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Downtime Cost Calculator

Work out downtime cost instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Downtime Cost Calculator

Downtime costs the contribution on units never made plus the fixed costs that keep running while the line is stopped — labour on standby, energy, depreciation and overhead. Where the line is a bottleneck and output is sold, contribution loss dominates and dwarfs any maintenance saving.

Formula

Downtime cost

Lost units = downtime minutes x production rate; cost = lost units x contribution + downtime x fixed cost per minute

Worked example

With the default values below, Downtime Cost Calculator returns Total Downtime Cost of $26,910.00. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Downtimeminimum 0 minutes
180 minutes
Production Rateminimum 0 units/minute
1.5 units/minute
Contribution Per Unitminimum 0
85
Fixed Cost Continuing During Downtimeminimum 0 per minute
22 per minute

Results

Total Downtime Cost
$26,910.00
Units Not Produced
270.0
Lost Contribution
$22,950.00
Cost Per Minute Of Downtime
$149.50

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2Downtime cost
  3. 3Total Downtime Cost= 26,910.00
  4. 4Units Not Produced= 270.0
  5. 5Lost Contribution= 22,950.00
  6. 6Cost Per Minute Of Downtime= 149.50

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
  • In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax or compounding frequency into account.
  • Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should lost contribution be counted if the order can be made up later?

Only if overtime or expediting cost is incurred instead — count the make-up cost rather than the contribution. If demand is genuinely lost, count contribution.

Why use contribution rather than selling price?

Material and other variable costs are not incurred on units never made. Contribution is the true loss.

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Downtime Cost Calculator – Calculate Total Downtime Cost