Catering Event Quote Calculator
Price an event with per-guest food costs, staffing, rentals, transport and a reserve for cost uncertainty.
Event quote before taxExample$3,025
- Quote per guest
- $30.25
- Base estimated cost
- $2,200
- Cost reserve
- $220.00
How to calculate catering event quote
Reserved cost = (guests × cost per guest + staff hours × hourly cost + fixed event costs) × (1 + contingency); quote = reserved cost ÷ (1 − margin)
Contingency is a cost reserve, not an additional margin. Taxes, gratuities and payment fees are excluded. Staff hours are summed across all workers.
Worked example
An illustrative scenario. “Reset to example” restores it in the calculator.
- Guests served
- 100 guests
- Food and consumables per guest
- $12
- Total staff hours across the team
- 30 hours
- Loaded staff cost per hour
- $20 per hour
- Rentals, transport and event overhead
- $400
- Cost contingency
- 10%
- Target margin on reserved cost
- 20%
Event quote before tax: $3,025
Catering Event Quote FAQ
Does the contingency guarantee that an event stays profitable?
No. It adds room for uncertainty in the estimate. Guest changes, overtime and extra rentals still need to be tracked and included in the final quote.
Guides for this calculation
Build context around the numbers with worked examples from our guides.
How to Set a Menu Price from Food Cost →How to Update Menu Prices When Ingredient Costs Rise →