Price Jobs to Make Money, Not Just Win Bookings

Why Marquee Companies Underprice Jobs

You quote a 12m x 18m marquee at £2,400. Competitive price. Client books immediately. You're busy. Peak season momentum feels good.

Setup day: Four crew members, eight hours each. That's 32 labour hours. Breakdown: Another 32 hours. Plus a driver for delivery and collection. Vehicle costs. Diesel at £1.80 per litre for the 60-mile round trip.

End of season, you tally the numbers. Labour cost £768. Vehicle and fuel £150. Your actual profit on that £2,400 booking? £180 after equipment hire. That's 7.5% margin. You worked two full days for £180 profit.

You didn't price wrong deliberately. You priced without seeing the full cost. Most marquee companies do.

The solution isn't working harder. It's seeing your costs before you quote.

How Job Costing Prevents Underpricing

Automatic Labour Cost Calculation

GoodEvent Business calculates labour costs automatically. You add crew to the job. System knows hourly rates for each person. It calculates setup time, event duration, and breakdown time.

Four crew at £15/hour for eight hours? £480. Breakdown day, same crew, same time? Another £480. Total labour: £960.

You see this while building the quote. Not after the job completes. Before you promise the price to the client.

Adjust crew size if needed. Maybe three crew over ten hours costs less than four over eight. System recalculates instantly. You price based on your actual operational approach.

Vehicle and Transport Costs

Vehicle costs include: driver time, fuel, vehicle depreciation, insurance, maintenance allocation. Most quotes ignore half of these.

Define your vehicle costs once. Per mile or per job, depending on how you operate. System applies these costs to every quote automatically.

60-mile delivery and collection at £1.50 per mile? £90 transport cost. Driver for four hours at £14/hour? £56. Total vehicle costs: £146.

Added to the quote automatically. You don't calculate manually. You don't forget to include it.

Sub-Hire and External Costs

Some jobs need sub-hired equipment. Generators. Extra furniture. Specialist items you don't own.

Add sub-hire costs directly to quotes. System includes them in job costing. Your margin calculation accounts for both your equipment and rented items.

You know your true profit. Not just equipment hire margin.

Target Margin Visibility

Set target margins for different job types. Weddings: 35% margin. Corporate events: 30% margin. Festival work: 25% margin (higher volume, tighter margins acceptable).

While quoting, system shows whether you're hitting target margin. Quote shows: £2,400 equipment hire, £960 labour, £146 transport, £100 sub-hire. Total costs: £1,206. Margin: 50%.

Above your 35% target. Quote confidently. Or adjust pricing if margin seems too high for competitive positioning.

Understanding True Costs

Setup and Breakdown Time

Most underpricing happens because setup and breakdown get underestimated. "We'll knock that out in four hours." Then it takes seven.

Track actual time for each job. System records how long setup actually took. Use this data for future quotes.

12m x 18m clearspan with flooring and lining typically takes six hours with four crew? Use that in calculations. Stop guessing. Use real data.

After a season, you have accurate time data for every structure size and configuration. Quote precisely.

Travel Time Costs Money

Travel time is labour time. Your crew sits in vehicles for an hour each way? That's two hours of wages.

60-mile delivery means the driver (£14/hour) spends 90 minutes each way: 3 hours total, £42 in driver wages just for travel.

If three crew members ride along? That's £42 plus another £90 for their travel time. £132 in travel wages before anyone unloads a single pole.

Factor this in. Distance affects profitability significantly.

Equipment Depreciation

Your marquees depreciate. Furniture wears out. Vehicles need replacing eventually. These are real costs even if you're not writing a cheque every month.

Calculate annual depreciation for major equipment. Allocate a portion to each hire. £30,000 marquee with ten-year lifespan depreciates £3,000 annually. If it hires 40 times per year, that's £75 depreciation per hire.

Include depreciation in cost calculations. Ensures you're generating enough revenue to replace equipment when needed.

Maintenance and Cleaning

Every hire requires cleaning. Some need repairs. Covers get replaced. Poles bend. Stakes wear.

Allocate maintenance cost per hire. Average £50 per marquee hire for cleaning and minor maintenance. Add this to job costs.

