For Canadian practices outside Quebec
How much does it cost to start an ABA clinic? A blank startup cost worksheet
How much does it cost to start an ABA clinic? The answer depends on the premises, the team, the funding arrangements and the timing of your own clinic, so this page gives a worksheet with blank inputs and no dollar figures. List one-time and monthly costs, enter current written quotes and work out the cash the clinic needs before income arrives.
Fictional example only. Adapt this to your clinic’s own policy and professional judgment. It is not clinical, legal or regulatory advice and does not claim to meet any payer, regulator or certification-body requirement. It is not financial or tax advice. The worksheet states no costs, prices or ranges, and its formula uses letters instead of amounts.
Last updated: 2026-10-08
Download a printable ABA clinic startup cost worksheet (PDF or Word)
Blank one-time and monthly lines, with a cash-needed formula. Enter your own quotes. The blank PDF prints on US Letter paper (2 pages) and the Word document can be edited to match your clinic’s fields. Both are free to download with no sign-up.
Why this startup cost worksheet has no dollar figures
Startup costs vary by location, size, staffing model, funder and the quotes a clinic receives. The vendor ranges we found were United States figures that we could not verify, so this page gives none. The worksheet gives structure instead: the categories to price, a question to ask for each, and a way to turn your own quotes into a cash estimate.
Ask an accountant to review the finished worksheet. Nothing on this page is financial, tax or legal advice.
One-time costs to price
Treat each line as a prompt to get a written quote or a dated estimate. Leave a line blank if it does not apply to the clinic.
| Category | What to price | Question to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Premises | Deposit, fit-out, accessibility changes, signage | Who pays for changes, and what must be restored when the lease ends? |
| Furniture and equipment | Tables, chairs, storage, sensory and safety items | Which items are needed on day one and which can wait? |
| Therapy materials | Reinforcers, toys, visual supports, data-collection supplies | What is needed for each client and what can be shared? |
| Technology | Devices, network, printer, phones | Which devices does each staff member need? |
| Software setup | Setup or onboarding work, importing existing records | What does setup involve, and what would it take to leave? |
| Professional fees | Accountant, lawyer, business registration, a professional corporation if used | What does the fee cover, and what is extra? |
| Registration and listing fees | College and association fees, steps to join a funder’s provider list | Which fees are annual and which are paid once? |
| Insurance | Liability and property coverage | What does each policy cover, and what is the deductible? |
| Hiring and training before opening | Recruiting, orientation and training time before income starts | How many paid days of preparation does each hire need? |
| Marketing and opening | Website, listings, printed material, an opening event | What is essential before the first client? |
| Contingency | A buffer for items missed | How much buffer will the clinic hold back? |
Monthly costs to price
Monthly lines repeat for as long as the clinic operates. Where a cost is billed yearly, divide it across twelve months and note the due date.
| Category | What to price | Question to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Rent and utilities | Rent, utilities, cleaning, internet | Is the rent fixed, and what changes at renewal? |
| Salaries and benefits | Clinical, supervisory, front-desk and administrative staff, plus employer costs | How many hours does each role need, from what start date? |
| Supervision time | Time for supervisors to supervise, review notes and train | How many supervisor hours does each supervisee need? |
| Software and subscriptions | Practice management, communications, document tools | What is the billing unit, and what happens as the team grows? |
| Insurance and professional dues | Premiums and annual dues spread across months | When is each one due? |
| Supplies and maintenance | Consumables, repairs, replacing worn items | What is the replacement cycle? |
| Payroll and accounting services | Payroll provider, bookkeeping | What does the fee include? |
| Marketing | Ongoing listings and website upkeep | What is the monthly commitment? |
| Other recurring costs | Anything not listed above | Who owns this line? |
Turn your quotes into cash needed before income arrives
Funding and payments often arrive some time after a service is delivered. Ask each funder, insurer and family how and when invoices are paid, add the time the clinic needs to complete documentation and send invoices, and enter the total as months before receipts cover costs. The formula uses letters so that you can fill in your own numbers.
