Hey guys,

Here's the only pricing question I have so far and I hope I'm not going to get the normal answer of "expense + labor + profit = cost" formula on this one.. I'm just looking for the average amount. I'm trying to see if I'm overpricing or underpricing compared to everyone else. Our city is so varied at some bakeries charging 2.50 per serving of buttercream up past 7+ so I'm hoping to get a guesstimate.

I haven't called anyone on this one yet locally because I didn't want them to think I'm phishing for information.

How much do most people charge for sugar flowers? Is it per flower or per stem? Because I've seen it both and I didn't know which way it is done typically.

Also what is the average price of the fondant/gumpaste toppers as far as bows and figures.. I'm seeing anywhere between 10-20.

I'm thinking it all comes down to time on the advanced ideas. like pipework and the like...

Here is mine. Hope it helps!

Fondant/Gumpaste Roses: small - $5.00 each, large - $7.00 each

Fondant/Gumpaste flowers (other): price to be determined based on size and complexity of flower (Haven't made any other than roses, so I will develop prices for other flowers as I make them)

Fondant/Gumpaste Figurines: price based on size and complexity of design, minimum price $10.00

Fondant Swags: small (under 3")- $7.00 each, medium (under 6" to 3") - $10.00 each, large (6" up) - $15.00 each  

Fondant/Gumpaste Bows: simple: $15.00 each, multi-loop: $30.00 each

Handmade Fondant Pearls: $9.00 per dozen

Hand painted designs on fondant: price based on intricacy of design, minimum price of $25 per tier.  

Pastillage Plaque: $1.00/per square inch

Dragees/sugar pearls: $7.00 per dozen   

Buttercream roses: 50¢ per rose
4 and 5 cakes: 1st rose included in cost of cake
6 and 7 cakes: 1st 3 roses included in cost of cake
8 and 9 cakes: 1st 5 roses included in cost of cake
10 and 11 cakes: 1st 7 roses included in cost of cake
12 and 13 cakes: 1st 9 roses included in cost of cake
14 20 cakes: 1st dozen roses included in cost of cake
¼ sheet: 5 roses, ½ sheet: 9 roses, full sheet: 1 dozen roses

Luster dust (wet-painted): price based on intricacy of design, minimum price of $25 per tier.  

Luster dust (dry-brushed): $10.00 per tier  

Lambeth-style cakes: price of cake x 1.5  
Intricate string-work: price of cake x 1.5  
Basket-weave cakes: price of cake x 1.25 (covers cost of extra icing)

Silk flowers: price subject to cost of materials  

Cloth ribbon: price subject to cost of materials  

Fresh/sugared fruit and flowers: price subject to cost of materials  

Royal icing flowers: 25¢ each for drop flowers, 50¢ each for piped flowers

Wow...I don't do all that. I will charge for figurines...and if there are alot of gumpaste flowers I charge for those (to save time and money for the client I buy them premade and dust them to order)...and of course I'd charge for any kind of toys or flowers put on a cake.

But otherwise I just look at the cake and in my mind I price per "how much detail" work there is involved. I have a range of prices and if its more basic, I charge XX amount, and if there is more detail than I add a dollar per serving....and so on. I think it gets overwhelming for the customer to charge individually for so many elements.

Well, this is the list I made for MY reference for determining what to charge for the cake. It's not a menu I show to the customers or anything.

That's what I figured.. but I wanted to know how many people go by detail and how many people go by a set price.. like some bakers just have a portfolio of cakes with a flat price on it with all the details already thought of.. otherwise customizable designs/patterns are added up per element..

I'd rather charge by the cake rather than the servings/elements and just go individually. I agree it's probably less stressful for the customers and probably myself... but that's a WHOLE separate question...

Does anyone just charge by the cake and NOT the serving?

$3 per serving for all bc. $3.50 per serving for ANY fondant work.

toppers are a flat $40 - bow, flowers, whatever.

I have no reason to do figures.

Frankly I buy flowers and air brush them. It's a great little money maker. Flowers I sell for $4-7, depending on size and complexity of the flower. I mark them up 400% or so.

In my area most bakers charge $3 per serving for buttercream and fondant start at $4.
I would charge more per serving for cakes with a lot of flowers instead of charging for each flower. But if you charge for each flower it's about $5.

Right now I charge per cake, I really need to come up with a better system. I start with a price per serving base price, and then add such and such per serving depending on complexity of design. I had a question similar to this one at the beginning of the week but just asking about figurines. The census there was that people charge a price per figurine so that you can help the person on a budget know where to eliminate design elements. Say they want 9 figures, you charge $10/figure--so they're paying $90 for figures alone, then they say, that's a little out of my budget, you can say we can take off some figures. Hope that makes sense, I'm tired and about to go to bed