How to Quote for a Function Band That Provides PA and Lighting

Many function bands provide their own PA and lighting as a bundled package — it's a selling point and a source of additional income. But it also makes quoting more complex. Your performance fee and your equipment fee are two different things, and conflating them leads to undercharging one or both.

Separating Performance Fee from Equipment Fee

Your performance fee is what you charge for the band's time and skill. Your equipment fee is what you charge for the use, transport, setup and operation of your PA and lighting rig. These are separate services and should be quoted as separate line items.

A common mistake is to quote one lump sum that includes everything, then later realise the equipment component wasn't properly factored in. The client sees a cheaper quote; you work harder for less money. Quote them separately and both are transparent.

How to Calculate Your Equipment Rate

Your equipment rate should cover: the depreciation of the gear, any consumables (cables, bulbs, batteries), the time to set up and pack down, and the cost of transport (fuel, van wear). A simple approach is to divide the replacement cost of your rig by the number of times you expect to use it over its lifespan — that's your per-gig depreciation. Add setup time at your hourly rate and transport costs on top.

Most function bands with a quality PA and lighting rig charge between $300 and $800 per event for equipment provision, depending on the size of the rig and the distance travelled.

Quoting for Different Venue Sizes

For a small room of 80 people, your standard setup is probably enough. For a ballroom of 300, you might need to bring additional speakers or subwoofers — that additional gear should attract an additional charge. Build tiered equipment packages into your quoting approach: small (standard), medium (extended), large (full rig plus engineer).

Using Dashplan's Quote Helper for Equipment-Heavy Quotes

In Dashplan's Quote Helper, you can add custom line items for PA hire, lighting hire, and any other equipment charges alongside your standard performance rates. The total — including GST — calculates automatically. When the booking is confirmed, push to the Gig Manager to generate the full tax invoice. Read more on invoicing clients correctly as a band.