Seems small. Over 50 hires, that's £2,500 in maintenance costs. If you're not factoring it into pricing, you're absorbing it from profits.

Pricing Different Job Types

Wedding vs. Corporate Event Pricing

Weddings and corporate events require different pricing approaches.

Weddings:

• Higher setup requirements (aesthetics matter)
• More client interaction time
• Detailed planning and coordination
• Higher expectation for perfection
• Target margin: 35-45%

Wedding clients pay for the experience and coordination as much as equipment. Price accordingly.

Corporate events:

• More standardized requirements
• Less customization typically
• Higher volume potential
• Repeat booking opportunity
• Target margin: 25-35%

Corporate clients value reliability and professionalism. Build relationships through consistent service. Slightly lower margins acceptable for volume and recurring business.

Peak Season vs. Off-Season Pricing

Demand affects pricing power.

Peak season (June-September):

• High demand allows higher margins
• You can be selective about bookings
• Target higher margins: 35-40%
• No need to compete on price

Shoulder season (April-May, October):

• Moderate demand
• Target standard margins: 30-35%
• Balance volume and profitability

Off-season (November-March):

• Low demand
• Consider covering costs plus contribution margin
• Keep crew employed and skilled
• Maintain market presence
• Target minimum: 20-25%

Don't chase unprofitable work just to stay busy. But understand seasonal market realities.

Distance-Based Pricing

Delivery distance dramatically affects costs. Price accordingly.

Local (under 20 miles):

• Standard pricing
• Minimal travel time impact
• Normal crew efficiency

Regional (20-50 miles):

• Add travel time to labour costs
• Increase fuel allocation
• Factor crew fatigue on longer days
• Margin impact: -3 to -5%

Long-distance (50+ miles):

• Significant travel time costs
• Consider overnight accommodation for crew
• Vehicle wear increases
• Travel days may require additional vehicle
• Add £200-500 minimum for distance
• Or decline jobs that don't justify distance

Some companies won't quote beyond 50 miles unless it's a large, profitable booking. Set your boundaries.

Setting Prices That Win Profitable Work

Know Your Break-Even Point

Calculate your break-even point for each structure size. What's the absolute minimum you can charge and cover direct costs?

12m x 18m marquee minimum costs:

• Labour: £960 (setup + breakdown)
• Vehicle: £146
• Maintenance allocation: £50
• Depreciation: £75
• Total: £1,231

That's your break-even. Anything below loses money. Your prices need sufficient margin above break-even to cover overheads (rent, insurance, admin staff, marketing) and generate profit.

Target minimum 30% margin means charging £1,759 minimum. More realistic target with overhead coverage: £2,000-2,400.

Competitive Positioning

Know where you sit in the market.

Premium positioning:

• Highest quality equipment
• Exceptional service
• Experienced crew
• Premium pricing: 40-50% margins
• Target high-end weddings and corporate

Mid-market positioning:

• Good quality equipment
• Reliable service
• Competitive pricing: 30-40% margins
• Broad market appeal

Value positioning:

• Basic equipment
• Efficient operations
• Lower pricing: 25-30% margins
• Volume-focused business model

Choose your position deliberately. Price to match. Don't offer premium service at value pricing.

Value-Added Services Increase Margins

Equipment hire alone faces price pressure. Add services that increase value and margin.

Styling and coordination:

• £200-500 per event
• High margin (labour only)
• Differentiates from competitors

Floor plan design:

• £100-200 per event
• Showcases professionalism
• Helps clients visualize
• Creates professional floor plans clients appreciate

Full event management:

• Significant premium
• Coordinate all suppliers
• High-margin service addition

Equipment packages:

• Bundle marquee + furniture + lighting
• Higher total value
• Reduces client hassle
• Better margin than equipment alone

Services add value beyond equipment. Clients pay more. Your margin improves.

Using Job Costing in GoodEvent Business

Setting Up Cost Structures

Define your cost structures once. System applies them to every quote.

