A commercial video production estimate with every line item already in it.
This is a free commercial video production estimate template with the whole budget breakdown built in: pre-production through post, crew day rates through usage buyouts, for full-service commercials and branded content alike. Load it in the builder, delete what your shoot doesn't need, and put your rates on what's left. The rates ship blank, so the numbers are yours.
Most commercial estimate templates are a PDF with four rows and a logo placeholder. A commercial has a grip truck, talent buyouts, and a catering line that scales with headcount. Leave them off the estimate and the overage comes out of your fee.
What’s in the template
This is the exact checklist that loads in the builder, with each line’s unit already set. Delete what this job doesn’t need.
Pre-production8 lines
Everything billable before anyone touches a camera: concept, scripts, scouting, permits, insurance.
- Concept / creativeflat
- Scriptwriting & storyboardsflat
- Pre-pro meetingsday
- Location scoutingday
- Casting sessionsday
- Permits & licensingeach
- Production insuranceflat
- Call-sheet / shot-list prepday
Crew13 lines
Day rates by role, 1st AC included. Quantity is people, the multiplier is days.
- Directorday
- Producer / line producerday
- Director of photography (DP)day
- Camera operatorday
- 1st / 2nd ACday
- Gafferday
- Key gripday
- Sound mixerday
- Production assistants (PAs)day
- HMU artistday
- Stylistday
- Art directorday
- Drone operatorday
Unit: day. Quantity = # people, multiplier = # days.
Cast / Talent6 lines
On-camera people, voiceover, and the rights to keep using them. Usage buyouts live here.
- Principal talentday
- Background / extrasday
- Voiceoverflat
- Specialty talentday
- Agency feesflat
- Usage / buyout rightsflat
Gear14 lines
Camera, lighting, grip, and audio by the day, plus the truck it all arrives in.
- Camera packageday
- Lighting packageday
- Grip packageday
- Audio packageday
- Monitors / video villageday
- Gimbal / dolly / sliderday
- Droneday
- Specialty / cinema cameraday
- Specialty lensesday
- Generator / powerday
- Grip truckday
- Studio / soundstageday
- Media cardseach
- Expendablesflat
Merged equipment + rentals. Default unit: day.
Locations6 lines
Fees, permits, parking, security, and cleaning and restoration afterward.
- Location feesday
- Permitseach
- Location managerday
- Parking / holdingday
- Site securityday
- Cleaning / restorationflat
Art / Set / Wardrobe5 lines
Set construction, set dressing, props, wardrobe, and on-set signage and graphics.
- Set constructionflat
- Set dressing & propsflat
- Wardrobe / costumeeach
- Props purchase / rentaleach
- Signage / graphicsflat
Catering / Craft5 lines
Crew meals, craft services, talent catering, and beverages, priced per person so the math scales with headcount.
- Crew mealsperson
- Craft services / snacksperson
- Talent cateringperson
- Beveragesperson
- Dietary / specialflat
Unit: person. Quantity = # people, multiplier = # meals/days.
Transportation / Travel7 lines
Moving people and gear: vehicles, flights, hotels, per diems, freight.
- Vehicle rentalsday
- Fuel / mileageflat
- Flightseach
- Hotels (room-night)each
- Per diemsperson
- Gear freightflat
- Parking / tollsflat
Post-production10 lines
Where footage becomes the deliverable: edit, color, mix, graphics, music licensing, revisions.
- Editingday
- Color gradeday
- Sound design / mixday
- Motion graphics / titlesflat
- VFXflat
- Music licensingeach
- VO recordingflat
- Captions / localizationeach
- Revision roundseach
- Deliverables / encodingeach
Questions
Units, tax, deposits and exports are covered in the Help guide.
For the longer answer, there’s a guide: What to Include in a Video Production Quote.
What does a commercial video production estimate include?
Nine sections that mirror how a commercial bills: pre-production, crew, cast and talent, gear, locations, art and wardrobe, catering, travel, and post-production. Inside them are the line items that get forgotten: usage and buyout rights, permits, media cards, revision rounds. You delete what doesn't apply.
How much does a commercial video cost?
There is no single number, which is why agencies publish a range. A lean one-day branded-content shoot with a small crew often lands in the low five figures. A full-service commercial with name talent, multiple shoot days, and broadcast usage runs well into six. The template shows what moves the number: crew days, talent usage, gear packages, and post scope.
Can I remove line items I don't need?
Yes. Every section and line can be deleted, renamed, reordered, or added to, and the rates ship blank for you to fill in.
Is the template actually free?
Yes. The builder works without an account, and the free plan includes every estimate export: client PDF, Excel, CSV, and a read-only share link. Pro is a one-time purchase, not a subscription: your branding on client exports, no Estimatery footer, invoice exports, unlimited cloud saves, and a Saved Items catalog of your standard lines.
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General information for pricing your own work. Not legal, tax or accounting advice. Deposit caps, licensing, lien and permit rules vary by state.