- Starting an RV park ranges from $300,000 to several million dollars, depending on size, location, and features.
- Biggest costs are land, utilities (water, electricity, sewage), and infrastructure (roads, pads, amenities).
- Ongoing expenses like maintenance, marketing, and staffing need to be included in your budget.
- Smart planning and careful choices about amenities can lower upfront spending without hurting guest experience.
If you are planning to open an RV park, you are likely wondering how much it will cost. The honest answer: most people spend between $300,000 and $2 million or more to build a full-service RV park from scratch. The cost depends on where you build, the amount and type of land, and how many campsites, amenities, and extras you include. Costs jump quickly when you add things like full hookups, laundry rooms, pools, or even just paved roads. There are cheaper ways to get started, but if you want a competitive park, these are the numbers you need to consider. Here is what goes into the cost, and some not-so-obvious things to watch for.
How Much Does Land Cost for an RV Park?
Land is rarely cheap, and usually eats up a large part of your budget. Location is everything. If your park is near a national park or tourist spot, expect to pay a lot more than if you are buying something further out. Sometimes old campgrounds or unused farmland can be great bargains.
| Location Type | Typical Land Cost (per acre) |
|---|---|
| Rural/midwest, away from cities | $2,500 to $10,000 |
| Near small towns or highways | $8,000 to $25,000 |
| Tourist areas or near cities | $35,000 to $150,000+ |
For a 30-site park, you need 5 to 10 acres even at minimum. More land gives you space for trees, privacy, and future growth. But if you go too big, you risk paying taxes and maintenance costs for empty property. I sometimes think land is the hardest budgeting part. You don’t want to buy too little and regret it, but huge acreage can be a money pit if you do not develop it right away.
Site Preparation, Roads, and Pads: Unavoidable Costs
Raw land needs to be ready for guests and RVs. That usually means clearing trees, grading, possibly filling low areas, and building roads. Even a modest gravel drive can run $10,000 or more if you have long loops. And pulling up soil for water or sewer lines adds to it.
- Grading and clearing land: $15,000 – $75,000, sometimes more if your site is rocky or forested
- Roads and driveway construction: $30,000 – $100,000 for simple gravel roads and pads
- Parking pads: $700 – $2,000 each; concrete is most expensive, gravel is cheapest
It is easy to think you can save by picking a wooded or rough piece of land, but heavy trees, boulders, and drainage problems can push up prep costs.
You might see numbers online that are much lower, but in my experience, most people end up paying on the higher end once you factor in permits, heavy machinery, and hauling away debris.
Utilities: The Hidden Budget Buster
Every RV site needs, at a minimum, water and electric. Most guests also expect sewer hookups. In places without a public sewer, you will need to install a septic system, which can easily run $30,000 or more for a medium-size park.
- Water lines and hookups: $1,500 – $4,000 per site
- Electrical service and pedestals: $1,500 – $3,000 per site (higher for 50-amp)
- Sewer or septic: $2,000 – $5,000 per site
For a 30-site park, utility hookups usually come in between $120,000 and $300,000, depending on service type and soil. You may need to hire engineers to design the system, and local regulators are very strict about water safety. In some towns this step takes longer than all the rest, and any mistakes here cost double to fix.
Amenity Costs You May Not Expect
Even basic parks need to offer more than just a parking spot. Otherwise, guests will stay somewhere else. The most common amenities are:
- Bathrooms and showers ($35,000 – $90,000 for a simple building)
- Small office or check-in cabin ($10,000 – $40,000)
- Laundry room ($8,000 – $30,000)
- Playground or picnic area ($3,000 – $15,000)
- Wi-Fi setup ($4,000 – $18,000, more if you want reliable service)
Some first-time owners skip building a bathhouse, but it is risky. Even if every site is full hook-up, families and tent campers expect showers.
