Crew time is $250/hr
Staffing is billed at $250 per hour and includes load-in, the live window, and pack-out — not just the hours guests see. A three-hour reception is realistically a six-hour crew day.
Pricing
What a traveling embroidery bar actually costs.
Staffed bars start around $5,000 for local Southern California events. That baseline covers the machines, the crew, setup and teardown, the thread wall, and a standard design menu. Here is what moves the number up or down.
Throughput scaling
One machine suits intimate events; two is our standard bar; three or more handles conventions and multi-day programs. Each added head raises cost but cuts wait times roughly in half.
Blanks priced per piece
Richardson 112 caps, robes, Independent fleece, and totes each carry different per-piece costs. Supplying your own garments is fine — we just confirm they hoop cleanly first.
Digitizing prep
Logos must be converted to stitch files once, before the event. Simple marks digitize quickly; gradients and fine text take longer and cost more. Monogram menus carry no art fee.
Flat and predictable
No travel fee anywhere in Orange County, Los Angeles, or San Diego. Las Vegas and beyond adds a flat $900. Nationwide programs are quoted with freight and crew travel spelled out.
Load-in reality
Dock scheduling, long push distances, and after-hours strikes can add crew hours. Send the venue name with your request and we price it accurately the first time.
A worked example
Three-hour reception, 150 guests, two machines.
A typical build: two-machine monogram bar, 150 mixed robes and totes, standard font menu, one crew of two, venue within Orange County. The quote lands near the baseline because there is no travel fee, no logo digitizing, and a single load-in. Swap in logo caps for a corporate crowd and the digitizing prep plus cap inventory nudges it up; move the same event to Las Vegas and add the flat $900.
Every quote itemizes crew hours, machine count, garments, prep, and travel — you will never find a vague “event services” line.
Next stop: your venue
Get a real number, not a range.
Send the date, city, guest count, and garment wishlist. We reply with an itemized quote you can forward straight to whoever signs off.