Video Production Quote Template (Free, AICP-Style Example)
Free video production quote template: cover details, AICP-style line items, production fee, contingency, terms and a 50/50 payment schedule, filled in.
This is a free video production quote template, filled in for a fictional one-day commercial: cover details, AICP-style line items, a production fee, contingency, terms and a 50/50 payment schedule. Copy the tables, swap in your rates, send it.
In short:
- A video production quote (or estimate) prices the job by section, then adds a production fee and a contingency.
- Pin the deliverables, days, revision rounds and usage at the top. Every line must serve one of them.
- Ask for 50% on approval and put a valid-until date on it.
The numbers use typical US non-union rates as of October 2026. Your market will differ, so replace them.
The video production quote template
1. Cover information
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| Quote number | Q-2026-041 |
| Date issued | October 3, 2026 |
| Valid until | November 2, 2026 (30 days) |
| From | Your company name, address, email, phone, EIN or tax ID if you show it |
| Client | Northline Coffee (fictional), marketing lead, billing email |
| Job | "First Pour", one 30-second spot plus cutdowns |
| Deliverables | 1 x 30s 16:9 master, 1 x 15s cutdown, 2 x 9:16 social versions, all with and without end card |
| Prep / shoot / post | 2 prep days, 1 shoot day (10 hours), 4 editorial days |
| Location | One practical location (café interior), Los Angeles area |
| Revisions included | 2 rounds of edit notes, 1 round of color and mix notes |
| Usage | Talent and music: 1 year, paid social and web, United States |
2. Line items by section
The sections follow the AICP bid form, which runs from A (prep crew) through T (post) and beyond. Wrapbook's walkthrough of the AICP form lists every section if you need one that is not used here. Unused sections are left out of the client copy.
A. Prep crew
| Item | Qty | Days | Rate | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Producer (prep) | 1 | 2 | $750 | $1,500 |
| 1st AD (prep) | 1 | 1 | $900 | $900 |
| Director of photography (scout and prep) | 1 | 1 | $750 | $750 |
| Production assistant (prep) | 1 | 1 | $250 | $250 |
| Section total | $3,400 |
B. Shoot crew
| Item | Qty | Days | Rate | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Producer | 1 | 1 | $750 | $750 |
| 1st AD | 1 | 1 | $900 | $900 |
| Director of photography | 1 | 1 | $1,500 | $1,500 |
| 1st AC | 1 | 1 | $650 | $650 |
| Gaffer | 1 | 1 | $800 | $800 |
| Key grip | 1 | 1 | $750 | $750 |
| Sound mixer | 1 | 1 | $850 | $850 |
| Hair and makeup | 1 | 1 | $650 | $650 |
| Wardrobe stylist | 1 | 1 | $600 | $600 |
| Production assistants | 2 | 1 | $250 | $500 |
| Section total | $7,950 |
C to K. Production expenses
| Section | Item | Qty | Rate | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C. Prep and wrap | Craft service | 1 | $350 | $350 |
| C. Prep and wrap | Deliveries and runs | 1 | $150 | $150 |
| D. Location | Location fee | 1 | $2,500 | $2,500 |
| D. Location | Film permit | 1 | $600 | $600 |
| D. Location | Crew lunch | 18 | $25 | $450 |
| D. Location | Cargo van | 1 | $225 | $225 |
| D. Location | Parking | 1 | $200 | $200 |
| E. Props and wardrobe | Wardrobe rental and purchase | 1 | $500 | $500 |
| G. Art labor | Art director (prep and shoot) | 2 days | $700 | $1,400 |
| H. Art expenses | Set dressing and props | 1 | $800 | $800 |
| I. Equipment | Camera package with lenses | 1 day | $1,200 | $1,200 |
| I. Equipment | Lighting and grip package | 1 day | $1,400 | $1,400 |
| I. Equipment | Sound kit | 1 day | $300 | $300 |
| I. Equipment | Expendables | 1 | $250 | $250 |
| I. Equipment | Walkies | 8 | $15 | $120 |
| J. Media | Media drives | 2 | $150 | $300 |
| K. Miscellaneous | Production insurance | 1 | $750 | $750 |
| C to K total | $11,495 |
L to T. Director, talent and post
| Section | Item | Qty | Rate | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| L. Director | Director prep | 1 day | $1,500 | $1,500 |
| L. Director | Director shoot | 1 day | $3,000 | $3,000 |
| L. Director | Director post | 1 | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| M. Talent | On-camera talent (session) | 2 | $750 | $1,500 |
| M. Talent | Talent usage, 1 year, paid social and web, US | 2 | $500 | $1,000 |
| Q. Editorial | Editor | 4 days | $650 | $2,600 |
| S. Audio | Licensed music track (same usage terms) | 1 | $1,500 | $1,500 |
| S. Audio | Sound mix | 1 | $800 | $800 |
| T. Post | Color grade | 1 day | $1,200 | $1,200 |
| T. Post | Titles and end card | 1 | $600 | $600 |
| L to T total | $14,700 |
3. Totals
| Line | Basis | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Production costs (A to K) | $22,845.00 | |
| Director, talent and post (L to T) | $14,700.00 | |
| Subtotal | $37,545.00 | |
| Production fee | 20% of A to K | $4,569.00 |
| Contingency | 10% of A to K | $2,284.50 |
| Total | $44,398.50 |
Sales tax, if your state taxes production services, goes below the total as its own line.
