Bunker Guide — Research & Manufacturing
Los Santos Guide • Updated 2026
🛡️Bunker Guide
Research, manufacturing, and profit optimization
The Bunker is one of the most versatile properties in GTA Online. It serves dual purposes — manufacturing weapons for sale and researching upgrades for other vehicles and weapons. A well-managed bunker can generate significant income, but it requires careful supply management to be profitable.
Choosing the Right Location
Bunker location matters more than with the Nightclub because you'll frequently visit for supplies and sales. There are three tiers of locations:
- Farmhouse Bunker ($2,375,000) — Best overall location. Central in the map, close to the city for high-value sales.
- Chumash Bunker ($1,665,000) — Best value. On the western highway, quick access to the city.
- Smoke Tree Road / Route 68 — Decent mid-range options.
- Paleto Bay / Raton Canyon — Cheapest but terrible locations. Avoid unless you're on a tight budget.
💡 Pro Tip: Pay the extra for Chumash or Farmhouse. The time saved on supply and sale missions will quickly offset the higher initial cost.
Research vs Manufacturing
Your Bunker can operate in three modes:
- Manufacturing Only — Produces weapons for sale. Pure profit focus.
- Research Only — Unlocks vehicle and weapon upgrades. No profit, but essential unlocks.
- Both — Splits supply between manufacturing and research. Half the speed of each.
The research items are critical for competitive play. Key unlocks include:
- Thermal Scope for Heavy Sniper — Essential for PvP
- Explosive Rounds for Heavy Sniper — One-shots helicopters and jets
- Missile Lock-On Jammer — Makes Oppressor Mk II targeting much harder
- Vehicle Armor Plating — Various vehicle defensive upgrades
- Special Ammo Types — Incendiary, tracer, and FMJ rounds
⚠ Note: There are 62 research projects in total. Unlocking them all through research alone takes weeks. You can fast-track research for $225,000 per project.
Supply Strategy
You have two options for sourcing supplies:
- Steal Supplies — Free but time-consuming. Missions take 10-20 minutes each.
- Buy Supplies ($75,000) — Instant, allows you to do other activities while the bunker produces.
Buying supplies is almost always better. The $75,000 investment returns $210,000 (with equipment and staff upgrades, selling to Los Santos). Net profit per buy cycle: $135,000.
Profit Breakdown
- Full bar of supplies ($75,000) produces $210,000 worth of product when sold to Los Santos
- Net profit per supply run: $135,000
- Time to convert: 2 hours 20 minutes (fully upgraded)
- Profit per hour: approximately $58,000 passive
💡 Pro Tip: Always sell to Los Santos for the 50% bonus. The sale missions are manageable solo for up to 1.5 bars of product. For full bunker sales, you need at least one helper.
Sell Mission Guide
There are four types of sell missions. Here's how to handle each:
- Phantom Wedge — Very easy. Drive the wedge truck to the drop points. NPCs chase but cause minimal damage.
- Black Insurgent — Easy. Fight off waves of enemies at each drop. Use explosive weapons.
- Monster Truck Dune FAV — Annoying. The vehicles are weak and the drop points are spread out. Avoid full bunker sales solo.
- Marshal Monster Truck — Medium. Similar to Dune FAV but slightly more durable.
Final Thoughts
The Bunker is a solid mid-tier passive income source. It's not as profitable as the Nightclub or as active as Cayo Perico, but the research unlocks are essential. Buy the Chumash bunker, upgrade equipment and staff, and buy supplies. Let it run in the background while you do other activities.