Nov 12 2012

ROI of a Home Wall

Building a Home Bouldering Wall is not an inexpensive thing to do, however the benefits it brings you usually outlast any monetary investment. Below is the simple math of an initial climbing wall and its expenses.

Climbing Wall Costs:

  • Materials for a 8ft wide x 16 ft long freestanding wall:
    • Panels: 4 (4’x8′) Panels – ~$160
    • 2×4’s – ~$45
    • Supports: 2 Pressure Tr – $30
    • Screws: 5lb for $20
    • Tools: Not included in this ROI
  • Other Expenses:
    • T-Nuts: ~$50
    • Initial Holds: $250
    • Wrenches: $15
    • Hot Dog at Home Depot: $3.00
  • Total Upfront Costs:
    • $600-$750 (large wall)

Gym Climbing Costs for ROI Comparison:

  • Gym Costs:
    • Single Visits: Generally $12-15/Visit
    • Membership: $50-70/month
      • 2x weekly visit for a year equates to ~$6-8/visit for membership

Calculations

  • Based on Single Visit Expenses:
    • $750 wall cost/$15 gym visit = 50 Visits until break-even (approx 5-6 months of 2x weekly visits)
    • ROI based only on one sole user on the wall
  • Against Membership Costs
    • 2x week visits at $70/mo membership (~$8/visit)
    • 95 visits or about 10 months to break-even
    • ROI based only on one sole user on the wall

Other Significant Cost Savings:

  • The Above is only if One user is on the wall, if you have two people using the wall regularly the break-even can be as little as 3 months. It becomes as cheap as climbing outside for free.
  • Gas Savings: Some people have the luxury of living close to gyms or outdoor climbing areas. Others do not. If I bought a membership at the gym in Denver I would drive 16 miles each way and if I visited 2x/wk for a year I would be driving  3,300 miles in a year and at 25 MPG and $3.50/gallon that is another $460 of expense to add on top of my membership fees.

Other Cost Increases:

  • Obsession with Buying New Climbing Holds: Yes you can get obsessed and add a lot more holds/expense to your wall…but it is worth it!!!
  • Beer Costs: More then likely all of your friends and you will be hanging out at your place climbing on your wall. Beer consumption may go through the roof as most climbing gyms frown upon drinking and climbing.
  • Adding an addition to your house for the new wall: Very likely that you may enjoy the wall so much that you build a new garage or a new addition to your home with the specific purpose of housing your climbing wall.

Intangible Cost Savings:

  • Lack of Crowds
  • Climbing possibilities 24/7
  • Learning more about movement/climbing because you are setting routes
  • Your friends might actually appreciate you
  • Not inhaling nasty gym air stale with chalk
  • Something you are proud of and is a part of your climbing

[notice]Break-Even and Planning Spreadsheet for You to Use: [/notice]

I have created a spreadsheet where you can enter in your costs and it will output the break-even plus overall expense. This is handy for planning and/or convincing your significant other/roommate/friend/parents/yourself that it will be worth it.

[important]LINK (everything in light blue you should modify):  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Au0aVuL4nfExdHQxSlpETVd5MUZhenhHU2hXa1VDZlE[/important]


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