Pools, clubhouses, and dog parks drive costs even higher, but they also attract a broader range of guests. It is hard to find a balance. Too few amenities, and reviewers will call your park basic. Too many, and you may never break even. For most new parks, a clean bathhouse, a secure check-in booth, and some sort of gathering space are essential. Extras can come later.
Permit Fees, Professional Services, and Legal Expenses
No matter where you build, your county (and probably your state) will require permits, health department reviews, and probably a ton of surprising inspections. Even rural parks have to pass rules for stormwater, electrical safety, occupancy, and so on. Figure on $20,000 – $75,000 for all these approvals and fees, depending on your location.
- Land use / zoning studies
- Environmental reviews (sometimes includes soil studies for septic)
- Building permits and impact fees
- Engineers, surveyors, architects
Permits are the kind of cost people forget about, but if you do not plan for them you end up stuck halfway through construction.
Ongoing Expenses: The Part No One Likes to Talk About
It is one thing to build an RV park; it is something else to keep it running safely and profitably year after year. Your operating expenses include property taxes, staff wages, utilities you pay, insurance, trash removal, grounds care, and more. In some areas, expect unexpected costs like snow removal or storm repairs.
| Ongoing Expense | Yearly Range (30-site park) |
|---|---|
| Property taxes | $6,000 – $30,000 |
| Insurance | $4,000 – $12,000 |
| Grounds and facility upkeep | $9,000 – $24,000 |
| Utilities (water, electric, trash) | $12,000 – $36,000 |
| Staff wages | $35,000 – $75,000 |
| Marketing and ads | $3,000 – $8,000 |
You can reduce some costs by living on-site or handling basic repairs yourself. But that only goes so far. After a couple years, most owners want to hire help. An extra pair of hands, even part-time, keeps the place from falling behind on maintenance or guest service.
Other Start-Up Costs You Should Not Overlook
- Signage and wayfinding: $1,000 to $4,000
- Initial landscaping: $5,000 to $18,000
- Reservation software or Point-of-Sale systems: $1,200 – $6,000
- Furniture for common areas
- Business formation and legal fees
If you plan to offer online reservations, most software platforms charge setup or monthly fees. Basic websites cost a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. Again, this is a corner where many first-time owners cut costs, but a weak online presence hurts your bookings. I once saw a park with beautiful sites remain half empty, mostly because you could not easily find them online. It is worth the extra money.
Real-World RV Park Budget Examples
To give a sense of how these costs come together, here are a few sample budgets for different types of parks. These numbers do not include land. All numbers are ballpark and may be quite different based on region and supply costs.
| Park Size & Type | Key Features | Estimated Cost (without land) |
|---|---|---|
| Small, basic (15 sites) | Gravel roads, water/electric only, one bathhouse, no sewer | $300,000 – $750,000 |
| Mid-size (30-40 sites) | Paved/gravel roads, full hookups, modest office, bathhouse, playground, laundry | $700,000 – $1,500,000 |
| Upscale, destination (50+ sites) | Concrete pads, full hookups, clubhouse, pool, multiple restrooms, landscaping | $2,200,000 – $5,000,000+ |
It often costs the same or more to add a second bathhouse as it does to build your first. Plan your layout carefully so you do not have to double up if you expand later.
Ways to Cut Costs Without Hurting Guest Experience
The best RV parks did not always start flashy. Owners often save in smart ways:
- Start smaller: Build 10-15 sites first, open, and expand later using cash flow
- Choose gravel over concrete for pads and roads (at least at the start)
- Reuse existing buildings (old barns as offices, for example)
- Do your own landscaping, mowing, or minor repairs for the first year
- Limit lavish landscaping at first, then add plantings as funds grow
- Ask for contractor bids in the off-season (sometimes cheaper)
I doubt that every guest wants fancy extras right away. Clean restrooms, easy check-in, and quiet nights matter more to most travelers. A pretty fountain or a big arcade can wait. Focus on quality where it counts, like level pads, steady power, no standing water, and good wifi. These things drive repeat visits and good reviews.
What If You Buy an Existing RV Park?
