Pricing calculator
Price your candles so you actually make money. Enter your per-candle costs:
Total cost per candle
Suggested retail price
Wholesale price (50% of retail)
The 4× rule: retail = 4 × total cost. This covers materials, your time, overhead, and leaves room for wholesale and sales. Adjust margin to your market — but never price below 3× cost.
Startup checklist
- Perfect 2–3 candle formulas before anything else — test burned and cured
- Price every product with the calculator above — know your margins cold
- Business name & branding — check name availability in your state
- Register the business — LLC or sole proprietorship; get an EIN (free from the IRS)
- Business bank account — separate your money from day one
- Insurance — product liability at minimum if you sell to the public
- Labeling — burn instructions + warnings on every candle (see safety tips)
- Sales channels — Etsy, your own site, markets, wholesale — pick one to start
- Bookkeeping — track every dollar in and out from the first sale
- Photography — good photos sell candles; phone + natural light works to start
Before your first sale
- Burn-test every scent/size you plan to sell — 3+ full cycles each
- Know your cure times and build them into production schedules
- Have packaging that survives shipping (test it — mail one to a friend)
- Write your shop policies: shipping, returns, processing times
How should I price my homemade candles?
Use the 4x rule: retail price equals 4 times your total cost (materials plus labor plus overhead). This leaves room for wholesale, sales, and profit. Never price below 3x cost.
Do I need a license to sell candles?
Requirements vary by state and locality. Most areas require a business license, and you should have product liability insurance before selling to the public.
What should be on my candle labels?
At minimum: burn instructions, safety warnings, net weight, and your business name. Check labeling requirements if you sell across state lines.
