Cost Of Growing

[DetroitGreen]

Wondering if anyone has done any really good book keeping, and calculated the actual cost of growing (not including labor) from start to finish. Not looking for the start up cost of purchasing equip, just a total cost for electric, nutes, water, etc. I'm sure this will vary greatly from person to person, but I'm hoping to figure an average from multiple answers. Cheers!

[outsideinthecold]

Wondering if anyone has done any really good book keeping, and calculated the actual cost of growing (not including labor) from start to finish. Not looking for the start up cost of purchasing equip, just a total cost for electric, nutes, water, etc. I'm sure this will vary greatly from person to person, but I'm hoping to figure an average from multiple answers. Cheers!

 

There are quite a few variables that will influence a cost figure. Other than genetics two biggest are the efficiency of the lighting and the grower's techniques. Obviously using generic Miracle Grow dirts and ferts is cheaper than hydroponics and designer media amendments. Likewise, batch growing is likely less expensive than running a perpetual grow.

 

It makes for quite a range both in cost and produced weight. Figure $100/zip when starting and between $25-50/per once production efficiency is maximized.

[+RevThad]

Wondering if anyone has done any really good book keeping, and calculated the actual cost of growing (not including labor) from start to finish. Not looking for the start up cost of purchasing equip, just a total cost for electric, nutes, water, etc. I'm sure this will vary greatly from person to person, but I'm hoping to figure an average from multiple answers. Cheers!

The electric cost is fairly straight forward to figure out. The costs for nutes and water will vary greatly with each setup, I say this because some folks already have ro systems setup at their homes, water quality can vary even between 2 houses on the same block, and the great variances in water use between methods of growing (soil, hydro, aero).

 

Anyways, to figure out what your electric cost is going to be use the following formula. Wattage x hours per day x number of days / 1000 = total kilowatt hours, now you take that number and look at the rate your electric provider is charging (you can find that on your electric bill). So lets look at an example.

 

*Example

Using a pair of 600w lights, one for each stage at the same time. We are running our veg room 18 hours on, and we are running our flower room 12 hours on. So lets get to the math.

600w x 18hours x 30days divided by 1000 = 324kwh during veg

600w x 12hours x 30days divided by 1000 = 216kwh during flower

 

The state average rate for electricity right now is .13 per kwh.

So our veg room would cost us 324 x .13 = $42.14 a month

Flower room would cost us 216 x .13 = $28.08

for a grand total of $70.22 a month for lighting.

 

Adding in pumps, fans, and any other electrical use associated with the grow rooms will help you dial in an exact cost. I didn't add any in the example because, most fans and pumps are in the low wattage range, and might add an additional $10-$15 bucks a month total, you can find out what they are using by looking at the ratings on them.

 

Hope that helps a bit with figuring out costs...

[DetroitGreen]

Awesome. All great info! I know it varies from setup to setup, but what do you figure you're spending in nutes/mo? Maybe a guess for soil and for hydro. Thanks again!

[peanutbutter]

Wondering if anyone has done any really good book keeping, and calculated the actual cost of growing (not including labor) from start to finish. Not looking for the start up cost of purchasing equip, just a total cost for electric, nutes, water, etc. I'm sure this will vary greatly from person to person, but I'm hoping to figure an average from multiple answers. Cheers!

 

1. toss a seed in the woods

2. come back six months later

 

Weed is free. As long as you don't mind the bugs ..

 

You get what you pay for.

[Grow Thread]

The electric cost is fairly straight forward to figure out. The costs for nutes and water will vary greatly with each setup, I say this because some folks already have ro systems setup at their homes, water quality can vary even between 2 houses on the same block, and the great variances in water use between methods of growing (soil, hydro, aero).

 

Anyways, to figure out what your electric cost is going to be use the following formula. Wattage x hours per day x number of days / 1000 = total kilowatt hours, now you take that number and look at the rate your electric provider is charging (you can find that on your electric bill). So lets look at an example.

 

*Example

Using a pair of 600w lights, one for each stage at the same time. We are running our veg room 18 hours on, and we are running our flower room 12 hours on. So lets get to the math.

600w x 18hours x 30days divided by 1000 = 324kwh during veg

600w x 12hours x 30days divided by 1000 = 216kwh during flower

 

The state average rate for electricity right now is .13 per kwh.

So our veg room would cost us 324 x .13 = $42.14 a month

Flower room would cost us 216 x .13 = $28.08

for a grand total of $70.22 a month for lighting.

 

Adding in pumps, fans, and any other electrical use associated with the grow rooms will help you dial in an exact cost. I didn't add any in the example because, most fans and pumps are in the low wattage range, and might add an additional $10-$15 bucks a month total, you can find out what they are using by looking at the ratings on them.

 

Hope that helps a bit with figuring out costs...

 

 

just wanted to add this:

http://www.hydroponics.net/learn/hid_lamp_op_cost.asp

 

[peanutbutter]

Wondering if anyone has done any really good book keeping, and calculated the actual cost of growing (not including labor) from start to finish. Not looking for the start up cost of purchasing equip, just a total cost for electric, nutes, water, etc. I'm sure this will vary greatly from person to person, but I'm hoping to figure an average from multiple answers. Cheers!

 

Growing is a skilled labor.

 

My first grow, I harvested two grams per plant.

 

My second was the same.

 

I found out that I needed more light. Third harvest went to about 7 grams per plant.

 

There went the first year.

 

I start seeing red when it gets implied that skilled labor should be free. Nearly every step of quality growing is labor intensive. Ignoring this skilled labor gives a false impression of the true costs of growing. And it's an insult to growers.

[DetroitGreen]

Thanks for the input. I'm simply asking what the average hard costs are. Not about skill level, and experience.

