How to Quote a Gig as a Band: What to Include and What Most Bands Get Wrong
Most bands undercharge because they quote from memory and forget half their costs. Here's a proper framework for building a gig quote that covers everything.
Quoting a gig is one of the most important business decisions a band makes, and most bands do it wrong. They quote from gut feel, forget to include half their actual costs, and end up wondering why a busy month still doesn't feel profitable. A structured approach to quoting changes that.
What a Professional Band Quote Should Include
A complete gig quote includes: your performance fee (total, not per person), any travel costs, equipment costs if you're providing PA or lighting, GST if you're registered, and any add-ons the client has asked for. It should also include your set duration, the number of breaks, and any specific requirements like a sound engineer, staging or load-in time.
Clients booking a band for a corporate event or wedding are comparing multiple quotes. A detailed, professional quote that clearly itemises everything signals that you're experienced and worth the price.
The Most Common Quoting Mistakes
Quoting the performance fee only and forgetting travel is the most common mistake. A two-hour gig an hour from your base costs fuel, tolls, and an extra two hours of your time each way. Those costs come out of your fee unless you account for them.
The other common mistake is not including GST correctly. If you're registered for GST and quote $1,000, the client expects to pay $1,000 — but you only keep $909 after remitting GST. Always quote ex-GST and inc-GST separately so there's no confusion.
Setting a Base Rate and Building From There
The most efficient quoting approach is to set a base rate — a minimum fee for a standard gig — and then add on top of it for anything that takes you beyond baseline: extra hours, travel, PA provision, additional musicians. This way every quote starts from the same foundation and you're never starting from zero.
Dashplan's Quote Helper is built around exactly this model. Set your playing rate, standby rate, travel rate and add-ons once. For every new quote, you fill in the variables — hours, distance, extras — and the total builds itself.
When and How to Send the Quote
Send the quote in writing, always. A verbal quote confirmed over the phone is almost impossible to enforce if there's a dispute later. Email with a clear breakdown of the fee, what's included, and payment terms is the minimum. A PDF quote document is better.
Include a quote validity period — "this quote is valid for 30 days" — so you're not locked into a price you quoted six months ago when your costs were lower. And include your deposit terms upfront: most working bands request 20–30% to confirm a booking.
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