How to Price a Sculpture: Formulas, Examples, and Gallery Commission Tips

Most sculptors underpay themselves without noticing. You cover materials, spend weeks in the studio, then watch half the sale price vanish in commission or shipping. If your price lives in your head instead of a repeatable formula, it will wobble with every show, client, and currency swing. I’ve been there in Sydney with bronze dust on my shoes while Eira asks why the statue is green, and the gallery email says “Can we sharpen the price?” This guide gives you a straight, repeatable method that holds up in the real world.

What you’ll get here: a clean pricing formula that bakes in your time, overheads, profit, tax, and commissions; clear worked examples (ceramic, bronze edition, outdoor steel, resin relief); cheat sheets and a table you can reuse; and a troubleshooting section for awkward asks like discounts and “free shipping.” No fluff-just the numbers and the why.

• TL;DR: Target Net = Direct Costs + (Hours × Hourly Rate) + Overhead Allocation + Profit + Contingency. Retail (ex tax) = Target Net ÷ (1 − Commission/Fees).
• Use real quotes for foundry, freight, and finishing. Add a 10-20% contingency for risky or outdoor work.
• Keep retail prices consistent across all channels. Commission (typical gallery 40-50%) changes your net, not the customer price.
• In Australia, GST is 10%. If you’re GST-registered, your shelf price must include it. The GST registration turnover threshold is $75,000 (Australian Taxation Office).
• Raise edition prices 10-20% after about half the run is sold; amortise mold/original time across the edition.

Jobs you likely want to finish today:

• Build a price you can defend with math, not vibes.
• Know how gallery commission, platform fees, and GST/VAT change your sticker price.
• Set edition pricing that scales as pieces sell.
• Compare your price to the market without undercutting yourself.
• Handle shipping, discounts, and “free shipping” the smart way.

Build Your Price: A Step-by-Step Method

Here’s the backbone that works for one-of-a-kind pieces, editions, and public commissions. If you only remember one line, make it this: Retail (ex tax) = Target Net ÷ (1 − Commission/Fees). Your Target Net must already include your hours, overhead, profit, and contingency.

1. Define the job before you touch numbers.

   • Type: one-of-a-kind vs edition. Editions spread mold/original sculpt time across units.
   • Channel: direct, gallery, designer/trade, public commission, online platform. Each has different fees.
   • Scope: scale, materials, finish, base/plinth, install, site works, crate, insurance, engineering.
   • Risk: indoor vs outdoor, structural loads, public access. More risk = higher contingency and profit margin.

2. List direct costs (use real quotes).

   • Materials: clay, stone, timber, steel, bronze, resin, armatures, adhesives.
   • Processes: foundry casting, welding, machining, laser/waterjet, galvanising, powder-coat, patina.
   • Outsourcing: mold-making, chasing, patination, CNC, 3D printing, engineering reports.
   • Finish & base: plinths, mounts, fixings, hardware, protective coatings.
   • Packaging & freight: crates, foam, courier, freight, customs/duties, transit insurance.
   • Install: lift/cranage, crew, site prep, permits, safety gear.
   • Documentation: photography, certificates, manuals, drawings.

3. Value your time with a real hourly rate.

   Pick a rate you can live with. Many emerging to mid-career sculptors in Australia charge $40-$90 AUD/hour for studio work; public art/project management can sit at $100-$150 AUD/hour. Your number depends on skill, risk, and admin load. If you want a quick build-up: Hourly Rate ≈ (Desired annual income + overhead + tax/super) ÷ realistic billable hours. Be honest about billable hours-most artists only bill 50-60% of working time.

   Track your hours by category: sculpting, finishing, mold-making, admin, quotes, documentation, client comms, install. It’s boring, but it pays you back.

4. Allocate overhead so your studio keeps the lights on.

   Overhead includes rent, power, tools depreciation, consumables, software, website, insurance, bookkeeping, storage, vehicle. One simple method: Overhead per piece = (Monthly overhead ÷ productive hours per month) × hours used. Or use a day-rate add-on for big installs.

5. Add profit on top of paying yourself a wage.

   Your wage covers today. Profit funds growth, upgrades, and downtime. As a rule of thumb: 20-40% of your cost base (direct costs + labour + overhead) for gallery-bound work; 15-30% for low-risk small pieces; 20-35% for editions; 20%+ plus contingency for public commissions. Choose the low end if your brand is new; the high end if the risk or demand is high.

6. Add contingency where risk lives.

   For outdoor or complex builds, add 10-20% contingency to cover material spikes, reworks, site surprises. On simple indoor work, 5-10% is usually enough.

7. Account for commission and fees without cutting your net.

   Formula time: Retail (ex tax) = Target Net ÷ (1 − Commission/Fees). If a gallery takes 50%, and you need to net $2,000, then $2,000 ÷ 0.5 = $4,000 ex tax retail. If a platform takes 5%, divide by 0.95. If it’s a trade sale at 40% discount, the math is the same: divide by 0.6.

   Note on Australia: If you’re GST-registered, your displayed price must include 10% GST. The GST registration threshold is $75,000 annual turnover (Australian Taxation Office). GST is collected on the sticker price and remitted; don’t confuse it with profit.