[Kevin]

I figured out my cost to grow last year and it came to an average of about $32 and change to grow each oz of medicine. Wanted to get it under $35. Your mileage may vary.

[DetroitGreen]

Kevin - approx how many plants? Hydro or soil? Thanks!

[flintcaregiver]

The guy who said $100 per zip is the closest but is still a bit short. Also there is a little bad math on the 600 watt mathematical equation. Nothing is 100 percent efficient, a 600 watt ballast does not use 600 watts. A really good one will have 660 watts of input used to make 600 output but a older mag ballast could be using 750 watts to make 600 watts of output power. Water coolers, a full line of advanced nutrients products, dehumidifiers,air conditioners, co2 tank refills, blown $100 bulbs every time the power flashes during a storm, the list goes on and on. For the very best quality medical grade product that will alleviate symptoms from your patients there will be zero profit to be made. If you break even and your patients are alive and well with chemical free meds it was all worth it in the end!

Another thread that should be started is how much of a loss have you taken and still continued. It is not always a perfect world situation out there. Bugs,mold,mildew,heat kill,bad water, you could have a whole year of failures and be out of pocket a endless amount. Who ever does not have some or all of these problems is lying to make themselves look good.

When in doubt listen to that peanutbutter guy. He seems to have it together with good reasonable advice and accurate content. Keep up the good work peanutbutter and blueberry! You men are my heros

[Grow Thread]

 

I start seeing red when it gets implied that skilled labor should be free. Nearly every step of quality growing is labor intensive. Ignoring this skilled labor gives a false impression of the true costs of growing. And it's an insult to growers.

 

you deserve a million +reps for this post.

 

any idiot can plant a few beans, say a prayer, and claim they are growing MMJ.

 

those of us who "do it"............. "DO IT".

[+420Atheist]

I start seeing red when it gets implied that skilled labor should be free.

 

+ rep. I will add I feel the same way about any labor. If it is worth doing it is worth making a living wage. I have seen this with a lot of small businesses. Everything from building white box computers to seamstress. They think they made some money but when you take the profit and figure their time you get below minimum wage.

 

(hours worked X $30) + cost to produce = how much you should charge. And even at $30 per hour you will be lucky if you can afford health insurance.

[vial]

Revthad Awsome post man thanks good info

[pic book]

On another thread I replied today in response to how much donation per ounce? I gave a rather complete answer which I won't detail again that my break-even as figured by my friend who is an accountant (and sometime lender) that my breakeven the last twelve months had been $425/oz, and that required turning over my patient list and raising price to $450, which will rise again soon due to my health insurance premium rising over $3,000 annually. It also includes my costs to deliver to those who don't drive. You might make a living at this of around $40,000 and pay taxes, be way poorer than when the street was my market.

[freakydawg420]

On another thread I replied today in response to how much donation per ounce? I gave a rather complete answer which I won't detail again that my break-even as figured by my friend who is an accountant (and sometime lender) that my breakeven the last twelve months had been $425/oz, and that required turning over my patient list and raising price to $450, which will rise again soon due to my health insurance premium rising over $3,000 annually. It also includes my costs to deliver to those who don't drive. You might make a living at this of around $40,000 and pay taxes, be way poorer than when the street was my market.

 

 

How can you be charging $450/oz, claiming you are only breaking even?

I hope I am reading something wrong here, cause at $425-$450/oz I can't imagine only breakin even, or having many patients, happy ones anyhow.

[kruztydj]

Cost is 2 arms and one leg..............If ya yield under 3 zips per girl your doing something wrong..............

[pic book]

Yes, the costs of growing, as in any business producing a product, divide up into hard costs and soft costs, or direct and indirect costs. The hard are relatively easy to figure, within a few dollars per ounce. But the soft, or indirect, are another matter. In another forum trix posted "Help Leo Stole Everything." What kind of a cost caused by being in this peculiar business is that uninsured loss? And if Trix had had $100,000 stashed in a 401K after 5 years working diligently in this business and a private atorney with a stellar reputation asked $80,000 to take the drug case plus $20,000 for expert witnesses, what kind of cost is that? How much per ounce for each ounce sold over the last 5 years? And if you are legit but get screwed and jailed, how much is your time worth per year in the slammer? It's a bigger number than the 15% of net you submitted to Social Security every year.

Those are the kind of things my CPA patient/friend asked me when he sat down to help me figure my break-even. In the last 2 weeks I have seen reports of 10 robberies (home invasions) from people on these forums stating, "Help! I am starting over from nothing." If you suffer such a robbvery and have no plants, no cash, no gear, how do you figure that into the cost per ounce? As $0 cost, because you are depending upon MMMA friends and your momma and poppa to reup you? Be real, the cost HAS to be there in the ounces you sell, or else you are just unlucky and broke, like Trix, not able to start over, without a phone, dependent upon a court-appointeed attorney, and yourself depeendent upon Food Stamps. It has to appear in your sale price, same as any company that self insures.

And if all of your working hours are dedicated to caregiving then you have to figure at least the wage you earned in what you were doing before. Machinist and set-up man, 24 years, $78,000, suddenly unemployed, switches to full-time grower/entrepreneur, figure $40,000 as wage, is that fair? Well ZERO certainly isn't. Now I will grind my own private "axe." Since California growers will be zoon be remitting $50 per ounce tax to the state, we should, every single one of us, be sending $50 per ounce we sell, to Norml, or to MMMA for the MM Legal Defense Fund. Every industry does it, independent truckers, pig growers, corn growers, soybean growers, per unit sold they all remit to the industry association, you get the idea. For those just starting out, like Trix, who have not had 5 years in the industry to build savings for the "rainy day," it is a necessary thing to protect our own and thus, ourselves. If they can do it to Trix in Warren, they can do it to you me in -----------.