Campsite pitch pricing is one of those things that sounds simple until you sit down to actually do it. Charge too much and your pitches sit empty. Charge too little and you are working flat out all summer for barely enough to cover your costs. Getting your pricing right is one of the most important decisions you will make as a site owner, and yet most people set their prices once and leave them for years. This guide walks through how to think about pricing, what to factor in, and how to build a strategy that keeps your site profitable and your pitches full.

Start with your costs, not your competitors

The most common mistake campsite owners make when setting prices is looking at what the site down the road charges and matching it. That feels safe, but it tells you nothing about whether that price actually works for your business. Two sites a mile apart can have completely different cost structures.

Before you look at anyone else, work out what it costs you to run a single pitch for a single night. Add up everything:

Divide your total annual costs by the number of pitch nights you can realistically sell in a year. That gives you your break even price per pitch per night. Anything below that and you are losing money. This number might surprise you. For many CL sites with five pitches and a short season, the real cost per pitch night can be higher than owners expect.

Understand what your pitch is actually worth

Once you know your floor price, the next step is to understand the value you are offering. Not all pitches are equal, and guests are willing to pay more for certain things.

Location and setting

A pitch with a view of the Lake District is worth more than a pitch next to a skip. A site within walking distance of a beach, a pub, or a market town has a natural advantage. You cannot change your location, but you can emphasise what makes it special. If your site is quiet and remote, that is a selling point for a certain type of guest.

Facilities and hookups

Electric hookups command a premium. Most guests with caravans and motorhomes expect them, and they are willing to pay an extra three to five pounds per night. If you have different pitch types (hardstanding versus grass, standard versus premium hookup amps), price them differently. A well maintained toilet and shower block adds value. So does Wi-Fi, a dish washing area, or a laundry room.

Pitch size and privacy

Generous pitch spacing, hedgerow screening, and a sense of privacy all add perceived value. Guests who have been crammed onto a pitch where they can hear their neighbour's kettle boiling will happily pay more for space. If you have a few larger, more private pitches, consider pricing them as premium options.

Research your local market

Now you can look at competitors, but do it properly. Do not just glance at one or two sites. Check at least five to ten campsites within a 30 mile radius that target a similar audience. Note their prices for:

Look at how full they are. If a site is fully booked all summer at thirty pounds a night, they are probably undercharging. If a site has lots of availability at forty pounds, the market might not support that price point in your area.

Also check the larger listing sites where campsites advertise. See what price range appears most often for your region and pitch type. This gives you a realistic band to work within.

Build a tiered pricing structure

A single flat rate for every pitch, every night of the year is leaving money on the table. Most successful campsites use some form of tiered pricing. You do not need to make it complicated, but a few tiers can make a real difference to your annual revenue.

Seasonal pricing

At minimum, have two or three seasonal rates:

The difference between low and high season pricing can be significant. It is not unusual to see a fifty percent uplift from low to high season on busy sites.

Pitch type pricing

If your pitches are not all identical, price them accordingly:

Managing different pitch types and prices is straightforward with booking software that lets you set rates by pitch category and date range.

Extras and supplements

Many sites charge separately for extras. This keeps the headline pitch price competitive while generating additional revenue. Common extras include:

Be transparent about extras. List them clearly on your website and in your booking confirmation so guests are not surprised when they arrive.

Consider minimum stay requirements

Minimum stays can have a big impact on your revenue and your workload. A one night stay generates income for one night but still requires the same check in, check out, and turnaround effort as a longer booking. Many sites set a two or three night minimum during peak periods and bank holiday weekends.

For CS sites and smaller parks, minimum stays can help fill your limited pitches more efficiently. If you only have five pitches and three are booked for single nights over a bank holiday weekend, you have lost potential income from guests who wanted the full three nights.

The trade off is that minimum stays can reduce midweek bookings. A retired couple touring for a month might want one night in your area before moving on. You need to decide whether the lost flexibility is worth the guaranteed longer bookings.

Review and adjust regularly

Pricing is not something you set once and forget. Review your rates at least twice a year, ideally before each season starts. Look at:

Keep records of your occupancy and revenue by month so you can spot trends over time. A good invoicing system makes this straightforward because every booking and payment is logged automatically.

Common pricing mistakes to avoid

A few pitfalls come up repeatedly when talking to campsite owners about pricing.

Undercharging out of guilt. Many site owners, especially those running a small site alongside other work, feel uncomfortable charging a fair price. They think of themselves as hosts rather than business owners. But if your prices do not cover your costs and leave something for reinvestment, the site will deteriorate over time. Guests would rather pay a fair price for a well maintained site than save a few pounds and arrive to overgrown hedges and broken facilities.

Ignoring your own time. If you spend 15 hours a week managing bookings, mowing grass, cleaning facilities, and greeting guests, that time has a cost. Factor it into your pricing even if you are not paying yourself a formal wage.

Copying without context. The site next door might charge twenty pounds a night, but they might also own their land outright, have no mortgage, and do all maintenance themselves. Their cost base is different from yours. Price for your business, not theirs.

Keeping prices static for years. If you have not raised your prices since 2022, you are effectively charging less each year due to inflation. A modest annual increase of five to ten percent is normal and expected. Most guests will not even notice.

Overcomplicating things. You do not need 17 different rate bands and a complex algorithm. Two or three seasonal tiers, a couple of pitch types, and clear extras is plenty for most sites. Keep it simple enough that you can explain it to a guest in one sentence.

A simple pricing checklist

Use this when reviewing your rates before the season:

Pricing is part of how you run your site

Getting your campsite pitch pricing right is not about squeezing every penny out of your guests. It is about running a sustainable business that covers your costs, rewards your effort, and gives you the means to keep improving the site. A well priced pitch attracts the right guests, fills your calendar, and keeps the whole operation ticking over smoothly.

If you are managing prices across spreadsheets, scribbled notes, or a paper diary, it is easy to lose track. CampSuite lets you set rates by pitch type, season, and extras in one place, so your pricing is always clear and your bookings are always up to date.