8. Sanity-check with the market-without racing to the bottom.

   • Compare apples with apples: material, scale, finish, channel, reputation.
   • Never undercut your own price between galleries and your site. Keep retail consistent; commissions change your share, not the sticker.
   • Large pieces scale non-linearly. Doubling height can more than triple cost. Don’t use naive “price per centimetre” for big work.

9. Set policies so you don’t fold under pressure.

   • Edition rules: price ladder (e.g., +10-15% once half sold), artist’s proofs count, clear edition size.
   • Discount plan: caps (e.g., 10% to collectors, shared with gallery), approvals, and deadlines.
   • Shipping: who pays, crate terms, insurance, incoterms for international, damage protocols.
   • Paperwork: certificate of authenticity, care guide, install guide, maintenance schedule (for outdoor).

Worked Examples for Different Sculptures

Numbers below are in AUD to keep it relatable if you’re working in Australia. Swap currency symbols if you’re elsewhere-the formulas hold.

Example A: Small ceramic, direct sale

• Direct costs: clay and glaze $20, firing $30, abrasives and wax $10, packaging $15 → $75
• Hours: sculpt 6h, finish 2h, kiln handling 1h, admin 1h = 10h × $60/h → $600
• Overhead: $10/h × 10h → $100
• Cost base: $75 + $600 + $100 = $775
• Profit: 30% of cost base → $232.50
• Contingency: 5% (simple indoor piece) → $38.75
• Target Net: $775 + $232.50 + $38.75 = $1,046.25 (round $1,045)
• Channel: direct (no commission). Platform fees 3%? Retail (ex tax) = $1,045 ÷ 0.97 = $1,077
• GST: If not registered, sticker ≈ $1,080. If registered, sticker = $1,185 (includes 10% GST)

Result: Price it around $1,180 if you’re GST-registered. You net your target after fees and tax handling.

Example B: Bronze edition of 8, gallery sale

• Foundry quote per cast: $1,200 (wax, pour, chase, patina)
• Mold cost: $900 amortised across 8 → $112.50 per piece
• Base/plinth and hardware: $200
• Consumables/packaging: $100
• Direct costs per unit: $1,200 + $112.50 + $200 + $100 = $1,612.50
• Hours: original sculpt 25h amortised across edition → 3.125h; per-cast finishing 4h; admin/photography 6h across edition → 0.75h; total ≈ 8h × $80/h = $640
• Overhead: $12/h × 8h → $96
• Cost base: $1,612.50 + $640 + $96 = $2,348.50
• Profit: 35% → $821.98
• Contingency: 5% (foundry variables) → $117.43
• Target Net: ≈ $3,288
• Gallery commission: 50%. Retail (ex tax) = $3,288 ÷ 0.5 = $6,576
• GST: Sticker = $7,234 (includes 10% GST). Artist net (before GST accounting) aligns with Target Net after gallery cut.

Price ladder: after 4 of 8 sell, lift retail 10-15% to reflect scarcity and demand.

Example C: Outdoor steel sculpture (2 m), public commission

• Direct costs: steel $3,500; fabrication $9,000; engineering certificate $2,500; galvanising/powder-coat $2,800; transport $1,200; crane/install crew $2,500; site prep $1,000; project insurance $800; permits $400; documentation $400 → $23,200
• Hours: design 40h; shop drawings 20h; project management 35h; client comms 10h; install 12h → 117h × $100/h = $11,700
• Overhead: $15/h × 117h = $1,755
• Subtotal base: $23,200 + $11,700 + $1,755 = $36,655
• Contingency: 10% (site risk, schedule, weather) → $3,665
• Profit: 20% of base → $7,331
• Target Net: ≈ $47,651
• Commission/fees: none (direct with council/corporate). Retail (ex tax) = $47,651
• GST: Sticker = $52,416 if GST-registered

Public clients expect line items for design, fabrication, install, and warranties. Keep your contingency obvious; it protects delivery, not just your margin.

Example D: Resin wall relief, direct online with “free shipping”

• Direct costs: resin/pigments $60; silicone mold share $200/20 → $10; backing $25; hardware $8; packaging $18; courier average $35; labels/fees $5 → $161
• Hours: master sculpt 8h across 20 → 0.4h; casting/finish 2h; admin 0.5h → ~3h × $60/h = $180
• Overhead: $10/h × 3h = $30
• Cost base: $161 + $180 + $30 = $371
• Profit: 40% → $148.40
• Contingency: 5% → $18.55
• Target Net: ≈ $538
• Platform fee: 5%. Retail (ex tax) = $538 ÷ 0.95 = $566
• GST: Sticker = ~$623 if registered

“Free shipping” isn’t free; you just included it in retail. Spell out delivery times and damage policies to avoid refunds eating your margin.

Cheat Sheets, Rules, and a Handy Table

If you need a 60-second reset while you’re costing in a rush, use these quick rules.