Labour rates by role:

• Site manager: £18/hour
• Experienced rigger: £15/hour
• Junior crew: £12/hour
• Driver: £14/hour

Vehicle costs:

• Per mile: £1.50
• Or per day: £120

Standard setup times:

• 9m x 12m clearspan: 4 crew, 5 hours
• 12m x 18m clearspan: 4 crew, 6 hours
• 15m x 24m clearspan: 5 crew, 7 hours
• Add 1 hour per additional service (flooring, lining, etc.)

One-time setup. Then every quote calculates automatically.

Building Profitable Quotes

Create a quote. Add equipment. System shows hire value.

Add crew to job. Select roles and estimated hours. Labour cost calculates automatically.

Add vehicle. Distance calculates from Google Maps. Vehicle cost appears.

Any sub-hire needed? Add it. Cost included.

System shows total cost. Shows margin. Shows whether you hit target.

Adjust if needed. Maybe reduce crew size. Maybe adjust equipment selection. See margin impact in real-time.

Send quote knowing it's profitable.

Ryan, UK Marquee Hire:

"Logistically it has saved us so much time and money. Super easy to use, full support from the team, very good value for money and endless features to help with the running of our company."

Reviewing Profitability

After jobs complete, review actual vs. estimated costs. Did setup take longer than quoted? Did you need extra crew?

Reporting shows:

• Estimated margin vs. actual margin
• Which job types are most profitable
• Which clients consistently need extra work
• Where estimates need adjusting

Learn from real data. Improve future quotes.

Barbara, Cotswold Marquees:

"Good Event makes preparing quotes efficient and making changes to an order is quick and reliable."

Common Pricing Mistakes to Avoid

Quoting Equipment Only

Biggest mistake: Only quoting equipment hire value. Forgetting labour, transport, and time.

Equipment generates revenue. Labour generates cost. Both matter for profitability.

Always calculate full job cost. Equipment is just one component.

Forgetting Breakdown Costs

Setup gets quoted. Breakdown gets forgotten. Breakdown often takes as long as setup.

Every setup day needs a breakdown day. Double your labour hours. Factor both into pricing.

Ignoring Travel Time

Travel time is labour time. One-hour drive each way? That's two hours of wages. Don't work for free while traveling.

Factor travel time into crew hours. Price accordingly.

Competing Only on Price

Lowest price wins some bookings. Loses money on those bookings.

Compete on service, reliability, quality, and professionalism. Price for profit. Let competitors chase unprofitable work.

Not Tracking Actual Costs

Without tracking actual time and costs, you can't improve estimates. Keep guessing on every quote.

Track real labour hours. Real vehicle costs. Real setup times. Use data to quote accurately.

Real Example: Profitable vs. Unprofitable Pricing

Same job quoted two ways:

Unprofitable approach (equipment only):

• 12m x 18m marquee: £2,000
• Flooring: £400
• Furniture: £300
• Total quote: £2,700
• Actual costs not considered:
  • Labour (setup + breakdown): £960
  • Vehicle and fuel: £146
  • Maintenance: £50
  • Depreciation: £75
  • Total costs: £1,231
• Actual profit: £1,469
• Actual margin: 54% (seems good!)

But wait: This doesn't account for overhead costs (rent, insurance, admin, etc.). With overhead at 25%, your overhead allocation: £675. Real profit: £794. Real margin: 29%.

Still profitable, but much thinner than it appeared.

Profitable approach (full job costing):

• Equipment hire value: £2,700
• Labour costs: £960
• Vehicle costs: £146
• Maintenance: £50
• Depreciation: £75
• Total costs: £1,231
• Target margin: 35%
• Overhead allocation: 25%
• Required price: £3,200
• Quoted price: £3,200
• Margin after overhead: 35%
• Profit: £1,120

You made £326 more. That's 41% higher profit from better pricing.

Over 50 jobs per season, that's £16,300 additional profit. Enough to buy new equipment. Hire additional crew. Or actually pay yourself properly.

Start Pricing for Profit

You didn't start a marquee business to work for free. But without seeing your full costs, you might be.

GoodEvent Business shows you labour costs, vehicle expenses, and profit margins before you send quotes. You price knowing what you'll actually make.

Stop guessing. Stop hoping volume covers thin margins. Start pricing jobs that keep you profitable.

Start your free trial and see your real profit margins on every quote.