Pricing guide for candle makers
Most underpricing comes from a cost that leaves something out: the packaging, the minutes, the candles that did not come out right. Here is the formula, then one real example worked from start to finish: lavender soy candle, 8 oz tin, which costs $4.77 per candle and sells at $11.94.
Updated . Example prices checked on supplier sites the same month.
Margin is the share of the price you keep. A 50% margin means the price is twice the cost. A 60% margin means 2.5 times.
Small candle makers often pour 12 to 24 containers at a time from one pot of wax. This example pours 12 tins with 5 oz of soy wax each at an 8% fragrance load.
| Material | Used | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Soy wax (464)$31.97 for 10 lb | 60 oz | $11.99 |
| Lavender fragrance oil$30.77 for 16 oz | 4.8 oz | $9.23 |
| 8 oz candle tin with lid$13.91 for 12 pieces | 12 | $13.91 |
| Pretabbed wick (ECO 14)$10.10 for 100 pieces | 12 | $1.21 |
| Wick sticker$4.70 for 100 pieces | 12 | $0.56 |
| Warning label$3.24 for 100 pieces | 12 | $0.39 |
| Labour: 1 h at $20.00/hr | $20.00 | |
| Total for 12 candles | $57.29 | |
| Cost per candle | $4.77 | |
Prices change and shipping is extra. They are here to make the example real, not as a quote. Put your own prices in the calculator.
Shops that buy wholesale usually pay about half of the shop price. Half of $11.94 is $5.97. That still covers the $4.77 cost, with $1.19 left per candle.
The candles cost calculator starts with this example. Change the prices and amounts to yours and you have your cost and price in a minute. Save it as a recipe in Stockria and the cost stays right when a supplier changes a price.
Start from the full cost of one candle, with wax, fragrance, the vessel, the wick, labels and your time. Divide by 1 minus your margin. A candle that costs $5.00 sells at $12.50 for a 60% margin.
Multiply the wax weight by the fragrance load to get the fragrance weight. 5 oz of wax at 8% needs 0.4 oz of fragrance. Then divide the bottle price by its size and multiply by 0.4 oz.
Wax and fragrance grow with size, but the wick, label and your time mostly do not. That is why small candles often have a lower margin. Work out the cost for each size on its own.
Most shops expect to pay about half of the shop price. Check that half of your price still covers your full cost per candle with something left. If it does not, raise the price or lower the cost first.