Rust Upkeep Calculator
Calculate your base's daily maintenance cost
Twig pieces have no upkeep cost and are not included in TC calculations. They decay in 1 hour without a TC.
Upkeep Rates
Decay Time Without TC
Upkeep Scaling System
Rust uses a progressive upkeep scaling system. As your base grows larger, additional building blocks cost proportionally more upkeep:
This means mega-bases pay significantly more per block than small bases. The calculator above uses the base rate -- actual upkeep for large bases will be higher due to this scaling.
Daily Upkeep Cost
Approximate farming effort (scrap equivalent) based on relative gathering/recycling rates
Total Materials in Base
If TC Runs Out
How Rust Upkeep Works
Upkeep in Rust is a daily maintenance cost that your Tool Cupboard (TC) automatically deducts from its inventory. Every building piece in your base contributes to the total upkeep cost based on the material tier used. If your TC runs out of materials, your base will begin to decay.
The upkeep system was introduced to prevent server lag from massive, abandoned bases. It ensures that only actively maintained bases persist on the map. The cost scales with base size -- larger bases require proportionally more resources to maintain.
Upkeep Rates by Material
Each material tier has a different upkeep percentage applied daily. Higher tier materials cost proportionally more to maintain:
- Twig: No upkeep cost (decays in 1 hour without TC)
- Wood: 10% of total wood used per day
- Stone: 15% of total stone used per day
- Metal: 20% of total metal fragments used per day
- Armored (HQM): 33% of total HQM used per day
This means an armored base costs significantly more to maintain relative to its building cost compared to a stone base. Plan your base design carefully to balance protection with sustainability.
Decay Rates and Timers
When your TC runs out of resources or is destroyed, your base enters a decay state. Each tier decays at a different rate:
- Twig: 1 hour until fully decayed
- Wood: 3 hours until fully decayed
- Stone: 5 hours until fully decayed
- Sheet Metal: 8 hours until fully decayed
- Armored: 12 hours until fully decayed
Decay removes HP from building pieces gradually over these time periods. Once a piece reaches 0 HP, it is destroyed. Building pieces connected to the ground (foundations) decay first, which can cause upper floors to collapse.
Tips for Reducing Upkeep
- Use stone for most of your base -- it offers good protection at only 15% upkeep
- Reserve metal and armored pieces for critical areas like TC rooms and loot rooms
- Avoid unnecessarily large bases; compact designs save resources
- Use honeycomb strategically rather than covering every surface
- Keep your TC stocked with at least 2-3 days worth of materials before going offline
- Consider using external TCs for compound walls to separate upkeep costs