Renovation Budget Planner: What Closing Really Costs
A contractor prices the building work. Nobody prices the other half: the revenue you lose while it happens. Add your line items to the table, mark which ones really need the doors shut, and the tool works out what closing completely costs against renovating while you stay open — including the reopening ramp-up after a closure and the premium for working around live service.
How it works
- 1
Add every line item to the table
What it is, which category (kitchen, dining room, façade, permits, …), the cost, and whether it can genuinely happen during opening hours or the venue has to close. For anything that needs closure: how many days the work takes.
- 2
The closure length is added up
Only the items that can't happen during service count — façade work or a new till don't need the doors shut.
- 3
Compare closing completely with renovating around service
Closing completely is shorter but earns nothing, plus a three-week reopening ramp-up — revenue doesn't snap straight back to a hundred percent. Renovating around service takes longer (a contractor waits for the quiet moments) and costs a premium, but the venue keeps running at a reduced pace. Both totals sit side by side.
- 4
Print the budget
One sheet with the line items grouped by category, the total budget including contingency, and the comparison — handy for the bank, the contractor, or just to make the call.
Frequently asked questions
Is this free?
Yes, completely free, no account needed. Everything stays in your own browser.
Why isn't closing completely always the cheapest option?
Closing is shorter, but every day earns nothing, and the first weeks after reopening the venue still isn't running at full pace — people need to find out you're open again. Renovating around service takes longer and costs a premium for overtime and protection, but revenue never fully disappears. Which option wins depends on how much your revenue weighs against the building cost — which is why the tool works out both.
How do I know how many days a line item needs?
Ask your contractor for each item — a kitchen floor and a new extraction duct have very different timelines. An estimate that's a few days off is still better than a budget with no timeline at all.
What does 'can happen during service' mean?
That the work doesn't require the venue to be closed — a new sign, a permit application or installing terrace heaters can usually happen while you're open. Tick it and that line item doesn't count towards the closure length.
What are the percentages under 'settings'?
Assumptions you can adjust yourself: how much longer working around service takes than a full closure, how far your revenue drops for that whole period, and what premium overtime and protection cost. The tool always shows them — nothing is hidden in the calculation.
This is a house document to help you prepare a decision, not a construction contract and not a permit guarantee. Costs, timelines and what a contractor can genuinely schedule around your service vary by project, by contractor and by municipality — always have your quotes and schedule checked by your contractor and, for permits, by your local authority.