How to Plan a Gym Equipment Budget (And Still End Up with Serious Kit)

Most gyms don’t fail because the owner doesn’t care.

They fail because the money went in the wrong places.

Too much on pretty machines nobody uses. Too little on the stuff that actually gets hammered every day. Nothing left over to fix gaps once real members turn up and show you how they actually train.

This is where a simple, sensible equipment budget split saves you.

In this guide, we’ll walk through how to plan your gym kit budget so you:

• Lock in the must-haves
• Add a few nice-to-haves
• Keep a small upgrade pot for after you open

And you still end up with serious kit, not a room full of shiny regret.

TL;DR

If you only take one thing from this, let it be this:

Budget Slice	% of Equipment Budget	What It Covers
Must-haves	60-70%	Core pieces that do the heavy lifting every day
Nice-to-haves	20-30%	Variety, “wow” pieces, extra flavours
Future upgrades	10-15%	Pieces you buy to finish off your set up

You can tweak the percentages a bit, but the principle stays the same:

Nail the essentials, add sensible extras, and protect a pot for future upgrades once you see what members actually use.

Step 1 - Know What Gym You’re Actually Building

Before you touch numbers, you need to know who you’re buying for.

A strength gym, a general population gym and a PT studio can all sit in the same square footage and need completely different kit.

Who Are You Really Serving?

Be honest with yourself:

• Hardcore lifters who live for barbells and big compound lifts?
• General population who want to feel fitter, leaner and a bit stronger?
• Clients in a PT studio where everything is coached and semi-private?
• A serious home / garage setup for one or two lifters?

The answer changes what counts as a must-have vs a nice-to-have.

For a powerlifting-style space, another rack is a must-have. For a gen-pop gym, that same spend might be better going on a simple leg press and a cable station.

Training Style Dictates Kit

Once you’ve nailed who you’re serving, think in terms of training style:

• Strength / powerlifting / performance
• Strength & conditioning / hybrid
• General fitness
• PT-led, small-group training

A strength gym that programmes heavy squats, pulls and presses needs more budget in racks, platforms and plate-loaded kit.

A PT studio might put that same money into one premium half rack, a cable system, dumbbells and a couple of versatile machines that cover loads of patterns without eating space.

Get that picture clear in your head first. The budget split lives inside that reality.

Step 2 - Ring-Fence Your Equipment Pot

Your equipment budget is not your total launch budget.

You’ve still got rent, rates, flooring, mirrors, electrics, showers, software, marketing and about fifty other things trying to eat your cash.

If you let equipment swallow everything, you’ll open with lovely kit and no money to actually get people through the door.

Equipment Is Just One Line on the Sheet

For most new gyms, 30-40% of the overall launch budget going into equipment is pretty common, but your exact number will depend on your model and how much work the building needs.

The key is this:

Decide a clear number for equipment. That’s your pot. Everything else in this article happens inside that pot.

Once you’ve ring-fenced that amount, you’re ready to slice it up.

Step 3 - Must-Haves: 60-70% on the Workhorses

This is the heavy end of the budget. The 60-70% that goes into the stuff members touch every single day.

These are your non-negotiables.

Build Around Movement Patterns, Not Machine Names

Forget specific machines for a minute and think in movement patterns:

• Squat
• Hinge
• Push
• Pull
• Single-leg
• Carry / loaded movement
• Core

Your must-haves are the pieces that let the majority of your members train those patterns safely and effectively, week in, week out.

Whether you hit that with racks and barbells, or a more machine-heavy setup, depends on your gym type. But the goal is the same: cover those basics for as many people as possible.

What’s “Must-Have” by Gym Type?

You don’t need a full inventory list, but you do need clear categories.

Strength / Performance Gym
You’ll lean towards multiple racks, platforms, barbells, plates, a proper leg press or hack, and at least one solid row and press machine. This is where serious refurbished commercial kit can save you a fortune and still keep standards high.

General Population Gym
You still want some free weight space (rack, bench, dumbbells), but you’ll rely more on simple, intuitive machines: leg press, chest press, row, cable station, plus sensible cardio (treads, bikes, maybe a stepper or two). Members should know what to do with most of it just by looking.

PT Studio / Small-Space Gym
Versatility wins. A quality rack, adjustable bench, dumbbells, a cable system and maybe one or two key machines that punch above their weight (e.g. a leg press that does a lot of leg work heavy and safely).

If a piece doesn’t directly help 70-80% of your members train the basics every week, it doesn’t belong in the must-have bucket.

Quality Over Quantity

This 60-70% slice is where you do not cut corners.

You’re way better off with fewer, higher-quality pieces than a room full of flimsy budget kit. This is where going for used or refurbished commercial equipment makes sense: you get serious frames and good biomechanics without paying full new RRP.

