Capital purchases — machinery, vehicles, IT infrastructure, plant upgrades — commit large sums for years, so they deserve more rigour than a routine order. A capex request brings the numbers and the reasoning into one place: what is being bought, what it costs to acquire and run, what it returns, and how quickly it pays back. This free Excel template structures that case, computes the payback period from your cost and benefit inputs, and routes the request through the approvals a capital commitment warrants.
Why capex needs its own request
Operating purchases are consumed quickly; capital purchases sit on the balance sheet and shape costs for years. That longer horizon is exactly why a capex request asks harder questions — total acquisition cost, running cost over the asset's life, the return it generates and the payback period.
Presenting all of this together lets approvers compare competing capital asks on a consistent basis. A machine that costs more but pays back in eighteen months may be a better use of capital than a cheaper one that never quite earns its keep.
Completing a capex request
Build the business case in the template as follows:
- Describe the asset, the requesting department and the capital budget it draws on.
- Break the acquisition cost into purchase, installation and commissioning lines.
- Estimate the annual running cost and the asset's useful life.
- Enter the expected annual benefit — the payback period calculates automatically.
- Note the alternatives you weighed and what happens if the spend is deferred.
Making the case land
Ground your benefit estimate in evidence — a measured saving, a capacity gain, a compliance requirement — rather than optimism. Include the full cost of ownership, not just the sticker price, so the payback is honest. Route the request through the capital-approval authority appropriate to its value, and keep the approved case on file to measure the asset's actual return later.
Download the Capex Request Template
Free, editable Excel (.xlsx). Complete the form above and your download starts instantly.
Common questions
What is a capex request template?
A capex (capital expenditure) request template is a form for proposing a capital purchase — capturing the acquisition and running costs, the expected benefit, the payback period and the approvals needed for a long-term commitment.
How is the payback period calculated?
The template divides the total capital cost by the expected annual benefit to estimate how many years the asset takes to pay for itself, updating automatically as you adjust the figures.
What format is the capex request template in?
A Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) file with built-in payback and cost formulas and no locked cells. It also opens in Google Sheets and LibreOffice Calc.
Is this capex request template free?
Yes. Enter your work email above and the editable Excel file downloads immediately, free of charge.
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