Price a balloon garland by the metre, from the bottom up: balloons plus hardware, plus your time at an hourly rate you've actually decided on, plus travel and install, then a margin on top. Most new stylists price by guessing what sounds reasonable, which is how they end up working a Saturday for less than minimum wage. The worksheet below takes ten minutes per quote and gives you a number you can defend to a client. Figures in the examples are round illustrative numbers, not our trade prices — those show in your account once you're logged in.
What goes into the price of a balloon garland?
Five lines. Write them down for every job until it's habit.
| Line | What it covers | How to work it out |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Balloons | Every balloon in the design, including spares | Counts per metre × your pack cost ÷ pack size |
| 2. Hardware & consumables | Garland tape, glue dots, fishing line, hooks, command strips, a share of your pump | A flat amount per metre you set once, say a few dollars |
| 3. Labour | Inflating, building, packing — usually 1–1.5 hours per 3 metres once you're practised | Hours × your hourly rate |
| 4. Travel & install | Driving both ways, on-site hanging, collection if required | Hours × hourly rate + fuel/parking |
| 5. Margin | Profit, insurance, equipment wear, the quotes that didn't convert | Add 30–50% on top of lines 1–4 |
A worked example (illustrative numbers)
A 3-metre organic garland in two colours with a chrome accent, mounted on a venue wall 25 minutes away. Using the counts from the counts guide and made-up round pack prices to show the method:
| Line | Working | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Balloons | 30 × 12" at $0.20 + 40 × 5" at $0.10 + 7 × 18" at $0.60 + 2 × 36" at $3.00 + 6 chrome at $0.50 | $23 |
| Hardware | 3 m × $3 | $9 |
| Labour | 1.5 hours × $50 | $75 |
| Travel & install | 1.5 hours × $50 + $10 fuel | $85 |
| Subtotal | $192 | |
| Margin 40% | $77 | |
| Quote | ex GST | $269, round to $270 |
Notice where the money is. Balloons are about a tenth of the quote; time is two-thirds. That's why two things matter more than haggling over pack prices: buying from one range so you aren't driving to three suppliers, and getting faster at building. It's also why a client who says "but the balloons only cost $20" needs the gentle answer: they're paying for the three hours, the design, and the fact it looks right in the photos.
How do you set an hourly rate?
Work backwards from what you need to earn. If you want $60,000 a year from styling, working 40 weeks and billing about 20 hours a week (the rest is quoting, buying, admin), that's $75 an hour. Put that number in line 3 and 4. Beginners often start lower to win work; that's fine for the first ten jobs, as long as the number is written down and goes up on a date you've set.
Per-metre pricing vs per-job pricing
Quote per job, but build it per metre so you can answer "what if we made it 4 metres?" in ten seconds. A useful shortcut once you've done the worksheet a few times: work out your all-in cost per metre (lines 1–3 divided by metres), then add install and margin per job. Keep a note of every quote and whether it converted; after twenty you'll know your market better than any blog can tell you.
What should I charge extra for?
- Height. Anything needing a ladder above two metres, or a frame — add an hour.
- Outdoor. Wind and sun mean more balloons, more fixings and risk — add 20% and say why.
- Same-week bookings. A rush fee is normal; 20–30%.
- Collection / bump-out. If you have to come back to take it down, that's a second trip at your hourly rate.
- Colour matching. A client with a Pantone swatch needs a sample run — bill the hour.
How do I keep balloon costs down without cutting quality?
- Buy by the pack from a trade account; retail packs of 10–25 cost two to three times as much per balloon.
- Stock a small core palette in all four sizes — White Sand, White, Blush, Black, one chrome — and buy accent colours per job.
- Use 5" minis for the second and third colours; they cost a fraction of a 12" and do most of the colour work.
- Order once. Orders in before 1pm leave Sydney the same day, so a top-up is quick, but each delivery is still a cost.
Quick answers
How much does a balloon garland cost in Australia?
It depends on length, colours, install and where you are — which is exactly why you should build the number from the worksheet rather than copy a competitor.
Should I charge GST?
If your turnover is over the ATO threshold you must register and add GST; if not, you can choose. Either way, say "ex GST" or "inc GST" on every quote.
Do I need insurance?
Public liability, yes — most venues ask for the certificate before you install. Build the premium into your margin.
Want the business side in more depth? Evra's Business of Balloons sessions cover quoting, packages and standing out — the first three are free guides.
Evra is a Sydney balloon stylist and the founder of Stylex Balloons, a wholesale latex balloon range made for organic decor.