If your must-haves feel weak or compromised, no amount of nice-to-haves will save the gym.

Step 4 - Nice-to-Haves: 20-30% for Variety and “Wow”

Once must-haves are covered, you can start thinking about the 20-30% that goes into nice-to-haves.

These are the pieces that add:

• Variety
• Differentiation
• “Wow” factor

…but the gym doesn’t collapse without them.

What Counts as a Nice-to-Have?

These are things like:

• Specialist glute or hamstring pieces
• Extra row or press variations
• Sleds, strongman bits, yokes, farmers handles
• A couple of more “Instagram-friendly” machines or accessories

They make your space more interesting, give PTs extra tools, and help your brand stand out. But they don’t replace staples.

Choose Nice-to-Haves With a Business Brain

Before you drop cash from this pot, ask:

• Does this help keep people training longer?
• Will this help me sell PT or small-group training?
• Does this fit the brand I’m trying to build, or does it just look cool to me?

If the answer is basically “It’ll look great in photos” and nothing else, it probably doesn’t deserve priority.

Cut Here First If Money Gets Tight

If you’re building out your plan and the numbers are starting to scare you, this is the slice you trim first.

A solid leg press in the must-haves bucket beats another quirky ab machine in nice-to-haves every time.

Step 5 - Future Upgrade Pot: 10-15% You Don’t Spend (Yet)

Here’s the part most owners skip: money you deliberately don’t spend before opening.

It feels wrong at first, like you’re under-equipping your gym but it’s one of the smartest moves you can make.

Why You Should Hold Back 10-15%

No matter how well you plan, your members will surprise you.

You’ll have pieces you thought would be rammed that sit quiet. You’ll have areas that are chaos at peak times and need more capacity yesterday.

If you’ve blown 100% of your equipment budget before opening, you’ve got no flexibility. You’re stuck.

If you keep 10-15% of that pot back, you’ve given yourself a way to:

• Add extra stations where demand is highest
• Bring in that one piece everyone keeps asking for
• Replace anything that underperforms or breaks early

Launch, watch, then react with real data instead of guesswork.

What This Pot Is Really For

Think of this slice as your “move fast when you know more” money.

Maybe you realise your cable station is constantly at capacity. Your upgrade pot buys you a second station.

Maybe you discover your crowd is obsessed with a particular movement (hip thrusts, for example). That pot buys you a dedicated piece instead of endless makeshift setups.

And if you’re smart and flexible, you can use this pot to grab good deals on used or refurbished kit that come up after you open, instead of staring at them, broke, because you spent every penny before day one.

Example Budget Splits for Different Setups

Let’s make this less abstract and more real.

Example 1 - Small PT Studio, £10,000 Equipment Budget

You’ve ring-fenced £10k for kit.

A sensible split might be:

• £6,000-£7,000 (Must-haves):
  A high-quality rack, bar and plates, adjustable bench, a decent dumbbell run, a cable system, maybe one key lower-body machine.
• £2,000-£3,000 (Nice-to-haves):
  A sled, a couple of speciality bars, some conditioning tools (assault bike / ski / row), maybe one extra machine that supports your niche.
• £1,000-£1,500 (Future upgrades):
  Held back. Once you’re a few months in, you’ll know exactly what clients are queueing for.

Using used/refurb commercial kit here lets you get genuinely solid pieces even on a smaller budget.

Example 2 - Strength-Focused Gym, £50,000 Equipment Budget

You’ve set aside £50k just for equipment.

A realistic split:

• £32,000-£35,000 (Must-haves):
  Multiple racks and platforms, bars and plates, key lower-body machines (leg press, hack, maybe a belt squat), chest-supported and cable rows, at least one good pressing machine.
• £10,000-£12,000 (Nice-to-haves):
  Strongman kit, additional plate-loaded pieces for variety, extra cable stations, speciality bars and benches that support your brand as a serious strength space.
• £5,000-£7,000 (Future upgrades):
  Keeps you flexible once you see whether your members double down on heavy barbell work, machines, or a particular type of training.

Again, serious used / refurbished kit means that £32-35k on must-haves goes a lot further than if you only bought brand-new out of the brochure.

Example 3 - Serious Home / Garage Gym, £5,000 Equipment Budget

You’ve got £5k for your dream home setup.

Split could look like:

• £3,000-£3,500 (Must-haves):
  One quality rack, a good barbell, enough plates, a proper bench, and a dumbbell run or adjustable dumbbells. That’s your backbone.
• £1,000-£1,500 (Nice-to-haves):
  Maybe a cable attachment, a conditioning piece (rower / bike), or one favourite machine like a leg press or lat pulldown if space allows.
• £500-£700 (Future upgrades):
  Held back for when you realise you’re missing something in the way you actually train, not just on paper.

