How to make money as Chaos Dwarfs

Chaos Dwarfs's fastest-paying building in Total War: Warhammer III is the Money Pit (Scavengers' Hovel, level 1): 750 gold for +150 gold a turn, its cost back in 5 turns once built. The most gold from one building slot is the Goldsmiths' Guild Hall at +500 a turn (9,500 gold to build the chain that far, back in 19 turns). 15 Chaos Dwarfs building levels make flat income, patch 9.0.4.

Fastest payback

Turns of income to earn the building's cost back (each chain's fastest level).

1Money PitScavengers' Hovel 1 · 750 gold → +150 a turn · Any settlement5turns
2Goldsmiths' Guild HallGold Mining 3 · 5,000 gold → +500 a turn · Region with the resource10turns
3Animal StoreIvory 1 · 1,500 gold → +100 a turn · Region with the resource15turns
4Blood Rock Strip MineDye Production 1 · 1,500 gold → +100 a turn · Region with the resource15turns
5Spice Trading PostSpice Trading 1 · 1,500 gold → +100 a turn · Region with the resource15turns

Most gold per building slot

Income of each chain's top level; the line shows that level's own cost.

1Goldsmiths' Guild HallGold Mining 3 · 5,000 gold → +500 a turn · Region with the resource+500a turn
2Treasure TroveScavengers' Hovel 3 · 2,500 gold → +250 a turn · Any settlement+250a turn
3Dye-MakerDye Production 3 · 5,000 gold → +200 a turn · Region with the resource+200a turn
4Eastern BazaarSpice Trading 3 · 5,000 gold → +200 a turn · Region with the resource+200a turn
5Tusk CompoundIvory 3 · 5,000 gold → +200 a turn · Region with the resource+200a turn

COMPUTEDIncome = the level's flat gold per turn (the game's “Income generated” effects on the building itself, table building_effects_junction) minus its upkeep (building_levels.upkeep_cost). Payback = cost (create_cost) ÷ income. Upgrade payback = the level's cost ÷ the income it adds over the level below. “Gold back by turn” = build turns (create_time) + payback, counted from the order. Chain total = every level's cost up to this one, and its payback = that total ÷ income. Patch 9.0.4.

ASSUMPTIONS

Base values: technologies, lord skills, commandments, campaign difficulty and faction effects that change income or building costs are not counted.
Percentage boosts (“+4% income from all buildings in the province”, “+20% (local region)”) are not in the payback: they depend on the buildings they boost. They are listed below with the income those buildings need to make.
Conditional income (“When Control is 75 or more”, “When enemy Lord is present”…) is not counted; listed below in the game's words.
Resource buildings need a region with that resource; ports need a port settlement. A slot can hold one building, so late in a campaign gold per slot matters more than payback.

Every Chaos Dwarfs building that makes gold (15)

#
1	Money Pit	Scavengers' Hovel	1	750	2	150	5	—	7	Any settlement
2	Locked Stores	Scavengers' Hovel	2	1,500	4	200	7.50	30	11.50	Any settlement
3	Treasure Trove	Scavengers' Hovel	3	2,500	6	250	10	50	16	Any settlement
4	Gold Mine	Gold Mining	1	1,500	2	150	10	—	12	Region with the resource
5	Gold Smelter	Gold Mining	2	3,000	4	300	10	20	14	Region with the resource
6	Goldsmiths' Guild Hall	Gold Mining	3	5,000	6	500	10	25	16	Region with the resource
7	Blood Rock Strip Mine	Dye Production	1	1,500	2	100	15	—	17	Region with the resource
8	Animal Store	Ivory	1	1,500	2	100	15	—	17	Region with the resource
9	Spice Trading Post	Spice Trading	1	1,500	2	100	15	—	17	Region with the resource
10	Cinnabar Mine	Dye Production	2	3,000	4	150	20	60	24	Region with the resource
11	Tusk Market	Ivory	2	3,000	4	150	20	60	24	Region with the resource
12	Spice Market	Spice Trading	2	3,000	4	150	20	60	24	Region with the resource
13	Dye-Maker	Dye Production	3	5,000	6	200	25	100	31	Region with the resource
14	Tusk Compound	Ivory	3	5,000	6	200	25	100	31	Region with the resource
15	Eastern Bazaar	Spice Trading	3	5,000	6	200	25	100	31	Region with the resource

Main building levels

Settlement upgrades make gold too, but they also cost growth (population surplus) and open building slots, so payback alone undersells them. Province capitals and minor settlements are separate chains.

#
1	Outpost	Outpost	1	1,500	—	50	—
2	Overseers' Camp	Outpost	2	4,000	—	100	80
3	Overseers' Tower	Outpost	3	7,500	—	150	150

Conditional income

Money Pit (Scavengers' Hovel 1): +50 a turn — When technology "Extended Shifts" researched
Locked Stores (Scavengers' Hovel 2): +50 a turn — When technology "Extended Shifts" researched
Treasure Trove (Scavengers' Hovel 3): +50 a turn — When technology "Extended Shifts" researched

Every level's full effects: Chaos Dwarfs buildings.