Cost Recovery Percentage Calculator

You spent the money up front. How much of it has come back, and when will the rest? Enter the total project cost and what you have recovered so far to get the recovery percentage plus the exact dollar amount still outstanding. Then add your monthly recovery pace to project your break-even date, or set a target date and see the monthly pace you need.

The formula

Cost recovery percentage = (amount recovered / total cost) x 100. The companion number is just as useful: still to recover = total cost – amount recovered. The tool shows both, because a percentage without the dollar gap hides how far you still have to go.

Worked example

A project cost $500,000 and has brought in $350,000 so far. Enter both and the tool shows 70.00% recovered with $150,000.00 still to recover. Add a monthly recovery pace of $25,000 and it projects full recovery in 6.0 months. Set a target break-even date instead and it tells you the monthly pace required to get there.

How to read your result

Under 100%: you are still working the cost back. The “still to recover” figure is your remaining target. Exactly 100%: break-even on the cost base. Over 100%: the project has moved into profit territory on a cash-recovered basis. Track the percentage monthly: a flat line means recovery has stalled and the pace projection will keep pushing your break-even date out.

What counts as “amount recovered”?

Any money the project has returned: sales revenue, reimbursements, grants, or cost savings that offset the original spend. Use the same dollar basis for both inputs, and be consistent about whether you count gross revenue or net cash against the cost.

What competing calculators miss

Rival cost recovery tools compute the percentage and stop, leaving you to guess when break-even arrives. None project a break-even date from your actual monthly pace, and none reverse the question to tell you the monthly recovery a target date demands. A percentage without a timeline is a status update; with the projection it becomes a plan.

Cost recovery FAQs

What is a good cost recovery percentage?

It depends on the project stage: 70% two-thirds through the timeline is on track, 70% at the deadline is not. Compare against your plan and your monthly pace, not against other projects.

Can cost recovery exceed 100%?

Yes. Over 100% means the project returned more cash than it cost, which is profit on a cash-recovered basis. Note this is not the same as ROI, which also accounts for the time value of money.

How do I speed up cost recovery?

Either increase monthly inflows (price changes, faster billing, additional revenue streams) or stop the cost base growing (cost controls). The target-date mode shows exactly what monthly pace your deadline requires.

Should sunk costs count in the total?

For a backward-looking recovery percentage, yes: include everything spent. For forward-looking decisions, ignore sunk costs and compare only future spend against future returns.

How is cost recovery different from ROI?

Cost recovery asks “how much of the spend came back” (70% here). ROI asks “how much profit did the spend generate relative to its size” and accounts for timing. A project can be at 100% recovery with 0% ROI.

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