• Simple formula: Target Net = Direct Costs + (Hours × Hourly Rate) + Overhead + Profit + Contingency. Retail (ex tax) = Target Net ÷ (1 − Commission/Fees).
• Gallery commission norms: 40-50% split is common. In Australia, the National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA) Code of Practice reflects these standards.
• Profit guide: 15-30% (small, low-risk), 20-40% (gallery or medium risk), 20%+ plus contingency (public/outdoor).
• Contingency: 5-10% indoor; 10-20% outdoor/engineering.
• Edition pricing: amortise mold and original hours across edition; raise 10-20% after half sell.
• Trade/Designer sales: treat the discount like commission. If trade discount is 40%, divide by 0.6 to get retail.
• Shipping: domestic crate + freight can be 5-15% of retail on medium work, more for oversized pieces. Price it in or bill separately.
• GST/VAT: add on top of ex-tax retail if you must include it in displayed price. Keep ex-tax and inc-tax numbers side by side in your spreadsheet.

Pricing sanity checks you can do in five minutes:

• Would you be happy to make another at this price? If not, you’re underpriced.
• Does the price survive a 10% cost shock (metal, freight)? If not, increase contingency or profit.
• Is your retail consistent across your channels? If not, fix it. Customers notice.

And because SEO will ask me to say it plainly: this is how to price sculpture without burning your time or your margins.

FAQs, Next Steps, and Troubleshooting

Mini-FAQ

• Why not just price by size or weight? Costs don’t scale linearly. Double the height can mean more than double in material, structure, transport, and install. Use the full formula, then sanity-check by size if you like.
• Do I include my original sculpting hours in an edition? Yes-amortise across the edition. If you invest 24 hours in the master, and the edition is 8, add 3 hours per unit.
• How do discounts work with a gallery? Agree on a cap (e.g., 10%). Share the discount proportionally unless the gallery volunteered it. Keep the retail price consistent; don’t drop the sticker to make a discount look bigger.
• Should shipping be “free”? Only if you priced it in. Add average domestic shipping to your Target Net or list a separate shipping fee. Don’t guess-use actual quotes and include insurance.
• When should I raise prices? New show, improved materials/finish, consistent sell-through, or after half an edition sells. Small, regular increases (5-10% yearly) are easier for collectors to accept than big jumps.
• What about tax? In Australia, add 10% GST to your displayed price if you’re GST-registered. Keep ex-tax and inc-tax numbers in your records. For income tax, track costs and hours; talk to a qualified accountant for your situation.
• What if my gallery takes 50%-is that too much? 40-50% is common globally and supported by industry codes (e.g., NAVA). The key is that your net covers costs and profit. If not, your retail is too low for that channel.
• How do I handle trade/designer pricing? Treat the discount like a commission. If they want 30% off retail, divide your Target Net by 0.70 to set retail and preserve your net.
• Can I charge different prices in different cities? Yes for freight/install; no for base retail. Keep the artwork price consistent, then add location-specific costs (crate, install, duties).

Next steps for different situations

• Emerging sculptor with first gallery offer: Build your spreadsheet now. Put in your hours, direct costs, overhead, 30% profit, 10% contingency. Divide by (1 − commission). Show the gallery both ex-tax and inc-tax retail. Ask them to confirm their standard discount policy in writing.
• Mid-career with editions: Add a price ladder row to your price list (Edition of 8: numbers 1-4 at base price, 5-6 +10%, 7-8 +15%). Keep certificates ready. Update retail after each sale.
• Public art applicants: Break your budget into design, fabrication, install, documentation, warranty. Add 10-20% contingency. Include a schedule and payment milestones. Confirm who covers site works and permits.
• Online-only seller: Calculate true platform fees (payment + marketplace + currency + promotion). If total is 8%, divide Target Net by 0.92. Include average shipping, then show “Free shipping in AU” if it helps conversion.

Troubleshooting common pricing pains

• “It sold in a day. Did I price too low?” Maybe. Raise the next piece 10-15%. One fast sale is a signal; a pattern means permanent adjustment.
• “It’s not moving.” Check presentation first (photos, copy, placement). If your math is sound and comps are lower, consider a limited-time discount with the gallery sharing the cut. Don’t rewrite your base pricing model on one slow month.
• “Gallery asked for a deeper discount.” Trade something for it: end date, better placement, features, or a commitment to a second work. Never agree to a discount that erases your profit.
• “Material costs jumped mid-project.” That’s what contingency is for. If it’s a commission, show the clause that allows price adjustments for material spikes above an agreed threshold.
• “International sale-currencies swung.” Quote in your currency or add a currency buffer (3-5%). Lock freight quotes with validity dates.
• “Breakage in transit.” Your price should include proper crate specs and transit insurance. Document with photos at pack and unpack. State replacement or repair terms in your invoice.

Credibility notes: For commission norms and artist pay standards, refer to the National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA) Code of Practice. For Australian GST thresholds and display rules, refer to the Australian Taxation Office. For professional best practice in sculpture, the International Sculpture Center provides industry guidance. I keep my own sheet set up exactly as above; it stops those 11 p.m. pricing panics before a Sydney opening.

Once you build your template, pricing stops being an emotional rollercoaster and becomes a system. That’s the point-you make better art when your money math is boring and solid.