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Longarm quilting rate planner

A price per square inch only covers your time if it reflects how long the design takes on the frame, and a dense pantograph takes longer than an open one. This spreadsheet starts from the wage you want, adds overhead and prep, times one pantograph pass at each density, and turns that into cents per square inch, plus a minimum so small quilts still cover the time spent loading the frame.

APQS-shaped check (sample on Quote tab)

InputSample
Quilt100 × 100 in
Pantograph height10 in → 10 rows
Minutes per pass30 → 5 h quilting
Prep2 h
At $25/h wage$175 labour before overhead share

Change the cream cells to your machine. Dense designs get their own minutes-per-pass on the Density rates tab.

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Quilt sandwich corner with pantograph paper and a calculator on a navy desk

What's in the file

Four tabs · APQS-shaped method

  • Settings

    Wage and overhead Hourly wage you want, monthly overhead, quilts per month, default prep, minimum charge.

    You type · your floor

  • Quote

    One customer quilt Suggested price, cents per square inch and effective hourly for that job.

    Calculates · this quilt

  • Density rates

    Open / medium / dense Minutes-per-pass so you are not stuck with one flat pantograph price.

    You type · your machine

  • Education

    APQS steps Plain-language method with the public APQS education link.

    Read · check the math

Fabric to buy for a top still belongs in the quilt yardage calculator and binding calculator. This file prices your time, not the fabric.

Quilt with measuring tape and folders for longarm rate planning
Wage → overhead → pantograph timing → cents per square inch.
Quilt corner with a soft grid suggesting cents per square inch
Dense designs get their own minutes and their own rate.

Questions

Is this for customers estimating a longarmer’s price?

No. Free customer estimators already answer “what will my longarmer charge me?” This sheet is for longarm quilters who charge for their work: what you need to charge to hit the wage you want after prep and overhead.

Where does the method come from?

The public APQS education article on charging for longarm work for others (Dawn Cavanaugh): choose a wage, list overhead, log prep, time pantograph passes by density, then convert to $/sq in. The Education tab links it. Sample numbers follow their worked shape so you can check the Quote tab.

Does it replace looking at local prices?

No. It shows the floor your time and overhead need. What your area will pay is a separate judgement.

Is this the same as the quilt yardage calculator?

No. Yardage and binding tell you how much fabric to buy. This sheet sets your quilting service rate.

Can I buy it now?

Not yet. The spreadsheet is built, but checkout hasn't opened. Leave your email for one message when it does.

Google Sheets or Excel?

Both.

Is there a pack with the commission kit?

Yes. The Quilter who sells pack (planned at $49) is this planner plus the commission quote kit. Use it if you need both rate-setting and client quote paperwork.

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