How do I calculate my videographer day rate?

Use the cost-of-doing-business method: add your target salary to your annual overhead (gear, software, insurance, taxes, marketing), then divide by realistic billable days — usually 100–120 per year for a solo shooter, not 260. Example: ($70,000 + $37,900) ÷ 110 days ≈ $1,000/day minimum.

Should videographers charge a day rate or price by project?

Use day rates for capture-only work where time is the product. Switch to project pricing whenever your skill and efficiency drive the outcome — scripted pieces, heavy edits, motion graphics — because project pricing pays you for speed instead of penalizing it. Floor every project quote with your real hours so you never price below cost.

How many revision rounds should be included in a video project?

Two consolidated rounds is the standard that protects margin: each round is one combined feedback document, structural changes count as change orders, and additional rounds bill hourly ($85–$150). State the policy at kickoff, not after the third 'small tweak' email.

When should a videographer raise their rates?

Raise rates when you're booked over ~80% of target days for two straight months, when no client has rejected a quote recently (healthy close rate is 50–70%), when your overhead rises, or when your portfolio has jumped a quality tier. Raise 10–20% on new inquiries and grandfather existing clients for 60–90 days.

Creator Business

Videographer Pricing Guide: Day Rate vs. Project Pricing (With the Math)

A working studio's pricing guide for videographers: how to calculate a real day rate from your cost of doing business, when to switch to project pricing, revision policies that protect your margins, and the retainer math that smooths your income.

Josiah LoveJune 13, 20269 min read

Videographer Pricing Guide: Day Rate vs. Project Pricing (With the Math)

Most videographers price by vibes. They look at what the shooter down the street charges, knock 10% off to win the job, and then wonder why a 'good month' still doesn't cover the camera loan. I run a studio in Dallas, and every rate on our site — the $99 starter reels, the $500–$1,500 shoot days, the $2,500/month retainers — came out of the math in this post, not out of guessing. Here's the full pricing system: day rates built from your actual costs, project pricing that captures value instead of hours, revision policies that stop scope bleed, and the numbers on when to raise rates.

Annual cost item	Amount
Gear depreciation & repairs (camera, lenses, lights, audio)	$8,000
Software & subscriptions (edit suite, stock, cloud, plugins)	$2,400
Insurance (liability + gear)	$1,800
Vehicle, fuel, parking	$4,000
Marketing, website, portfolio hosting	$2,000
Health insurance & retirement contribution	$9,000
Self-employment tax buffer (~15.3% of net)	$10,700
Total overhead	$37,900

Videographer Pricing Guide: Day Rate vs. Project Pricing (With the Math)

Day rate math: the cost-of-doing-business method

A worked example

Project pricing: when to stop selling days

Revision policies that save your margin

Retainer economics: trading a discount for certainty

When to raise your rates

Frequently asked questions

Sources

Video Revision Workflow: How to Keep Client Rounds From Eating You Alive

How to Write a Video Proposal That Wins the Client (With a Simple Structure)

Why Oneira Drop 01 Is 500 Units — and Why the Counter Can't Lie