Photo booth pricing calculator
What to charge for a print, open-air or 360 photo booth rental — from what an event really costs you: staff time, prints, travel and a fair share of the booth, insurance and software. Get a price per event, per hour, ready-made packages and the deposit.
Example: a 3-hour print booth at a party 20 miles away. Every number is a starting point — replace it with your own.
1 · Booth & event
2 · Prints, props & travel
3 · Equipment & running costs
Spread over the events you expect a year, so every booking pays its share.
4 · Fees, margin & deposit
The true cost of one event
Most booth owners underprice by counting only the hours the booth runs. This calculator counts the whole job and a share of the business behind it.
- Staff = attendants × (event hours + setup and teardown + travel time) × hourly rate.
- Prints = event hours × prints per hour × cost per print. Props = props, backdrop and guest book wear per event. Travel = round-trip distance × cost per mile or km.
- Equipment wear = equipment cost ÷ (years of use × events per year). Running costs = (insurance per year + software per month × 12 + other overhead per year) ÷ events per year.
- Price = cost ÷ (1 − target margin − card fee %), rounded up. Card fees are then fee % × price, and true cost = cost + card fees.
- Packages repeat the same sum for 2, 3, 4 and 5 hours. Extra hour = (attendants × hourly rate + prints per hour × cost per print) ÷ (1 − margin − fee %).
- Deposit = price × deposit %. Break-even = cost ÷ (1 − fee %): the lowest price that does not lose money.
The example numbers
These are starting points to edit, not market rates — booth prices, wages and insurance vary a lot by region and by how you buy. Choosing a booth type loads its row:
| Booth type | Equipment | Prints / hr | Attendants | Setup + teardown | Props / event | Software / month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classic print booth | $5,000 | 40 | 1 | 1.5 hrs | $20 | $40 |
| Digital / open-air | $2,500 | – | 1 | 1 hrs | $20 | $30 |
| 360 video booth | $3,500 | – | 2 | 1.5 hrs | $25 | $40 |
| Shared input | Starting value |
|---|---|
| Event length · travel time | 3 hours · 1 hour round trip |
| Attendant hourly rate | $25 an hour |
| Round-trip distance · cost | 40 miles at $0.67 a mile |
| Cost per print | $0.25 (4×6 media and ink) |
| Equipment life · events per year | 3 years · 50 events |
| Insurance · other overhead | $600 a year · $1,200 a year |
| Card fees · margin · deposit | 3% · 50% · 30% |
Worked example
| 3-hour print booth | Amount |
|---|---|
| Staff: 1 × (3 + 1.5 + 1) hrs × $25 | $138 |
| Prints: 3 × 40 × $0.25 · props $20 | $50 |
| Travel: 40 mi × $0.67 | $27 |
| Equipment, insurance, software and overhead per event | $79 |
| Price at 50% margin after 3% card fees | $625 ($208 an hour) |
| Deposit (30%) · balance | $188 · $438 |
Want to check the profit on a price you have already quoted? Use the event profit calculator. For deposit wording and timing, read event deposits: how much to ask for, and when the balance is due. Sarvyam runs quotes, contracts and deposits for photo booths, photographers and balloon decorators — see event quotation software and plans and pricing.
Questions, answered
How much should I charge for a photo booth rental?
Work out what one event really costs you, then add your margin. Count staff time for the whole job (setup, the event, teardown and travel), prints and props, mileage, and a share of the booth itself, insurance, software and overhead spread over the events you do in a year. Divide by (1 − margin − card fee %). With the example numbers on this page — a 3-hour print booth, one attendant at $25 an hour and 50 events a year — the true cost is about $312 and the price at a 50% margin is $625.
How much should I charge for a 360 photo booth rental?
The method is the same; what changes is the kit and the staffing. 360 booths usually need no prints, but many operators run them with two people — one at the platform and one managing the queue — which doubles staff time. With the example 360 numbers (a $3,500 setup, two attendants at $25 an hour, 3 hours on site) the price at a 50% margin comes out at about $845. Use your own equipment cost and staffing.
How do I set a photo booth rental price per hour?
Quote packages, not a flat hourly rate. Setup, travel, equipment wear and overhead cost the same whether the booth runs for two hours or five, so the per-hour price should fall as the package gets longer. In the example, 2 hours works out at $275 an hour and 5 hours at $155 an hour. Price an extra hour on its own — staff time and prints for that hour, at your margin ($75 in the example).
How do I include the cost of my booth in the price?
Spread it over its working life. Divide what you paid for the booth, camera, lights, printer and cases by the number of years before you expect to replace it and the events you do each year. A $5,000 booth used for 50 events a year over 3 years adds about $33 to every event. Leave it out and your booth is never really paid for.
How much deposit should I take for a photo booth booking?
Many event businesses take 25–50% to hold the date, with the balance due before the event. Your deposit should at least cover what a late cancellation would cost you — the date you turned others away for. Put the amount and when it is refundable in your contract.
Should I charge for travel and setup time?
Yes. Setup, teardown and driving are paid hours for your attendants even though guests never see them, and mileage is a real cost. Either build them into every package, as this calculator does, or add a travel fee beyond a set distance.
Are prints included in the price?
For a print booth, they should be. The calculator multiplies prints per hour by your cost per print (paper and ink or dye-sub media) for the hours the booth runs. Busy events print far more than quiet ones, so check your own numbers after a few events. Set prints to 0 for digital-only or 360 booths.
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