The obvious approaches to comparing profitability of competing tree establishment techniques or treatments would require much data on growth, costs, and revenues. This in-depth knowledge is frequently unavailable or unreliable. A simple alternative is presented that often can determine economic viability with little detailed information. Specifically, assuming that an improved method shortens stand development time by d years, it is shown that a break-even additional relative cost can be computed knowing just d and the discount rate or internal rate of return.