Test more than one value for the months in line C. A longer wait for receipts raises the cash the clinic needs, so a slower case and a faster case show how sensitive the estimate is.
| Line | How to fill it | Letter |
|---|---|---|
| Total one-time costs | Add up the one-time lines | A |
| Total monthly costs | Add up the monthly lines | B |
| Months before receipts cover costs | Months from opening until payments reach the bank account | C |
| Contingency | A buffer you choose | D |
| Opening cash needed | A + (B × C) + D | E |
The letters stand for your own amounts. This page does not suggest a value for any of them.
Questions to ask about funding and payment timing
Payment timing depends on who pays and under what rules. Put these questions to each funder, insurer and family, and write the answers next to line C. For the Ontario Autism Program, the official pages linked in the funding guide and the start-an-ABA-clinic guide are the place to confirm eligible providers, expenses and payment steps.
- Who pays, and who receives the money: the clinic or the family?
- Which documents must be complete before an invoice is paid?
- How often can invoices be sent, and how long does payment usually take?
- What happens to a cancelled or missed session?
- Does the funder limit what counts as an eligible expense or provider?
Blank ABA clinic startup cost worksheet to copy
Copy this table into a spreadsheet, or use the printable worksheet and editable Word file in the download section. Leave every amount blank until you have a quote.
| Cost line | One-time or monthly | Amount from quote | Supplier and quote date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premises | [One-time or monthly] | [Amount from quote] | [Supplier and quote date] |
| Furniture and equipment | [One-time or monthly] | [Amount from quote] | [Supplier and quote date] |
| Technology and software | [One-time or monthly] | [Amount from quote] | [Supplier and quote date] |
| Staff before opening | [One-time or monthly] | [Amount from quote] | [Supplier and quote date] |
| Insurance and fees | [One-time or monthly] | [Amount from quote] | [Supplier and quote date] |
| Add a row for each line the clinic needs | [One-time or monthly] | [Amount from quote] | [Supplier and quote date] |
Software as one monthly line
Software is one monthly line on the worksheet. Ask every vendor, including TherapyCRM, for the billing unit, the minimum number of users and the exit terms in writing before you enter a quote. TherapyCRM shows its current plans and free trial terms on its pricing page, and the software pricing guide explains the questions to ask. The start-an-ABA-clinic guide covers the operating plan that the costs support.
Review the finished worksheet
Check that each line has a supplier and a quote date, replace estimates with quotes as they arrive, and ask an accountant to review the assumptions and the cash timing. Update the worksheet when the operating model, the team or the funding arrangements change.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to start an ABA clinic?
It depends on the premises, team, funding arrangements and timing of the clinic, so this page gives no amount. List the one-time and monthly lines, get written quotes and use the cash-needed formula with your own numbers. Ask an accountant to review it.
What cost categories should an ABA clinic startup budget include?
One-time lines such as premises, furniture and equipment, therapy materials, technology, professional fees, registration and listing fees, insurance, hiring and training before opening, marketing and a contingency, plus monthly lines such as rent, salaries, supervision time, subscriptions and dues.
Why does the worksheet use letters instead of dollar amounts?
The vendor ranges we found were United States figures we could not verify, and costs vary widely by clinic. Letters let you work through the arithmetic with your own quotes.
How do I estimate how long it takes before income covers costs?
Ask each funder, insurer and family how and when invoices are paid, add the time the clinic needs to complete documentation and send invoices, and test a slower and a faster case.
Do I need a contingency line?
The worksheet includes one so that missed items do not surprise the clinic. The size of the buffer is a decision for the owner and an accountant.
Can I download a blank startup cost worksheet?
Yes. The PDF prints on US Letter paper and the Word document can be edited to match the clinic’s lines. Both are free to download with no sign-up and contain no amounts or client data.
Where do I find TherapyCRM plan terms?
The pricing page shows current plans and free trial terms. Enter the plan you choose as one monthly line, with the date you checked it.