A factory currently manufactures and sells 800 boats per year. Each boat costs $5,000 to produce. $4,000 of the per-boat costs are for materials and other variable costs, while the per-boat fixed costs (incurred on yearly rent, administrative, and other fixed costs) are $1,000. If boat orders increase to 1000 boats per year, how do per-unit costs change? (A) Variable costs fall to $3,200 per boat and fixed costs fall to $800 per boat (B) Variable costs are unchanged at $4,000 per boat and fixed costs fall to $800 per boat (C) Variable costs are unchanged at $4,000 per boat and fixed costs are unchanged at $1,000 per boat (D) Variable costs rise to $5,000 per boat and fixed costs are unchanged at $1,000 per boat

B

Explanation:

Variable costs are incurred only when a boat is manufactured such as material and direct labor. Thus variable costs will remain unchanged since it will costs the exact same amount to manufacture another identical boat. If it costs $4,000 in material and direct labor to manufacture boat A it will cost $4,000 to manufacture boat B. Fixed costs are sunk costs that will be incurred whether they manufacture 800 or 1,000 boats per year. The rent and admin costs will remain unchanged no matter how many boats are manufactured. But the fixed cost per boat will change. The total fixed costs are $80,000 (800 boats x $1,000 per boat fixed cost). If the manufacturing rate is increased to 1,000 boats per year, the per boat fixed cost will decrease to $800. Fixed costs remain at $80,000/1,000 boats = $800.