Equipment Density Calculator
Machines per square metre vs facility benchmarks — spot overcrowding or dead floor space.
Model v1.0.0 · Data generated 2026-10-08 · 0 published reference values
Select a scenario to pre-fill realistic defaults for that facility type.
Anonymous, bucketed. We only store your decision profile (size, tier, scenario, result band) — never your inputs or identity.
Recommended Units
14 units
60% confidence · model v1.0.0
Benchmark fleet: 14 units
A 400 sqm mixed-focused floor supports ~14 stations (0.035 units/sqm). Equipment footprint ≈ 79 sqm (5.6 sqm/unit incl. clearance).
| Cost Item | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial Treadmill ×4 | $26 | 33% |
| Elliptical ×1 | $5 | 6% |
| Exercise Bike ×1 | $3 | 4% |
| Rower ×1 | $4 | 5% |
| Smith Machine ×3 | $17 | 22% |
| Cable Crossover ×2 | $16 | 20% |
| Functional Rack ×1 | $6 | 8% |
| Dumbbell Set ×1 | $3 | 4% |
Density leaves breathing room
Footprint plus a 15% circulation buffer fits inside 400 sqm — commercial gyms typically run 0.03-0.04 units/sqm.
Price the recommended fleet
Convert counts into CAPEX with tier pricing.
Open Startup Cost Calculator →Assumptions
- • Base density: 0.035 units/sqm (industry mid-point)
- • Focus mix: mixed distribution applied
- • Footprints: Manufacturer installation areas
Limitations
- • Equipment only — Excludes reception, locker rooms, studios and back-of-house.
- • Small-floor rounding — Under 200 sqm the max(1,type) floor inflates diversity beyond strict proportion.
Data sources & method
This tool is a calculation model, not a database lookup. It runs arithmetic on the numbers you enter, using an explicit formula and a small set of documented default assumptions (service intervals, energy prices, useful life). Every assumption it applies is listed in the result, and each one is a default you can overwrite.
We do not hold a benchmark dataset. FitnessNav operates no gyms, runs no fleet, and has never collected equipment telemetry, so there is no measured useful-life, maintenance-rate or downtime distribution behind these models. The default assumptions come from published manufacturer documentation and standard trade practice, and they are labelled as assumptions \u2014 not as findings. Treat the output as a structured way to think about a decision, and replace every default with your own numbers before it leaves your desk. If a vendor hands you a benchmark, ask for the sample size and the age of the machines in it.
Equipment Density Calculator — frequently asked questions
What is the standard machine density for gyms?
0.035 units per square metre — roughly one machine per 29 m² including support and circulation space. It is the anchor benchmark for capacity planning.
My 400 m² floor has 14 machines — is that crowded?
That matches benchmark density exactly. Crowding complaints usually trace to circulation below the 15% ratio rather than raw unit count.
How do I convert density to square metres per unit?
Invert it: 0.035 units/m² equals about 28.6 m² per machine including shared space.
Why do small studios show odd unit counts?
Below roughly 100 m², rounding each category up to at least one unit inflates effective density — treat small-floor outputs as directional.