Woodworking Profit Calculator
Materials
Labor & Overhead
Profit Margin
Your Prices
Total Cost
$0.00
Retail Price (50% margin)
$0.00
Wholesale Price (1.5x cost)
$0.00
How to price your woodworking projects
Woodworking pricing has three traps: forgetting waste factor on lumber, undercharging for finishing time, and ignoring shop overhead. A cutting board uses 1.5x its finished volume in raw stock once you account for jointing, planing, and rip cuts.
Use this formula: (lumber × 1.5 waste factor) + hardware + finish + (hours × hourly wage) + shop overhead (15–20%), then multiply by markup. Shop overhead covers blade sharpening, sandpaper, tool depreciation, electricity, and dust collection — it adds up fast.
Custom furniture commands premium prices, but only if you build relationships with buyers who value craftsmanship. Local craft fairs, Instagram, and word-of-mouth beat Etsy for high-ticket items where shipping is prohibitive.
Common pricing mistakes for woodworking makers
Pricing by board-foot of finished product
You buy 5/4 stock to mill down to 4/4 and lose 20%. Cuts and waste add another 20–30%. Always price using your raw lumber bill, not the finished volume.
Skipping shop time in the labor count
Setup, jig-making, sanding between coats, glue-up clamping — these are real hours. If you only count active machining time, you're undercharging by 30–50%.
Underpricing custom commissions
Custom means design consultation, prototype iteration, client revisions, and zero economy of scale. Charge 1.5–2× your stock-item rate.
Worked example: a walnut cutting board
| Line item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Lumber (3 bd-ft walnut + maple, $15/bd-ft) | $45 |
| Finish (mineral oil + beeswax) | $3 |
| Hours (4 hrs × $30/hr) | $120 |
| Shop overhead (18%) | $30 |
| Total cost | $198 |
| Retail (50% margin) | $396 |
| Wholesale (1.5× cost) | $297 |
Mass-produced cutting boards retail at $20–$50, but those are made on CNC lines from cheap stock. Your handmade walnut board competes with $200–$500 artisan boards — don't apologize for the price.
Frequently asked questions about woodworking pricing
How much should I charge for a custom dining table?
A 6-ft solid hardwood table typically takes 30–60 hours and uses $300–$700 in lumber and hardware. At $35/hr with 18% shop overhead and 50% margin, that's a retail range of $2,400–$4,800. Live-edge or premium woods (walnut, white oak) land toward the top.
Should I charge for shop time even when I'm not at the machine?
Yes. Glue-up clamping (8–24 hours), finish curing (4–72 hours), and jig setup are all part of the project even when you're not actively working. Track them separately if helpful, but include them in your total hours.
How do I price commissions when the client wants me to source the wood?
Always add 15–20% to material costs to cover sourcing time, dealer markups, and waste. Quote materials separately from labor on the invoice so the client sees both line items.
Pricing guides for woodworking makers
How to Price Custom Cutting Boards (Real Lumber Costs + Labor Math)
Cutting boards are the gateway woodworking project — and the most underpriced. Here's how to actually account for lumber waste, finishing time, and shop overhead.
9 min readHow to Set Your Woodworking Shop Rate (Hourly Wage + Overhead Math)
Most woodworkers undercharge by skipping shop overhead. Here's how to calculate your real hourly rate including tools, consumables, and the cost of running a shop.
9 min readWholesale Woodworking Pricing: Margins, MSRP, and Retailer Math
Wholesale to retailers can scale your woodworking shop or sink it. Here's the margin math, contract terms, and the real numbers on whether wholesale is worth the discount.
8 min read