If you’re thinking about opening a sober living home, you probably have more questions than answers. The good news is that it’s not complicated — but it is detailed, and the details are where people get hurt. Here is the honest, step-by-step process from our own experience opening Her Turn in San Antonio.
Step 1: Know your numbers before you spend a dime
Before you look at a single property, run the math. Most people skip this step, fall in love with a house, and then discover it doesn’t work financially. Don’t do that.
You need to know: how many beds, what membership fee, what occupancy you can realistically hold, and what your monthly costs will be. Our Sober Living Profitability Calculator™ does this in five minutes with Texas-realistic numbers.
If the math doesn’t work on paper, it won’t work in real life. Adjust your plan until it does — before you spend money.
Step 2: Find the right property (and check the traps)
In Texas, single-family residential zoning generally works for sober living — but two things will trip you up before you even open:
- HOA deed restrictions. Some HOAs prohibit group homes or limit the number of unrelated adults who can live together. Get the HOA bylaws in writing and read them before you sign anything.
- City boarding-home occupancy rules. Some cities classify homes with a certain number of unrelated residents as “boarding homes,” which triggers permits, inspections, and sometimes caps on how many people can live there. Call your city’s code enforcement office and ask directly.
These are not scare stories. We have seen operators sign leases, buy furniture, and then discover the HOA won’t allow the home. Check first. (Our property checklist article goes deeper on this.)
Beyond the legal traps, look for: nearness to 12-Step meetings, public transportation, employment opportunities, and medical/clinical resources. Members who can reach work and recovery stay longer — and longer stays are what make the math work.
Step 3: Get your paperwork in order
Before your first member walks in, have these in writing:
- House rules — clear, specific, and signed at intake. Members feel safer with structure, not managed by it.
- Membership agreement — what’s included, what’s expected, what gets someone asked to leave.
- Intake forms — emergency contacts, medical history, recovery background, signed consent.
- House manager duties — a duties list, not an employment agreement. In a for-profit home, your manager typically receives free room and board, not a paycheck.
You don’t need a lawyer for most of this, but your rules need to be specific. “No drugs or alcohol on the property” is a start. “Members who test positive or are found in possession will be asked to leave within 24 hours” is a rule you can actually enforce.
Step 4: Furnish with dignity (and a budget)
Our real number: about $8,000–$9,000 for an 8-bed home, including two refrigerators. Here’s what we learned:
- Buy new: mattresses, linens, towels, pillows. Members can tell, and it sets the tone from day one.
- Buy used: furniture, kitchen supplies, decor. Facebook Marketplace, Walmart, and Amazon will save you thousands.
- Don’t skimp on the kitchen. Two refrigerators, a working stove, decent cookware — a home where people can cook and eat together builds community faster than any rule.
- Outdoor space matters. A patio, a yard, somewhere to breathe. Recovery is not just indoors.
Step 5: Choose your house manager carefully
Your house manager is the single most important decision you’ll make after choosing the property. The wrong manager will destroy your culture and your occupancy; the right one will make the home run while you sleep.
Look for someone who:
- Has solid recovery time and lives it
- Can be firm without being harsh
- Is organized enough to handle intakes, chores, and drug testing
- Understands they’re a model, not just an enforcer
Put their duties in writing. Review them together before the first member arrives. (Our first-90-days article covers the manager relationship in more detail.)
Step 6: Recruit your first members the right way
Your first members set the culture of the entire house. Be selective — a house that takes everyone helps no one.
Start with:
- Treatment centers — introduce yourself, explain your program, and ask about referral
- Counselors and therapists — they know who needs a structured environment
- Recovery community — meetings, alumni networks, word of mouth
Be honest about who your home serves. If you run a women’s home, say so. If you require 30 days sober, say so. Screening with care protects the members you already have and the ones who are coming.
Step 7: Start your rhythms on day one
Do not wait until the house is full to start structure. Start immediately, even with one or two members:
- Weekly house meeting — ours is Sunday at 7pm. Pick a time and stick to it.
- Chore assignments — rotating, visible, and expected.
- Meeting requirements — how many 12-Step meetings per week, signed or verified.
- Curfew — yes, for adults. Structure is why they’re here.
It is far easier to keep a rhythm than to start one later in a full house. Members who arrive to a structured home feel safer — and they stay longer.
What this costs vs. what it earns
The Starter Kit ($67) gives you the property checklist, sample house rules, the budget worksheet with our real numbers, and the first-90-days plan — everything above in one downloadable package. It’s what we wish we’d had.
But start with the free calculator. Know your numbers first.
And when you’re ready to open, the Sober Living Starter Kit is $67, instant download — the property checklist, house rules, budget worksheet, and 90-day plan, all in one place.
— Her Turn Sober Living