Booth Rent vs Commission Calculator
Enter what clients paid you over the last 6 to 12 months. See how much rent your average month can carry, and how it compares with a commission or a day fee.
Rent you can safely carry
Fill in at least 6 months and the least you need to take home, and your result appears here.
- Your average month
- Running costs
- What you need to live on
- Left for rent
- Commission, average month
- Most you can pay per day
- Day fee that costs the same as your %
How Much Booth Rent Can a Tattoo Artist Afford?
It starts from your average month across the months you entered. From that it subtracts your running costs, then the least you need to live on. What's left is the most rent your business can carry without it coming out of what you need to live on.
Booth Rent vs Commission vs a Day Fee
A percentage grows with you: the busier you get and the more you charge, the more it costs. Rent stays still, which makes it cheaper in a strong month and riskier in a slow one. A day fee sits in between. It rises with the days you work, but not with your prices.
The rent that matches your commission is simply what the commission costs you in an average month. Below it, rent saves you money, as long as your average month can still carry it. Which set-up fits which artist is its own question, and we cover it in what percentage tattoo shops take.
Why Six to Twelve Months
One month can be a fluke in either direction. Six months show the shape of your year, and twelve include the seasons, so the longer the stretch, the more honest the average. An average smooths out a slow month, though, and rent doesn't, so if your months swing a lot, keep a cushion behind whatever rent you choose. To see what a different set-up would leave you each month, run it through the income calculator.
Common Questions About Booth Rent and Commission
Is booth rent or commission better for tattoo artists?
It depends on how much you earn and how steady it is. Commission costs more as you earn more, while rent costs the same every month. Rent starts to make sense once the commission costs you more than the rent in an average month, and that month can still carry the rent after your costs and what you need to live on.
How much booth rent can a tattoo artist afford?
Start from your average month over the last 6 to 12 months. Subtract your running costs and the least you need to live on. What's left is the most rent your business can carry without eating into what you need.
How do I compare booth rent with a commission split?
Work out what the commission costs you in an average month: your average monthly revenue times the studio's share. That is the rent that costs the same. A rent below it saves you money on average, and above it the percentage is cheaper.
What about paying a booth fee per day?
A day fee rises with the days you work, not with your prices, so raising your rate does not raise it. Divide what the commission costs you in an average month by the days you tattoo: a day fee below that is cheaper than your percentage. Divide your safe rent by the same days to get the most you can pay per day.
Why does the calculator ask for 6 to 12 months?
One month can be a fluke in either direction. An average across six to twelve months shows what your business really brings in, and twelve months include your slow season.
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