The Pottery Pricing Calculator.
“What should I actually charge for this?”
If you’ve stood at the kiln with a finished mug in your hands and asked yourself that exact question, this page is for you.
Nobody starts making pots because they love spreadsheets. You start because of the clay. Then at some point you have to put a price on the thing you made, and that’s where it gets uncomfortable. Your hours add up to a number that feels like too much. Other potters’ prices make yours feel like too little. So you pick something safe and quietly worry about it.
You’re not bad at business. Pricing handmade work is genuinely hard, because half the costs are invisible: the kiln electricity, the glaze tests, the trimming, the pieces that crack.
I know this feeling from both sides. I’m a working potter with a studio, and before that I worked in accounting. Numbers don’t scare me, and pricing my own work still took me years to get right. If it took me that long with an accounting background, no wonder it feels overwhelming when your brain is wired for making, not bookkeeping.
So I built the tool I wished existed. A calculator made for a pottery studio: your clay, your glazes, your firing costs, your hours, your market. You put your numbers in, and it tells you what to charge. This is the calculator I use to price every piece I make.
Everything you need to price your pottery
Work through each section and the calculator does the maths for you. No formulas to build. No spreadsheet set up. Just your own numbers, clearly laid out.
1. Set Up
Choose your currency, tax settings and basic pricing details.
2. Materials
Include clay, glaze, packaging, freight and the costs that are easy to forget.
3. Labour & Time
See what your making time is worth and what you’re actually earning per hour.
4. Overheads
Add studio expenses, kiln costs, tools, equipment and business costs.
5. Summary
See your recommended price, profit, cost breakdown and effective hourly rate.
6. Studio Log
Save each calculation so you can compare pieces and review your pricing later.
It opens in your browser, on any device. No software, no login, no subscription. No jargon and no accounting brain required. That part’s my job. I built it in.
What she was charging for her porcelain frogs, and what her real numbers said to charge. Her own market research backed it up. She’s now repricing her entire inventory.
For many potters, correcting just a few prices can be enough to recover the cost.
What potters are saying
Such a smooth, easy to use tool. No more ‘how much should I charge for this’ conversations. I can quickly work out a fair cost for any piece.
This is genius.
Hold on, OMG this is so cool! I needed some guidance on pricing.
Such a needed tool over Excel spreadsheets.
I find pricing one of the hardest parts. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
You buy it once and own it forever, with future updates included. It gives you a guide, not a rule. The final pricing decision always stays yours, as it should.
How it works
Enter your costs
Add materials, time, overheads and your profit goal.
Get your price
Instantly see your recommended price, profit and hourly rate.
Save & track
Use the Studio Log to save and review your calculations.
One-time purchase · works on any device · no subscription
From the studio,
Teresa x
teresamaree.clay · handmade in Auckland, New Zealand
P.S. Not sure if it’s right for you? Email me at teresamaree04@gmail.com and tell me what you make. I’ll give you an honest answer.
Teresamaree clay · Studio tools
Know what your
work is worth.
A tool for potters. Put your own numbers in and calculate what your work is actually worth.
Built for direct retail pricing. If you also sell wholesale to stockists, use this calculator to find your sell price first, then apply your wholesale percentage to that figure. For example, if your sell price is $80 and your wholesale is 50%:
$80 x 50% = $40 wholesale price
Kiln costs vary. Electric and gas kilns have very different running costs. Check your actual electricity or gas bill and divide by the number of pieces in a firing to get your true per-piece cost.
Selling at markets? Set your platform fee to zero and use the Market & event fees field in Section 4 for your market costs.
Currency. Set your currency symbol below. All calculations work in whatever currency you use. Just be consistent throughout.
The overhead figure per piece will usually be an estimate, the more consistently you track and record your costs, the more accurate your pricing will become over time.
Your Pricing Summary
Materials cost
$0.00
Labour cost
$0.00
Overhead
$0.00
Total cost to make
$0.00
Your sell price
$0.00
Your profit per piece
$0.00
Effective hourly rate
$0/hr
I hope using this calculator gives you more clarity and confidence in your pricing. If I make any updates or improvements to the Pottery Pricing Calculator, you'll receive a new link.
This calculator is designed to support your pricing decisions, not replace them. Your experience, market and business goals will always play a role in setting your final prices.
I'd love to hear how it helps you. If you have any feedback, questions or spot something that doesn't look right, please send me an email. It made a real difference to me when I developed it, and I hope it does the same for you.
Teresa x