Most new stagers price by gut feel, then adjust after a job loses money. A better approach is to know what every job actually costs you before you quote it.
Know What You’re Actually Selling
You’re not selling furniture. You’re selling a transformation, delivered on a deadline. Furniture, whether owned or rented, is one line inside that. If you price it like a furniture rental, you’ll undercharge for everything else you do.
The Pieces of a Staging Quote
Most quotes are built from the same building blocks:
- Consultation or walkthrough
- Design and planning time
- Furniture and decor, owned or rented
- Delivery and install labour
- Rental term (usually a set number of weeks)
- Pickup and removal
- Extension rate if the listing sits
- Extras like art, accessories, or elevator and parking fees
Listing each piece out in your own notes, even if the client only sees one total, keeps you honest about what the job requires.
Pick a Pricing Model and Stay Consistent
The common models are flat packages by property size or room count, per-room pricing, and hourly rates for consultations. Our view is that package pricing is the easiest to quote quickly and the easiest for agents to explain to sellers. Whatever you choose, use it consistently. Agents notice when two similar jobs are quoted differently.
Costs Stagers Forget
The big ones are your own travel and install time, building elevator fees, parking, storage between jobs, insurance, damage allowances, and cleaning. If an install takes you six hours and you quoted for three, you’ve decided to work for free.
Build In a Minimum and an Extension Rate
A job minimum protects you from small jobs that take the same effort as larger ones. A clear extension rate for listings that sit longer than planned means no awkward conversation later. Agents appreciate knowing both up front.
Don’t Race to the Bottom
Agents rarely choose a stager on price alone. They choose on reliability and results. Underpricing doesn’t win loyalty. It signals risk, and it isn’t sustainable. The cheapest stager is often the one who cancels at the last minute because the job lost money.
Treat Rental Costs as a Known Variable
If you rent inventory, get the rates and terms in writing and understand how they scale with job size. Then pass them through in a consistent way instead of absorbing them. Whether you rent from Lux or another supplier, knowing your cost per job before you quote is what protects your margin.
The Takeaway
Good pricing isn’t about being the lowest or the highest. It’s about quoting a number you can deliver at a quality you’re proud of, over and over, without dreading the next job.