Don't Work for Free: The Professional Guide to Pricing Your Woodworking

The "Hobbyist's Trap"

The most common mistake new woodworkers make is pricing their work too low. They think: "Well, the wood cost me $20, so I'll sell it for $40." Stop right there. If you do that, you aren't running a business; you’re paying for someone else’s furniture. You aren't accounting for your shop overhead, sandpaper, glue, electricity, or—most importantly—your time.

The Simple Profit Formula:

To stay in business and actually grow your shop, you need a consistent formula. Most pros use a variation of this:

1. Material Cost x 3: A quick way to cover wood, consumables, and a small profit.
2. Labor Rate + Materials: Calculate how many hours you spent and multiply by a fair hourly wage (e.g., $30–$50/hour in the USA) plus the cost of wood.
3. Market Value: Research what similar "hand-crafted" items are selling for on Etsy or at local boutiques.

Pro Tip: If you use professional plans, your "Time to Build" drops significantly, which means your profit per hour goes way up.

Speed Up Your Production with Proven Blueprints

The faster you can build a high-quality item, the more money you make. Professionals don't spend hours "designing" on the fly; they use a library of proven, stable, and attractive plans.

When you follow a detailed blueprint with a pre-made "Buy List," you eliminate those three extra trips to the hardware store that eat up your Saturday and your profits.