How do you price a bouquet?
Many florists price “by feel” or multiply the wholesale cost by a fixed markup. A markup is handy at the counter, but it often forgets two expensive things: flowers thrown away and time spent, which differs hugely between a bunch of tulips and a designed hand-tie.
This guide gives you a five-step formula, then turns it into a simple counter price list.
Step 1: your cost per minute
Your time has a cost: rent, business rates, energy, insurance, software and the pay you want to take. Spread it over the hours actually spent designing and selling, not all opening hours (buying, cleaning and admin take time too).
| Item | Example (imaginary shop “Moonflower”) |
|---|---|
| Fixed costs per month (rent, rates, energy, insurance, subscriptions, accountant) | £1,300 |
| Monthly pay you want to take | £1,600 |
| Total to cover per month | £2,900 |
| Working hours per month | 155 |
| Productive share (designing and selling), here about 70% | 110 hours |
| Cost per hour | 2,900 ÷ 110 = about £26 |
| Cost per minute | 26 ÷ 60 = about £0.44 |
Redo this with your own figures. Once you know a minute costs you £0.44, it is obvious why a 20-minute bouquet priced like a 5-minute one earns nothing.
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Small business marketing calendar
Spot the peak days when wholesale prices rise, so you can recalculate your price list in time.
Step 2: flower cost, waste included
Write down the wholesale cost of each stem and foliage used, then increase it by your waste rate: damaged, unsold or over-open flowers you throw away are paid for by the flowers you sell.
To find your waste rate, note the cost of flowers thrown away for four weeks and divide by your flower purchases. If you bin £150 out of £1,000 bought, your rate is 15%.
| Seasonal hand-tied bouquet | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 9 flower stems | 9 × £1.00 | £9.00 |
| Foliage | Estimate | £2.50 |
| Flowers and foliage | £11.50 | |
| Plus 15% waste | 11.50 × 1.15 | £13.23 |
| Wrap, ribbon, water bag | Estimate | £0.90 |
| Total materials | £14.13 |
Steps 3 to 5: labour, margin, VAT
| Step | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Materials (step 2) | £14.13 | |
| 3. Labour | 12 min × £0.44 | £5.28 |
| Total cost | 14.13 + 5.28 | £19.41 |
| 4. Target margin: 25% of the price before VAT | 19.41 ÷ (1 − 0.25) | £25.88 |
| 5a. Not VAT-registered | Price shown | £26 |
| 5b. VAT-registered, example at 20% | 25.88 × 1.20 = £31.06 | £31 or £32 |
Why divide by (1 − 0.25) rather than multiply by 1.25? Because margin is measured on the selling price: this way, 25% of the price really stays in the business. Your own pay is already in the cost per minute, so this margin is for investment, bad weeks and profit.
VAT
If you are VAT-registered, check the rate that applies to each product with your accountant or HMRC guidance. GOV.UK notes that certain plants and seeds can qualify for the zero rate (VAT Notice 701/38), so do not assume one rate for everything you sell.
And with a markup?
If you like a markup at the counter, derive it from the formula: £26 ÷ £11.50 of flowers is a markup of about 2.3 for this bouquet. A 25-minute design gives a higher figure. That is the weakness of a single markup: it underpays the work that takes time.
Turning the formula into a counter price list
Nobody redoes this sum for every customer. Work out a few bouquet sizes once, then display them.
| Size (example) | Flowers and foliage | Labour | Calculated price before VAT | Price shown |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small bouquet of the day | £6.00 | 6 min | about £13.92 | £14 |
| Medium bouquet | £11.50 | 12 min | about £25.88 | £26 |
| Large bouquet | £20.00 | 18 min | about £42.43 | £43 |
Each row uses the same assumptions as the example (15% waste, £0.90 sundries, £0.44 a minute, 25% margin, before VAT). Then show “Bespoke bouquets from £14”: the customer picks a budget, you design with the matching amount of flowers. The Price Marking Order guidance asks for the selling price to be shown on or near goods, so price the ready-made bouquets and buckets too.
- Three or four sizes calculated once
- The material cost of each size written down for staff
- Delivery shown separately with its price
- Funeral and wedding work quoted individually
- Prices reviewed at every change of season
Special cases: peak days, weddings, delivery, sympathy
Peak days
Around Valentine’s Day and Mothering Sunday, wholesale prices often rise. Recalculate your bouquet sizes with that period’s buying prices instead of keeping the usual list; otherwise your busiest days earn the least. Announce the peak-day prices with your pre-orders so nobody is surprised.
Weddings
Quote item by item (bridal bouquet, buttonholes, table centres, arch), including preparation, delivery and on-site set-up, plus the time spent in consultations. Put what is included and the deposit in writing.
Delivery
Price it separately: round-trip time × cost per minute + vehicle costs. Example: 30 minutes × £0.44 + £2.50 = £15.70, shown as £16. Use simple zones with one price per zone.
Sympathy work
Wreaths, tributes and casket sprays take a lot of time and materials (foam, frames). Price them with the full formula, not a bouquet markup, and offer three clear price points so families can choose without awkwardness.
Common pricing mistakes, and how to explain your prices
| Mistake | What it costs | Instead |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing from the wholesale cost only | Your time and waste go unpaid | Use the five-step formula |
| One markup for everything | Designed bouquets lose money, simple bunches look expensive | Price by size and by time |
| Keeping the same list on peak days | Your busiest days earn the least | A peak-day list, announced with pre-orders |
| Free delivery “to be nice” | Half an hour of your time given away | Delivery zones with a clear price |
| Never checking flower sales against purchases | Drifting margins go unnoticed for months | A monthly comparison |
Explaining your prices with confidence
Customers rarely question a price that is shown clearly and explained in a sentence. Train yourself and your staff to talk about what goes into the bouquet rather than defending the number:
“This one is £26: it’s nine seasonal stems with foliage, conditioned so they last, and hand-tied in a water bag so it’s ready for the vase. If you’d like something smaller, our bouquet of the day is £14.”
“For a wedding we quote piece by piece, so you can see exactly what you’re paying for. I’ll send you the quote by email after our chat, with the deposit and what’s included.”
Offering a smaller option instead of a discount protects your margin and still gives the customer a choice.
When and how to review your prices
Review your sums at least twice a year, and after any big change: new rent, higher wholesale prices, a new employee. To check your list is holding, compare each month your flower sales with your flower purchases: if the gap narrows, your prices or your waste are drifting.
Announce a rise calmly and simply: our guide price increase letter to customers has wording to copy.
The steps at a glance
The five-step formula to price a bouquet or floral arrangement.
- Work out your cost per minute. Fixed costs plus the pay you want, divided by your productive hours, then by 60.
- Work out the flower cost. Wholesale cost of stems and foliage, increased by your waste rate, plus sundries.
- Add labour. Minutes of work × cost per minute.
- Add the margin. Total cost divided by (1 − target margin).
- Add VAT if registered. Check the rate for each product with your accountant or HMRC guidance.
This guide for your trade
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Sources
The rules quoted in this guide come from these official pages, checked on October 28, 2026.