Studio Rental Calculator — Hire Costs

UK studio rates vary widely. Small home studios: £20-40/hr. Mid-range commercial studios: £40-80/hr. Premium London studios: £80-200+/hr. Day rates (8-10 hours) are typically 6-8x the hourly rate. Rates usually include basic lighting equipment; specialist gear costs extra.

Always book at least 30-60 minutes before your client arrives for setup, and 30 minutes after for teardown. Most studios charge for this time. Factor it into your pricing so setup costs do not eat into your profit. Some studios offer reduced rates for setup/breakdown time.

As a rough rule of thumb, if you use a studio more than 15-20 days per month, leasing your own space may work out cheaper than hiring — though the exact break-even depends on local lease rates, so treat this as guidance, not a fixed figure. As an illustration at £50/hr for 4-hour sessions (shoot hours only, excluding setup), 20 sessions costs £4,000/month — comparable to the rent on a small space. Add the setup/teardown time this calculator charges by default and the hire cost rises further, bringing the break-even forward. Below 10 sessions/month, hiring usually gives more flexibility without the fixed overhead of a lease.

Ceiling height (3m+ for full-length portraits), power supply (adequate outlets for lighting), loading access (for large equipment), parking, natural light options, available backdrops and furniture, kitchen/client area, and what lighting equipment is included in the base rate.