Free calculator
Balloon Garland Calculator
Price a balloon garland from length: balloon counts by size, material cost, labor, delivery, and a suggested client price with your margin built in. Every assumption is editable — adjust to your suppliers and speed.
Works in the browser on your phone — no signup, no app.
Updated July 2026
Live calculator
Price this garland
Typical starting points — adjust to your suppliers and speed.
Balloon counts & material costs
Defaults follow the selected style. Change them to match how you actually build.
Suggested price
$89.05
$8.91/ft · 10 ft · 30% margin
- 11" balloons
- 40
- 5" balloons
- 80
- Materials
- $36.00
- Labor
- $32.50
- Delivery
- $0.00
- Margin (30%)
- $20.55
- Cost before margin
- $68.50
What a solid garland quote covers
- Balloon counts by size (11" and 5") for the length and density you actually build.
- Per-unit balloon costs and a fixed supplies line (strip, glue dots, command hooks).
- Labor at your hourly rate for build and install — not just materials.
- Delivery fee and a target margin so the number you quote protects the job.
How balloon garland pricing works
Materials are usually the smaller line. Undercharging happens when build and install hours, delivery, and margin never make it into the number you say out loud. The calculator adds those up so you see cost before margin — then applies the margin you choose.
How to use this calculator
- Enter the garland length in feet (default 10).
- Pick Standard or Full & layered — density changes balloons per foot.
- Set your hourly rate, build/install hours, delivery fee, and target margin.
- Read the suggested price, then tweak the editable balloon counts and unit costs to match your suppliers.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Skipping the material math and guessing balloon counts from memory.
- Quoting materials only and treating build and install hours as free.
- Copying another decorator's per-foot price without checking your costs or speed.
- Leaving delivery and teardown out of the quote until the client asks.
- Saying a number before you know length, density, and margin.
This calculator prices one garland.
Built for party decorators and event stylists who run events for clients. Plan Event tracks the whole job — the quote, the decor list, your stock, and what you actually made — for every event. When the client adds a second arch or changes the colorway, the quote and inventory stay on one record instead of a pile of notes.
- Client quote with itemized lines and PDF export
- Decor list tied to the same job as the quote
- Stock and costs so you see what you actually made
14 days free · $19.99/mo · 7-day money-back guarantee
FAQ
How many balloons per foot of garland?
A common starting point is about 4 × 11" and 8 × 5" balloons per foot for a standard garland, or about 6 × 11" and 12 × 5" for a fuller layered look. Those are editable defaults in the calculator — adjust to how dense you actually build.
How much does a balloon garland cost to make?
Materials are usually the smaller part: balloons by size plus strip, glue, and hooks. Labor (build and install hours × your rate) and delivery often matter more. The calculator adds those up so you see the true cost before margin.
How much should I charge per foot?
There isn't one right per-foot number. Suggested price here is (materials + labor + delivery) × (1 + your margin %). Change the inputs to match your market — then divide by length if you want a per-foot check.
Does the calculator work for organic or layered garlands?
Yes. Choose Full & layered for denser organic styles, or keep Standard and raise the balloons-per-foot fields yourself. Every count and unit cost stays editable.