Photography & events
Photography Studio Cost Calculator
Works studio cost, where the cost per shoot hour decides whether it pays.
Result
A planning estimate, not a quote. Access, the age of the equipment, what is found once it is opened up and local labour rates all move the real figure, sometimes a long way.
Get a Free Business AuditHow the calculation works
Rent, utilities, insurance, equipment and fit-out amortised, totalled monthly and divided by the shoot hours the studio is actually used, giving cost per shoot hour. That figure is what determines whether a studio earns its keep against hiring space when needed.
What moves the number
- Monthly rent and utilities.
- Shoot hours the studio is actually used.
- Equipment and fit-out cost spread over its life.
- Whether the space can be sublet to other photographers.
Where this one goes wrong
A studio used a few days a month has a cost per shoot hour far above the rate for hiring space, which is the comparison that should drive the decision rather than the appeal of having a space, and many photographers discover it after signing a lease. Run the comparison honestly. Subletting to other photographers is the usual way to make a studio viable, and whether the lease permits it is worth confirming before it becomes the plan.
Before you quote
- Compare cost per shoot hour against hire rates for the same space.
- Count actual usage, not intended usage.
- Check whether the lease permits subletting before relying on it.
Questions
About this calculator
Is a studio worth having?
Compare its cost per shoot hour against the rate for hiring space when needed. A studio used a few days a month costs far more per hour than hiring, and that comparison should drive the decision rather than the appeal of having a space.
How should usage be counted?
Actual, not intended. The honest figure is the hours the studio was genuinely used for paid work last year, and photographers consistently overestimate it when the lease is being considered rather than reviewed.
Can a studio be made viable by subletting?
It is the usual way, since other photographers need space occasionally too. Whether the lease permits it is worth confirming before it becomes the plan, along with insurance implications of others working in the space.
The formula
total = hours x people x rate + parts + call-out, then sales tax
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How to use this calculator
- Hours on the project (h). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 6 h.
- People on the project. Enter your own figure; the page starts at 1.
- Hourly rate charged ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $175.
- Production, stock and licensing ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $60.
- Discovery or scoping fee ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $95.
- Sales tax (%). Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
The result updates as you type, so you can try a figure, see what it does to estimated total, and change it back. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or saved.
A worked example
These are the figures the calculator opens with. Every number in the results column below is produced by the same calculation the page runs, so you can follow it through before putting your own figures in.
What goes in
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Hours on the project | 6 h |
| People on the project | 1 |
| Hourly rate charged | $175 |
| Production, stock and licensing | $60 |
| Discovery or scoping fee | $95 |
| Sales tax | 0% |
What comes out
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Estimated total main result | $1,205 |
| Labour | $1,050 |
| Before tax | $1,205 |
| Sales tax | $0 |
About $1,205: $1,050 of labour, $60 of parts and a $95 call-out.
How sensitive the answer is
Holding everything else steady and changing only hourly rate charged, this is what happens to estimated total. It is worth knowing which of your inputs the answer actually hinges on, and which barely move it.
| Hourly rate charged ($) | Estimated total |
|---|---|
| $88 | $683 |
| $131 | $941 |
| $175 example above | $1,205 |
| $263 | $1,733 |
| $350 | $2,255 |
Every other input is held at the example value while this one changes, which is not how a real job behaves. Treat it as a guide to which number matters most, not as five separate quotes.
What each figure means
- Hours on the project (h)
- Measured in h, between 0 and 400, starting at 6 h.
- People on the project
- A number, between 0 and 40, starting at 1.
- Hourly rate charged ($)
- A money amount, starting at $175.
- Production, stock and licensing ($)
- A money amount, starting at $60.
- Discovery or scoping fee ($)
- A money amount, starting at $95.
- Sales tax (%)
- Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
What the results tell you
| Result | What it is |
|---|---|
| Estimated total | The headline result. A money figure. |
| Labour | A money figure. |
| Before tax | A money figure. |
| Sales tax | A money figure. |
Estimating is the easy part
The jobs you never hear about cost more than the ones you mis-measure. BDEVY builds the marketing, systems and automation that bring them in.