Buying an established park costs less than building your own, maybe. On paper, the time and money look better. You get land, utilities, and (sometimes) loyal guests. The flip side? Older parks almost always need repairs, upgrades, or total replacement of old systems.
- A park built before 1990 may not handle newer long rigs or 50-amp power
- Old septic, water lines, or electric systems might fail inspections
- Many parks lack working websites or modern reservation systems
- Deferred maintenance can be expensive: cracked roads, overgrown lots, tired-looking buildings
Prices for older parks range anywhere from $350,000 for small mom-and-pop places to $5 million for busy resort parks. Always do a detailed inspection and budget for $50,000 – $500,000 in repairs or modernization, depending on the site. I am not saying a fixer-upper is always a bad idea. Sometimes they are the best value, but only if you are hands-on and ready for a few surprises along the way.
Typical Timeline to Build an RV Park
- Land purchase and surveys: 1-3 months
- Permits and design work: 3-8 months
- Site prep and utilities: 4-12 months
- Building amenities: 3-6 months
- Total: 10-24 months, sometimes longer for bigger projects
If you are hoping to build fast, keep in mind that delays are common. Weather, permit backlogs, supply chain issues, and surprise discoveries in the dirt can set you back months. You will want to pad your budget by at least 10 percent just for overruns or last-minute changes. I have seen parks take twice as long and cost 20 percent more than planned, so having a small reserve fund saves a lot of headaches later.
Is Financing an RV Park Build Difficult?
Getting a bank loan for an RV park is not as easy as for a house. Many banks do not understand what drives RV camping demand, or see it as risky. You may have better luck with credit unions, community banks, or lenders who focus on hospitality properties.
- Expect to put down 20 percent or more of total project cost
- Prepare a strong business plan showing local RV traffic, tourism, or population growth
- Some lenders require personal assets as collateral
- Grants are rare. Occasionally, small business or rural development funds may be available
I think the hardest part of financing is convincing lenders you are not just building a parking lot, but a real business with cashflow. Good research on local demand matters.
Will the RV Park Pay for Itself?
Many RV parks are seasonal, only making money for six to eight months a year. Your local climate and travel patterns factor heavily into payback time. A well-managed, full-site park in a busy area can gross $250,000 to $500,000 a year. Smaller parks, or those with basic sites, will bring in less.
| Revenue Type | Annual Range (30 sites) |
|---|---|
| Overnight stays ($40 avg. / night, 75% occupancy half year) | $164,000 |
| Monthly stays (3 sites, $650/month for 12 months) | $23,400 |
| Extras (laundry, firewood, etc.) | $4,000 – $12,000 |
Subtract operating costs and loan payments to get your bottom line. It can take 5-10 years to fully pay off the original investment, sometimes less if you are hands-on, offer extra services, or have a strong peak season. Of course, every market is different. I do not think there is a “guaranteed” payback. You have to watch trends and be ready to adjust your approach if you are not seeing enough guests.
How to Decide: Small, Big, or Specialty?
The smartest way to size your RV park is to look hard at local demand and competition. How many people already visit your area? What are the reviews for nearby parks? Are campsites often full?
- Small parks cost less and are easier to manage, but have less income potential
- Medium parks (25-50 sites) are a sweet spot: big enough to attract travelers, but not overwhelming
- Large resort parks can do very well if near major attractions, but carry risk if demand is overestimated
- Themed or specialty parks (Airstream-only, nature retreats) sometimes charge higher rates, but appeal to fewer travelers
If you are not sure, start with a basic plan that allows you to add more sites or features over time. It costs more per site to come back and expand later, but the risk is lower. I have met many owners who wish they had left expansion space. But I have met plenty who overbuilt, and struggled to fill all their sites.
Building an RV park is not cheap, and the numbers can be intimidating. But with careful planning and honest math, you can avoid the biggest regrets and get your park open for less than you might guess. Watch your numbers, ask a lot of questions, and try to learn from others’ mistakes before you spend your first dollar.
