An LPG refill and delivery store sells cooking gas in sealed cylinders: the customer trades an empty for a full one, at the store or delivered to the door. Most start with a small store front, a safe storage area, a pool of cylinders and one motorcycle for deliveries. Margins per cylinder are small; the money is made on regular households and eateries, fast delivery and following the safety rules.

This guide walks through what it takes to start an LPG refill and delivery store in the Philippines: the capital, the monthly costs, the permits and the first 90 days. The peso figures are sample estimates for a store front with delivery in Cebu as of October 2026; get your own quotes before you decide.

How much capital you need

The sample comes to about ₱384,850 including one month of fixed costs kept as a cash buffer. It splits into store and safety (₱62,500), equipment (₱104,000), cylinders (₱108,500), permits and deposits (₱51,000), launch (₱3,000) and working capital (₱55,850). Other ways to start: gas corner in an existing store at ₱80,000–₱150,000 and dealership with a truck at ₱2 million–₱3.5 million.

Monthly costs and break-even

Fixed costs in the sample are ₱55,850 a month; the biggest are attendant and rider (₱31,200), store rent (₱12,000) and SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG (₱4,350). Each cylinder sold earns about ₱88 after its own costs, so the break-even is 22 cylinders a day, and the startup capital takes about 16 months to come back at full sales.

Permits and registration

Register the business name with DTI (or SEC or CDA), then get the barangay business clearance, the Mayor's permit through the city or municipal BPLO, and BIR registration; register with SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG once you hire. An LPG refill and delivery store also needs: DOE licence to operate (LPG retail outlet), fire safety inspection for LPG storage and supply agreement. Requirements and fees differ by city, so ask each office for its checklist first. DTI Negosyo Centers help for free.

Where to set up

  • In a dense residential area with many households
  • On a main road where the rider can move quickly
  • Near carinderias, bakeries and market eateries
  • Where the nearest LPG store is far or slow to deliver

Mistakes to avoid

  • Gas leak or fire. Ventilated storage, no smoking or flame, a leak check on every cylinder, and extinguishers checked monthly.
  • Underweight or tampered cylinders. Buy only from licensed suppliers, weigh every cylinder, and reject any with a broken seal.
  • Cylinders lost with customers. Charge a deposit for every cylinder released, and record who holds it.
  • A price drop while you hold stock. Keep only a few days of stock, and update prices on the day the supplier changes them.

Plan it with the starter kit

The LPG Refill & Delivery · Negosyo Starter Kit has every worksheet behind this guide in a 26-page PDF, plus an Excel calculator: type in your own quotes and it works out your capital, break-even, profit and payback month. It costs ₱349 and downloads right after payment.