How Much Should You Budget for a CMMS in 2027? 9 Questions to Answer
What a CMMS costs depends on how many people will use it, how the vendor charges for users, and what setup, training and add-ons cost. Get those answers before budgets lock, so the number you turn in doesn’t come up short in year one. Write down where your PMs, downtime and overtime stand today, too, so you can show what the system saved a year from now. This guide covers the nine questions to answer and a budget worksheet to take into the meeting.
Quick Answer: CMMS Budget Worksheet
| Budget line | What to ask | Write down |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Flat rate or per user? What happens when we add users? | Annual cost at today’s and next year’s headcount |
| Included features | What’s in the plan; what’s an add-on? | List of add-ons you’ll need |
| Setup and data import | Who loads assets, PMs and parts? What’s included? | Vendor cost + your staff hours |
| Training | Live or recorded? How many sessions? | Sessions and who attends |
| Devices | Mobile browser or app? Will our phones work? | Any devices you’d need to buy |
| Integrations | Built in or extra cost? | Systems and cost |
| Support | Included? Hours? Phone or email? | Support terms |
| Payback | What will we measure? | Today’s baseline numbers |
Why Do These Questions Come Before the Number?
Budget season is when a CMMS either makes it into next year’s plan or waits another year. Waiting costs money too: emergency repairs can cost three to more than ten times as much as planned maintenance (Univ. of Tennessee RMC, 2020; see our maintenance statistics page).
These are the questions to answer before your number goes in. For the step-by-step budgeting process, see our 10 steps to budget for CMMS software.
1. How does CMMS pricing change as you add users?
Some plans charge per user and others are a flat rate, so price it at next year’s headcount, not today’s.
Count technicians, supervisors, storeroom staff and anyone who will submit requests. Then ask how the price works: some plans charge per user, others are a flat rate. At eWorkOrders, the Starter and Advanced plans are flat rate and Enterprise is priced per user. See pricing and plans.
2. What is included in a CMMS subscription?
It depends on the plan, so ask for a list of what’s included and what costs extra before you budget.
Ask for a list of what’s in the plan you’re pricing: work orders, PMs, inventory, service requests, reporting, integrations, support and training. Features you assume are included are where budgets get surprised in year one.
3. How much do CMMS setup and training cost?
Ask who loads your assets, PMs and parts, what help is included, and how much of your own staff time it will take.
Ask who loads your assets, PMs and parts, what help is included and what’s billed. eWorkOrders provides live setup and training sessions; timing depends on when your data and team are ready. Plan your own staff time too. Someone has to gather the asset list.
4. Can technicians use a CMMS on their own phones?
Ask whether it runs in a mobile browser or needs an app installed, and try it on the phones your techs already carry.
If techs can’t use it on the floor, they’ll go back to paper. Ask whether it runs in a mobile browser or needs an app installed on every device, and try it on your own phones. eWorkOrders runs in the web browser on phones and tablets, with no app to install.
5. Which CMMS features do you need on day one?
Most teams start with work orders and PMs, then add inventory, service requests and reporting later.
Most teams start with work orders and PMs, then add inventory, service requests and reporting. Budget for day one, but ask what it costs to add the rest later so year two doesn’t surprise you.
6. What should a CMMS integrate with?
List the systems it should connect to, such as accounting, purchasing or condition monitoring, and ask which integrations cost extra.
List the systems it should talk to: accounting or ERP, purchasing, building automation or condition monitoring. Ask which integrations are built in and which cost extra. eWorkOrders, for example, integrates with AssetWatch for condition monitoring.
7. How should you check a CMMS vendor’s data security?
Ask where data is hosted, how it’s backed up, what security ratings the vendor has, and how you get your data out if you leave.
Ask where data is hosted, how it’s backed up, what security ratings the vendor has, and how you get your data out if you leave. eWorkOrders holds a 100 / A rating from SecurityScorecard. IT will ask these questions anyway, so get answers early.
8. What does it cost not to have a CMMS?
Add up breakdown overtime, rush parts orders and the hours spent chasing paperwork.
Add up overtime on breakdowns, rush parts orders and the hours spent chasing paperwork. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates preventive maintenance saves 12% to 18% on average compared with reactive maintenance (U.S. DOE, 2010; see our maintenance statistics page). That’s the other side of the budget line.
9. How do you measure CMMS payback in the first year?
Pick three or four numbers before you buy, such as PMs done on time, downtime hours, overtime and parts spending, and write down where they are today.
Pick three or four numbers before you buy: PMs completed on time, unplanned downtime hours, overtime, and parts spending. Write down where they are today. If you don’t have a baseline, you won’t be able to show the CMMS paid for itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much should we budget for a CMMS?
It depends on how many users you have, which plan and features you need, and what setup, training and integrations cost. Start with the vendor’s subscription price, then add setup, training, devices and your own staff time. Our 10 CMMS cost factors break it down.
Is flat-rate or per-user CMMS pricing better?
Flat-rate pricing is easier to budget and doesn’t penalize you for adding users. Per-user pricing can cost less for a very small team but grows as you add people. Price both at next year’s headcount, not today’s.
Is a free CMMS worth it?
Free plans usually limit users, assets or features, and setup, support and data import still take time. Read about the hidden costs of free CMMS before you decide.
When should we request CMMS quotes for next year?
Before your budget is due, so the number you submit is real. Allow time for a demo, a quote and an IT security review.
Final Thoughts
A CMMS budget goes through when the number is real. Get these answers before budgets lock, write down today’s baseline, and you’ll be able to show the payback a year from now.
Keep Every Job on Schedule and On Record
See what each plan includes on our pricing page, then book a standard demo with our team. eWorkOrders has supported maintenance operations for over 30 years, serving teams at Honda and King River Packaging, rated 4.9 on Capterra and G2.
- U.S. Department of Energy, Federal Energy Management Program, Operations & Maintenance Best Practices Guide, Release 3.0, Chapter 5 (2010)
- Blache, K., “Twenty Reasons to Stop Firefighting,” University of Tennessee Reliability and Maintainability Center (2020)
Statistics are also summarized on our Maintenance & CMMS Statistics page. Standards and codes change; always follow the current edition your authority having jurisdiction requires and the equipment manufacturer’s instructions.
About the author: Janet Jaquis is Marketing Director at eWorkOrders, where she writes about maintenance strategy, asset reliability, and CMMS software for maintenance and facility teams.
