THIS NUMBER SHOCKS EVERY BUYER
Buyers often assume a new site costs a few thousand dollars to add. It doesn’t. Here’s what a finished, income-producing site actually runs:
COST PER NEW RV SITE
- Basic setup — $12,000 to $20,000 per site
- Full service + 50-amp — $20,000 to $35,000 per site
- Resort-quality — $40,000 to $80,000+ per site
Premium locations, luxury amenities, retaining walls, or difficult terrain can push it higher still. And that’s the all-in number. It includes:
- Site clearing
- Engineering and surveying
- Permits and approvals
- Grading and excavation
- Roads
- Water and sewer extensions
- Electrical service and pedestals
- Drainage and stormwater systems
- Landscaping
- Signage
- Final inspections
WHAT MOVES THE NUMBER
The same site can cost twice as much in one place as another. The big drivers:
- Hookup level — partial vs. full (water, sewer, electric)
- Amp service — 30-amp vs. 50-amp
- Region and weather — frost depth, snow, rainfall, and local labor and material prices
- Site conditions — rock, slope, soil, and water table
- Distance to existing utilities — every foot of trench and road adds up
A site in the frozen North isn’t the same price as one in the Sun Belt. Cold climates bury utilities below a deeper frost line, need frost-protected pads, and have shorter build seasons. Rocky ground means blasting; a high water table means fill and a mounded septic; heavy rain means more drainage. Never trust a national “average” — get a local contractor’s estimate for this site, in this region.
FEWER SITES COST MORE EACH
Building five sites costs far more per site than building twenty-five. Mobilizing crews, engineering, and permitting are mostly fixed costs spread across however many sites you build. Small phases carry a premium — which is exactly why you engineer the full build-out up front, even if you build it in stages.
THE QUESTION THAT MATTERS: DOES IT PAY BACK?
A site that costs $30,000 to build only makes sense if it earns its way back. Before you pour a pad, ask:
- Will this site generate enough revenue to justify the investment?
- How many years will it take to recover the cost?
- Will guests actually pay higher rates for the new sites?
- Can existing utilities support the expansion?
- Will the added income raise the campground’s value?
And sometimes the smartest money isn’t a new site at all — upgrading tired existing sites can deliver a better return than building from scratch. Expansion should create profit, not simply more campsites.
Here’s the cost almost nobody counts. If you pay cash, a site costs what it costs. But if you finance the construction, the true cost is the build price plus the interest. A $30,000 site financed over a typical loan can really run $40,000 to $60,000 or more by the time it’s paid off, depending on your rate and term. Always underwrite new construction on its financed cost — not just its sticker price.
Building new sites can be one of the best investments you make — or one of the most expensive mistakes. Weigh construction cost, the cost of money, infrastructure capacity, expected revenue, and long-term maintenance. Don’t build a site because you have room. Build it because it makes financial sense.
“Don’t let anybody hand you one magic number for what a site costs — it changes with the region and the weather more than people think. Up north you’re digging below the frost line and fighting a short season; on rock you’re paying to break ground that doesn’t want to move. Get a real local bid before you ever count those sites as income. The cheapest site to build is the one you planned for the conditions you actually have.”