Used commercial kit is huge here: one ex-gym rack and bar will usually beat a whole room of cheap home gear.

Common Budget Mistakes (And How to Dodge Them)

Blowing Money on Toys First
Buying niche machines and cool-looking bits before you’ve nailed squats, hinges, pushes and pulls. Fix: build your budget around movement patterns and must-haves first.

Ignoring Delivery and Install Costs
Pricing only the machines, not the cost to get them into the building and set up. Fix: include delivery, install and any extra electrical/flooring work in your kit budget.

Buying Too Much Cheap Kit Instead of Less Quality Kit
Thinking quantity is king, then discovering everything feels flimsy. Fix: prioritise refurbished or used commercial over brand-new budget home kit wherever possible.

Spending 100% Before You Open
Leaving yourself no room to react once you see real usage. Fix: protect that 10-15% upgrade pot like your life depends on it.

How We Can Help You Stretch That Budget

This is exactly where companies like TDM Gym fit into the picture.

Because we live in the used and refurbished commercial space, we can help you:

• Work out what really belongs in your must-have vs nice-to-have lists
• Source serious commercial kit without paying full “brand new” prices
• Free up extra budget by buying any old or redundant kit you already have sitting around

Instead of guessing from random marketplace listings, you can send us your space, your member profile and your rough budget and we can help you shape it into a kit plan that actually works.

Final Thoughts - Serious Kit, Smart Budget

Planning a gym equipment budget isn’t just about how much you’re willing to spend.

It’s about where that money goes.

If you:

• Put 60-70% into must-haves that cover core movements
• Use 20-30% for nice-to-haves that actually support your brand and members
• Protect 10-15% as a future upgrade pot

…you don’t just open with serious kit. You give yourself the ability to improve it, sharpen it, and adapt it as real people start training in your space.

Get the split right, and your equipment becomes an asset that earns for you every day, not just a big number on an invoice.

FAQs

1. How much of my total start-up budget should go on equipment?
There’s no single perfect number, but for most new gyms, 30-40% of the overall launch budget going into equipment is common. The key is to set a clear equipment pot first, then split that into must-haves, nice-to-haves and a future upgrade pot.

2. What’s a sensible split between must-haves, nice-to-haves and upgrades?
A good starting point is:

• 60-70% on must-haves
• 20-30% on nice-to-haves
• 10-15% held back for future upgrades

You can tweak those percentages, but you should always protect some money for after you open.

3. What counts as a “must-have” piece of equipment?
Must-haves are the things that let the majority of your members train core patterns safely and often: squats, hinges, pushes, pulls, leg work, basic core. If it won’t be used several times a day by a broad range of people, it probably doesn’t belong in the must-have bucket.

4. What’s the difference between a nice-to-have and a waste of money?
A nice-to-have adds real value: it helps with member retention, marketing, PT upsells or offers a useful variation on key movements. A waste of money is something you mainly want because it looks cool, but it won’t be used much and doesn’t fit your brand or members.

5. Why keep 10-15% of my equipment budget back?
Because your first months will show you what people actually use. Holding back 10-15% means you can add extra stations where there are queues, bring in requested pieces, or replace anything that flops, without needing new finance or credit.

6. Should I buy everything brand new or look at used/refurbished kit?
If you want serious kit on a realistic budget, used or refurbished commercial equipment is usually the sweet spot. You get commercial-grade frames and better biomechanics without paying full new brochure prices, which makes your must-have budget go much further.

7. How do I stop overspending on “toys” before I’ve bought the basics?
Decide your must-have list before you even look at speciality kit. Lock those in against 60-70% of your budget. Only once they’re fully covered do you allow yourself to spend from the nice-to-have slice.

8. Do I need a separate budget for delivery and install?
Ideally yes, or at least include it inside your equipment pot. Delivery, install and any extra electrical or flooring work are part of the real cost of kitting out a gym. If you ignore them, you’ll end up cutting important pieces at the last minute.

9. How do I plan differently for a PT studio vs a bigger open gym?
A PT studio should bias the must-have budget towards versatile, coach-friendly pieces: a quality rack, bench, bar, plates, dumbbells and cables. A larger open gym needs more capacity pieces like multiple racks, leg presses and rows so members can train independently without constant coaching.

10. Can I adjust the split once I start buying, or should I stick to it rigidly?
The split is a framework, not a prison. You can flex it a little, but any change should be conscious: if you pull money out of must-haves, know what you’re sacrificing. The one rule you should defend hard is the upgrade pot, once it’s gone, you’ve lost your flexibility after launch.