Mobile bartenders: price the event from your real costs. Free, no signup.
Start in "The event" card: guest count (suggested starting point 100), service hours (4), setup plus breakdown hours (2), and drinks per guest (3.5). Pick Craft cocktails or Beer and wine for service style, then Dry hire or Full service for the alcohol model: dry hire means the client provides the alcohol; full service means you do. Dry hire is the default and alcohol costs only enter the math under Full service.
Move to "Your costs". Leave Bartenders blank to auto-staff (1 per 25 guests for cocktails, 1 per 50 for beer and wine), or type your own crew size. Add pay per bartender per hour ($30), consumables per guest ($4.00 for ice, cups, garnishes, mixers, napkins), alcohol per guest ($12, full-service only), round-trip miles (40), rate per mile ($0.70), gear cost ($75), and target margin (30%). All are editable starting points.
The "Your true cost" card totals labor, consumables, alcohol, travel, and gear, shows planned drinks with a 10% buffer, and warns about unbilled setup hours or missing travel costs. "Quote it three ways" prices the same cost base plus margin as a flat fee (the option most clients pick), a per-guest price, or a per-hour price on service hours only.
Example only, not typical earnings. Take a 100-guest wedding with 4 service hours, 2 setup and breakdown hours, 3.5 drinks per guest, craft cocktails, and dry hire where the client provides the alcohol. Enter pay of $30 per bartender per hour, $4.00 consumables per guest, 40 travel miles at $0.70 per mile, $75 in gear, and a 30% target margin.
The tool auto-staffs 4 bartenders (1 per 25 guests), so labor is 4 x $30 x 6 paid hours = $720. Consumables are 100 x $4.00 = $400, alcohol is $0 on dry hire, travel is 40 x $0.70 = $28, and gear adds $75, for a true cost of $1,223. Planned drinks are the ceiling of 100 x 3.5 x 1.1, which the tool rounds up to 386. Adding 30% gives $1,223 x 1.3 = $1,589.90, rounded up to a $1,590 flat fee, leaving about $366.90 after costs. The same margin prices at $15.90 per guest, or $398 per service hour billed on the 4 service hours only.
What is the difference between dry hire and full service?
Dry hire means the client provides the alcohol, so the alcohol-per-guest line stays at $0 and you only price labor, consumables, travel, and gear. Full service means you buy the alcohol, so the alcohol-per-guest amount you enter is added to your true cost. Both models quote from the same cost base plus your target margin.
How does the tool decide how many bartenders I need?
If you leave Bartenders blank, it auto-staffs at 1 bartender per 25 guests for craft cocktails or 1 per 50 guests for beer and wine, with a minimum of 1. Type your own number to override the auto-staffing. Paid hours always include service hours plus setup and breakdown hours.
Why does the tool warn me about setup and breakdown hours?
Because those hours are unpaid by the client but paid by you to your crew. The warning appears whenever setup hours are entered, and it reminds you that the cost is already baked into the quotes below, so do not discount it away. The per-hour quote bills service hours only; setup is already covered in the price.
Which quote model should I send a client: flat fee, per guest, or per hour?
The tool marks the flat fee as the option most clients pick, since it is one clean number. Per-guest pricing works when the headcount is firm, and the tool warns you to get the final guest count in writing, because a 20% headcount drop at the example $15.90 per-guest rate costs you about $318. Per-hour pricing suits events where the end time is uncertain, billed on service hours only.
Do I need a liquor license to run a mobile bar?
The tool does not cover licensing, permits, or insurance, and the rules vary by state and venue. This content is informational only, not tax or legal advice. Check your state alcohol board and any venue requirements before booking paid events.