Parking Permit Calculator
Compare a parking permit with pay-as-you-go parking and find out whether the permit will save you money, and how many days you need to park for it to pay off.
Is a Parking Permit Worth It?
Enter the price of the permit and what you would otherwise pay to park. The calculator works out your yearly cost both ways, your cost per visit with a permit, and your break-even point.
Parking Permit Cost Calculator
See which option is cheaper for the way you park.
How the Permit Maths Works
Four steps to a fair comparison
Price One Visit
Multiply the hourly rate by the hours you park. If there is a daily maximum, use whichever is lower.
Count Your Visits
Days parked per week multiplied by weeks parked per year gives your visits. Five days over 46 weeks is 230 visits.
Annualise the Permit
Scale a weekly, monthly or part-year permit to a full year so both options cover the same period.
Find the Break-Even
Divide the yearly permit cost by the cost of one visit. Park more often than that and the permit is the cheaper option.
Permit Break-Even Guide
How many visits it takes for a £400 annual permit to pay for itself at different pay-as-you-go costs per visit, assuming you park for 46 weeks a year.
| Cost per Visit | Break-Even Visits per Year | Break-Even Days per Week | Permit Likely Worth It If You Park |
|---|---|---|---|
| £3 | 134 | 2.9 | 3 or more days a week |
| £5 | 80 | 1.7 | 2 or more days a week |
| £8 | 50 | 1.1 | About once a week or more |
| £10 | 40 | 0.9 | Most weeks |
| £12 | 34 | 0.7 | A few times a month |
| £15 | 27 | 0.6 | Twice a month or more |
| £20 | 20 | 0.4 | Once or twice a month |
Figures are illustrative. Permit prices, rules and coverage vary by council, car park and provider.
Parking Permit FAQ
Answers to the most frequently asked questions about whether a parking permit is worth buying.
Work out what you would pay to park each visit, then divide the yearly cost of the permit by that figure. The result is the number of visits you need to make for the permit to pay for itself. For example, a £400 permit and £8 per visit breaks even after 50 visits.
Convert both to the same period. Multiply a monthly permit price by 12 to get its yearly cost and compare it with the annual price. Annual permits are often cheaper per month, but only if you will use them for the full year.
Yes. If the car park caps what you pay in a day, use the cap instead of the full hourly charge for long stays. Otherwise the calculator will overstate your pay-as-you-go cost and make the permit look better value than it is.
Check whether the permit guarantees a space or only the right to park, whether there are admin or replacement fees, how visitor permits are charged, and what the refund or transfer rules are if you move or sell your vehicle. These vary by council or provider, so read the terms before you buy.
Divide your break-even visits per year by the number of weeks you actually park. A £400 permit against £8 per visit breaks even at 50 visits, which is about one day a week over 46 weeks. If you park more often than that, the permit saves you money.