4. Terms and payment schedule
| Payment | When | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit (50%) | On approval, before booking crew and locations | $22,199.25 |
| Balance (50%) | On delivery of final files, net 15 | $22,199.25 |
Terms to print under the schedule:
- Validity. Valid for 30 days. Rates and availability are confirmed once the deposit is received.
- Overtime. The shoot day is 10 hours including a meal. Crew overtime is billed at 1.5x the hourly rate from hour 11 to 12 and 2x after that, plus any equipment and location overtime charged to us.
- Weather and cancellation. Cancellation within 48 hours of call time is billed at 50% of crew and equipment, within 24 hours at 100%, plus non-refundable costs spent. A weather day is billed at the cancellation rate unless agreed otherwise.
- Changes. Work outside the deliverables and revision rounds above is quoted as a change order and approved by the client before it starts.
- Usage. Talent and music usage is as stated. Extending media, territory or term is quoted separately.
- Ownership. Final files and usage rights transfer on payment in full.
- Contingency. Contingency is billed only if used, with the reason shown on the final invoice.
How to fill in the quote
- Start from the brief, not the rate card. Write deliverables, prep, shoot and post days and usage first. "A few social versions" becomes a number before it gets a price.
- Price crew as quantity × days × rate, one line per role. The rates above sit inside NeedACrew's 2026 non-union ranges for a 10 to 12 hour day: DP $800 to $3,000, gaffer and key grip $600 to $1,200, 1st AD $700 to $1,500, PA $150 to $400 (NeedACrew, 2026).
- Put kit on its own line. Camera, lighting and sound are equipment, not labor. Kit lines are easier to defend and easier to swap for a rental house quote.
- Name the usage. Term, media and territory, in the line. A client who later runs the spot on TV can see TV was never in the price.
- Add the fee and contingency last. Saturation puts typical markups at 20% to 35% and contingency near 10% (Saturation). Some advertisers cap the markup, so read their guidelines. If you would rather not show a fee, build it into your rates. Just not both.
- Set the payment schedule. The AICP describes 50/50 and 50/25/25 plans and advises holding deliverables until the first 50% is paid (AICP payment guidelines).
What every video production quote needs
- A quote number and a valid-until date
- Deliverables with lengths, ratios and versions
- Prep, shoot and post days
- Line items with quantity, days and rate
- Kit separate from labor
- Talent and music usage in words
- Production fee and contingency, each with its basis
- Revision rounds included
- Deposit, balance and due dates
- Overtime, cancellation and change terms
Common mistakes
- No validity date on the quote, so last spring's price comes back to bite you
- No prep days: the producer, AD and DP all prep, and unquoted you pay for it
- A shoot-only quote that turns into free editing
- No revision limit. Extra rounds belong in a change order
- No cancellation terms, when crew still get paid for a late cancel
- Showing a production fee and padding the rates too
More on the numbers in how to price a video production. The next document is the video production invoice template. Shooting stills? Use the photography quote template.
Make it in CreativeBase
In CreativeBase the quote is not a document you retype. It is one link in a chain from pitch to invoice, which is what lets you bid more jobs and see what each one earned.
- Pitch page first, if you like. Send a pitch page with the treatment and up to three price options. The client approves one and the pitch moves to Won.
- The budget. Start from the AICP-style template (A to T) or import your own spreadsheet. Each line is quantity × rate × multiplier.
- The client quote comes from the budget. Standard mode shows section totals, detailed mode shows lines. Total is subtotal + production fee + contingency (10% by default) minus any discount. It is checked against the budget line by line.
- Approval. Send it by email with the PDF or on WhatsApp. The client approves or declines on a link or in the client portal, with no account, and each decision is recorded with name, time and figure. An expired quote cannot be approved.
- Changes and invoice. Extras go out as change orders the client approves first. The approved quote becomes the invoice.
Honest limits: no e-signature (a toggle prints blank signature lines on the PDF), no sales tax or VAT line, and clients do not pay through CreativeBase. Accounts start with a short call where pricing is set, and your first production can be a free trial.
Questions people ask
What should a video production quote include?
Cover details (client, job, dates, deliverables), line items by section with quantity, days and rate, a subtotal, production fee, contingency, total, payment and cancellation terms, and a valid-until date. State talent and music usage in words.
Is a video production estimate the same as a quote?
In practice, yes. Both price the job before it is awarded. Some companies call the first rough number an estimate and the detailed, dated version the quote or bid. Whatever you call it, give it a number and an expiry date.
What is a production fee on a video quote?
It is the production company's markup for overhead and profit, shown as a percentage of production costs. Saturation's commercial budget guide puts typical markups between 20% and 35% of below-the-line costs.
How much deposit should I ask for?
50% on award, before any money is spent, is the most common term. The AICP's payment guidelines describe a 50/50 plan and a 50/25/25 plan, and both start with half up front.
Should a quote show every line item to the client?
Not always. Agencies used to AICP bids expect line detail, while many direct clients prefer section totals. Build the full detail for yourself either way.
Can a client approve a video production quote online?
In CreativeBase, yes: the client approves or declines from a private link or the client portal, with no account. It is a recorded click with their typed name, not an e-signature.
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