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Business & Tax
Detailed startup cost checklists for 10 major industries with typical ranges for each expense category.
By FreeCalculators Editorial · Published 2026-09-01 · Updated 2026-09-04 · 4 min read · 950 words
A usable startup cost checklist has two layers: the handful of line items every US business pays regardless of industry, and the industry-specific block that usually accounts for 60 to 90 percent of the total. Working both layers with a dated quote against each line turns a guess into a budget, and it exposes the items that must be paid before you can legally open the doors.
These six appear on nearly every launch budget. They are small individually and add up to $3,000 to $30,000 together, which is enough to matter when the operating reserve is thin. Note that an EIN is free directly from the IRS; any service charging a fee for one is charging for data entry.
| Universal line item | Typical range | Paid when |
|---|---|---|
| Entity formation and state filing | $100 - $1,500 | Before opening a bank account |
| Local licence and permits | $50 - $800 | Before trading |
| General liability insurance, year one | $500 - $3,000 | Before a lease or loan closes |
| Accounting setup and first-year bookkeeping | $600 - $4,000 | Month one onward |
| Brand, logo, and website | $500 - $10,000 | Before marketing spend |
| Payment processing and software stack | $200 - $2,400 | Month one onward |
Above the universal layer, one category dominates. Identify yours before you price anything else, because it determines whether the launch is a $10,000 project or a $300,000 one.
Three tax buckets exist for pre-opening spend, and sorting invoices later is far harder than tagging them now. The IRS treats pre-opening operating-type costs under Internal Revenue Code section 195, which allows an election of up to $5,000 in the opening year, reduced dollar for dollar above $50,000 of total startup costs, with the balance amortized over 180 months. Entity formation falls under a parallel section 248 election, and equipment follows the depreciation rules with expensing caps that are indexed annually.
Checklist total for a 1,200 sq ft coffee shop (2026)
Industry block Buildout at $180/sq ft x 1,200 ..... $216,000 Espresso machine and grinders ...... $ 24,000 Refrigeration and walk-in .......... $ 18,000 Furniture and fixtures ............. $ 14,000 Opening inventory .................. $ 6,000 Universal layer Formation, permits, health licence . $ 2,400 Insurance year one ................. $ 2,800 Brand, signage, website ............ $ 7,500 Accounting and software setup ...... $ 2,300 One-time subtotal .................... $293,000 Contingency at 20% ................... $ 58,600 Pre-revenue burn $22,000 x 4 months .. $ 88,000 Total cash required .................. $439,600
Comprehensive Guide
Read our business and tax guide for margins, payroll, and tax planning.
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How this guide was created
This guide was written and reviewed by FreeCalculators Editorial, drawing on published formulas, official government sources, and real calculator outputs from our 4 calculators in this category. Every claim is sourced; every formula is auditable. Read our review policy.