Let’s skip the hype. If you’re thinking about opening a sober living home — or you’re running one and wondering why the money feels thin — here is the honest monthly math of a typical 8-bed home, using realistic Texas numbers.
The setup
- 8 beds total — but your house manager lives in one, so 7 beds earn membership fees
- $750 per member, per month — a common fee in many Texas markets
- 80% occupancy — 5.6 of your 7 revenue beds filled on average
Monthly revenue: 7 beds × $750 × 80% = $4,200
The expenses
| Expense | Monthly |
|---|---|
| Rent | $2,200 |
| Utilities | $600 |
| Insurance | $250 |
| Drug testing supplies | $200 |
| Licensing & admin | $150 |
| Marketing | $150 |
| Total | $3,550 |
Net: $4,200 − $3,550 = $650 a month.
That’s a real scenario, and it’s the one most new operators never see coming. The house survives — but it doesn’t pay you. You have built yourself a demanding, around-the-clock responsibility that nets less than a part-time job.
The levers that change the picture
That same home can look very different with small, honest improvements:
Occupancy is the biggest lever. At 90% occupancy, revenue rises to $4,725 and the same home nets about $1,175 a month. And occupancy isn’t a marketing trick — it’s mostly retention. Longer stays are what make the math work, and longer stays come from a house that runs well: clear rules, a good manager, a real community.
The manager’s bed is a real cost. Free room and board for your house manager is the right call for most for-profit homes — but never forget that bed costs you one revenue bed, roughly $600 a month at 80% occupancy. Budget for it on purpose.
Fees and expenses matter, but less than you think. Raising your fee $25 adds about $140 a month at 80% occupancy. Cutting drug testing costs in half saves $100. Useful — but neither transforms the home the way keeping members longer does.
Run your own numbers
Every home is different — your rent, your fee, your city’s costs. We built the Sober Living Profitability Calculator™ so you can plug in your numbers and see your honest answer, the same way we ran ours before opening Her Turn.
And when you’re ready for the full picture — the property checklist, sample house rules, the budget worksheet with our real numbers, and a first-90-days plan — that’s the Sober Living Starter Kit, $67, instant download.
Estimates only — not financial, legal, or tax advice.
— Her Turn Sober Living