Track downtime costs across crews, equipment, and schedules in minutes onsite reliably. Get instant breakdowns, sensitivity controls, export-ready summaries, and clearer decisions for planning.
Enter hourly and fixed costs. Use realistic downtime assumptions.
This calculator estimates downtime cost as a structured sum of hourly and fixed components.
If utilization is below 1.0, equipment cost is scaled to match expected work usage.
| Scenario | Downtime (h) | Equip (Own+Op) /h | Crew | Labor /wh | Prod Loss /h | Penalty /day | Contingency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Excavator hydraulic leak | 6 | 150 | 6 | 18 | 220 | 500 | 10% |
| Crane sensor fault | 10 | 320 | 10 | 22 | 800 | 0 | 12% |
| Concrete pump breakdown | 4 | 110 | 8 | 16 | 350 | 250 | 8% |
Use your site logs to calibrate hourly rates and real downtime duration.
Equipment downtime cost is driven by time lost, rate structure, and contract exposure. For most fleets, ownership and operating rates form the equipment baseline, while crew idle time and site overhead amplify the impact significantly on complex projects.
Use dispatch logs and operator reports to separate repair time, waiting time, and access delays. Record hours consistently, because delay days are calculated as downtime hours divided by hours per day. If work is planned for 10 hours but stoppage occurs for 6, a utilization factor of 0.60 reflects partial exposure.
Ownership cost per hour typically includes depreciation, finance, insurance, and yard storage. Operating cost per hour reflects fuel, lubricants, tires or cutting edges, routine service, and wear. Combine them to obtain an equipment hourly total. Validate rates against vendor schedules and internal cost codes.
Idle labor is labor rate times crew size times downtime hours. If a 6‑person crew at 18 per worker‑hour waits 6 hours, idle labor is 648. Consider whether partial reassignment is possible; if so, reduce crew size to match the true standby group. Include burdened costs when they apply.
Production loss can exceed direct costs on critical operations. For example, a concrete placement delay may trigger truck standby, rejected loads, or missed curing windows. Use historical production values or bid schedules to estimate an hourly loss. A 220 per hour loss over 6 hours totals 1,320, larger than equipment ownership.
Delay penalties, liquidated damages, and milestone incentives can turn small stoppages into major claims. Convert penalties to a per‑day figure, then scale by delay days. Add contingency as a percentage when scope, diagnosis time, or parts lead time is uncertain. Many teams start with 5–15% and tighten it as information improves.
Compare total cost per downtime hour against the price of renting a substitute unit. If replacement rental is lower than lost production plus penalties, mobilizing a rental may protect schedule and margin. Also compare repair parts cost versus planned maintenance, since repeated failures can justify overhaul or replacement.
Export a CSV for spreadsheets and a PDF for records. Keep supporting evidence: maintenance tickets, photos, operator statements, and daily reports. Note start and finish times. Clear documentation improves budget forecasts and strengthens reimbursement discussions.
Include ownership, operating, idle labor, and site overhead. Add production loss, delay penalties, rentals for substitutes, repairs, mobilization, and any fixed fees. Use only costs that realistically occur for the specific event.
Use 1.00 when the machine was scheduled to work for the entire downtime period. If downtime happened during partial working windows, set utilization to planned working hours divided by downtime hours, capped at 1.00.
Start with measured output rates and unit prices from recent jobs. For cost-plus work, use documented productivity values. For lump-sum projects, use schedule value or crew-and-material impacts tied to the delayed activity.
Apply penalties only when the downtime extends the critical path or triggers contractual liquidated damages. If float absorbs the delay, set penalties to zero and focus on direct costs and production impacts.
It helps create a transparent breakdown and consistent method, but you still need evidence. Attach logs, timesheets, equipment records, photos, and correspondence to show causation, duration, and reasonable mitigation steps.
Use a modest range when diagnosis and parts availability are uncertain. Many projects use 5–15% initially, then reduce it as repair scope and schedule recovery actions become clear and documented.
High totals usually come from production loss, penalties, and large standby crews, not just equipment rates. Review which inputs are event-driven, and adjust crew size, utilization, and penalties to match actual site conditions.
Accurate downtime costing improves schedules, claims, and decisions today.
Important Note: All the Calculators listed in this site are for educational purpose only and we do not guarentee the accuracy of results. Please do consult with other sources as well.