-10,000), insurance ($3,000-5,000/year), licensing fees ($500-2,000), and 3 months of working capital. Most HVAC operators are profitable within their first quarter if they have existing customer relationships.

Small crew (2-3 techs): $65,000-$120,000. Second vehicle, additional tools, dispatcher software, QuickBooks setup, and a small marketing budget for Google Ads.

Full shop (5+ techs, service manager): $150,000+. Facility lease, warehouse for parts inventory, fleet of vans, service management software (ServiceTitan runs $300-$800/month), and working capital for parts and payroll.

Electricians and plumbers follow similar curves with slightly higher licensing costs (electrician journeyman/master licenses run $100-$1,000 in most states) but similar equipment profiles.

Healthcare Startup Costs: Why Doctors Need SBA Loans

De novo healthcare practice startups are capital-intensive by design. The equipment alone often exceeds what a first-time borrower can self-fund.

Dental practice de novo: The dental chair is the central cost ($12,000-25,000 each, most practices need 4-6). Digital x-ray equipment: $50,000-80,000. CBCT scanner (3D imaging): $80,000-150,000. Sterilization equipment: $20,000-40,000. Practice management software (Dentrix, Eaglesoft): $5,000-15,000 upfront plus $400-$900/month. Leasehold improvements for dental-specific plumbing and electrical: $100,000-$200,000.

Medical primary care: Exam tables ($2,000-5,000 each), EKG machine, spirometer, lab equipment if offering in-house labs. EHR software (Epic, Athenahealth) runs $500-1,500/month. Malpractice insurance: $5,000-25,000/year depending on specialty and state.

SBA 7(a) and 504 loans are purpose-built for healthcare practice startups. Dentists and physicians can typically borrow $400,000-$1,000,000 with 10-year terms and favorable rates under SBA programs, with the practice projected cash flow used in underwriting.

SaaS and E-commerce: Capital-Light but Not Free

Tech businesses have lower hard asset costs but front-load different expenses.

SaaS minimum viable product: $20,000-50,000 if founders write their own code. $100,000-$300,000 if you are hiring engineers or an agency. The "$5,000 MVP" is possible with no-code tools for extremely simple workflows, but most B2B SaaS products require real engineering. Infrastructure costs (AWS, Heroku, database services) run $200-2,000/month depending on usage.

E-commerce product business: Inventory is the killer variable. A 500-unit first run of a physical product might cost $8,000-20,000 depending on manufacturing. Add $5,000-15,000 for first 3 months of Meta/Google ads, $3,000-5,000 for Shopify setup and photography, and $2,000-5,000 for LLC formation, insurance, and logistics setup.

The e-commerce trap: Most new operators underestimate customer acquisition cost (CAC). If your Meta ad CAC is $45 and your product margin is $30, you are losing money on every sale — and working capital dries up fast.

Franchise vs. Independent: What You Are Actually Paying For

The median franchise costs more upfront ($350,000) than starting an independent business in most verticals — but you are buying different things.

What the franchise fee buys ($30,000-$80,000 for most brands): Proven operating system, brand recognition, national marketing fund access, training program, and protected territory. For first-time business owners, this can be worth the premium — you are less likely to make the rookie mistakes that close independent restaurants and gyms in year one.

What it costs you: Royalties (5-8% of gross revenue, forever), marketing fund contributions (1-2%), franchisor-mandated suppliers (which may charge more than market), and loss of flexibility. A restaurant franchise operator cannot change the menu; an independent operator can pivot in a week.

The math: At $500,000 annual revenue, 7% royalties = $35,000/year out the door. Over 10 years: $350,000 in royalties on top of the upfront fee. The brand has to be worth it in traffic and premium pricing to justify that.

Hidden Startup Costs Most New Operators Miss

The line items that do not show up in startup cost calculators:

Working capital buffer (3-6 months of operating expenses): Almost universally underestimated. If your monthly burn is $25,000, you need $75,000-$150,000 in reserve you never touch except in emergencies.

Pre-opening marketing: You do not exist until people know you exist. Budget $3,000-20,000 for pre-launch marketing depending on your model — Google My Business setup, local SEO, social media, grand opening events, and early Google Ads.

Accounting and legal setup: LLC formation ($50-$500 depending on state), operating agreement, shareholder agreements if you have partners, accountant setup for chart of accounts and payroll: $2,000-5,000.

Insurance you forgot about: General liability, workers comp (required the day you hire employee #1), commercial auto for any business vehicles, commercial property, and professional liability if you provide advice. Total insurance premiums: $3,000-25,000/year depending on industry.

Technology setup: POS system, scheduling software, CRM, email marketing platform, website. Budget $2,000-8,000 for initial setup plus $200-1,500/month ongoing.

FAQ

Q: What industry has the lowest startup cost?
A: Consulting and professional services. A solo consultant can launch with a laptop, a website ($500), business insurance ($1,000/year), and LLC formation ($200). Total under $3,000. The constraint is client acquisition, not capital.

Q: Can I start a restaurant for under $100,000?
A: Food truck or ghost kitchen, yes. Full-service brick-and-mortar in most markets, no — unless you find an existing restaurant to take over with equipment in place, significantly reducing your startup capital need.

Q: How much working capital is enough?
A: Standard guidance is 6 months of operating expenses. In reality, capital-intensive businesses (restaurants, healthcare) with predictable ramp-up curves need 12 months. Service businesses with fast ramp-up (HVAC, landscaping, cleaning) can often manage with 3 months.

Q: Does industry determine how easily I can get a business loan?
A: Yes, significantly. Lenders have industry-specific appetite. Healthcare practices, established franchises, and construction companies with contracts have strong lending markets. New restaurants, cannabis businesses, and early-stage SaaS startups face more limited or expensive options.

Licensing Requirements by Industry: What You Need Before You Open

Licensing is where most new operators get blindsided. Here is what each industry actually requires before the first dollar of revenue:

Sources: SBA.gov Business Guide, NASCLA, State Contractor Licensing Boards, ABA, MGMA, NAR. Updated 2026.

A common mistake: assuming a general business license covers you. In regulated industries — construction, healthcare, food service — operating without the proper professional license can make your contracts unenforceable and expose you to criminal liability.

Financing Options by Startup Cost Tier

The right financing depends on how much capital you need and what assets you can pledge. Here are the best options at each level:

SBA loans in 2026: Interest rates are elevated vs. 2020-2021 lows. Current 7(a) rates are Prime + 2.25-2.75% for loans over $50,000. With Prime at ~8.5%, expect 10.75-11.25% on most SBA loans. Still the best option for healthcare and food service — conventional banks often will not lend to new restaurants at all.

SBA 504 loans (for real estate and equipment) carry fixed rates of 6.1-6.8%, which are more predictable for capital-intensive purchases. Processing: 30-45 days for 504 vs. 5-10 days for 7(a) Express.

Sources: SBA.gov, SBA 504 interest rates, prime rate (Federal Reserve).

Data Sources and Verification

Every cost figure on this page is traceable to a real, verifiable source. Here are the primary data sources used:

Numbers marked with a source citation in the relevant section. If a data point is outdated, please flag it using the feedback form.