HOW TO ESTABLISH COMMERCIAL FILMING RATES

If your business, institution, venue or commercial property is available for film and photography productions, establishing a rate structure in advance can make inquiries much easier to evaluate.

But there usually isn't one universal "filming rate."

A 10-person editorial photo shoot using a conference room for six hours is very different from a national commercial bringing 75 people, trucks, equipment, prep days and set dressing.

Your rates should reflect how production is using the property—not simply how much the property normally costs to rent.

Here's how to establish a practical commercial filming rate structure.

START WITH A BASE SHOOT RATE

Establish a base rate for a standard production day.

That rate should define what is included, such as:

  • Number of hours

  • Approved areas

  • Basic property access

  • Standard parking

  • Existing utilities

  • Normal property use

For example, your internal rate structure might define a shoot day as a specific number of access hours rather than simply saying "day rate."

The exact dollar amount will vary significantly by property.

What's important is establishing the structure before deciding the number.

DON'T BASE YOUR RATE ONLY ON EVENT RENTAL PRICING

If your property already hosts weddings, meetings or private events, those rates can provide useful context—but filming is a different use.

Production may involve:

  • Equipment trucks

  • Lighting

  • Cables

  • Furniture movement

  • Set dressing

  • Large crews

  • Early access

  • Late wrap

  • Multiple production vehicles

  • Temporary alterations

Conversely, some shoots may involve very few people and considerably less impact than a typical event.

Use your existing rental rates as a reference point, not necessarily as your film rate.

DEFINE WHAT A "DAY" MEANS

This is one of the most important parts of establishing production pricing.

If you quote a day rate, specify how many access hours it includes.

Production access begins when the first approved crew member enters the property and generally continues until production has completed its scheduled work and turned the property back over according to the agreement.

Don't base the rate only on when the camera is rolling.

A production might film from 9:00 AM–5:00 PM but require access from 7:00 AM–7:00 PM.

That's a 12-hour property commitment, not an eight-hour one.

ESTABLISH AN OVERTIME RATE

Productions occasionally run long.

Decide in advance what happens when production exceeds the hours included in your base rate.

Overtime might be structured as:

  • Hourly fee

  • Percentage of the day rate

  • Another predetermined calculation

There is no single overtime structure appropriate for every property.

Whatever system you choose, put it in writing before production begins.

For more information, read Prep, Shoot, Wrap + Overtime Fees Explained.

CREATE SEPARATE PREP + WRAP RATES

Many commercial productions need access before and after the actual shoot.

PREP

Prep may include:

  • Delivering equipment

  • Protecting floors

  • Moving furniture

  • Installing props

  • Dressing the location

  • Pre-lighting

  • Building temporary set pieces

WRAP

Wrap may include:

  • Removing equipment

  • Removing set dressing

  • Returning furniture

  • Restoring the property

  • Cleaning

  • Removing temporary protection

Prep and wrap days may be priced differently from shoot days depending on the amount of activity involved.

But don't automatically assume they're free.

Your property is still unavailable—or partially unavailable—while that work is happening.

ACCOUNT FOR THE SIZE OF THE PRODUCTION

Crew size matters.

A production with eight people creates a different impact than one with 80.

Consider creating internal pricing tiers based on approximate production size.

For example:

SMALL FOOTPRINT

Small crew, limited equipment, few vehicles, minimal disruption.

STANDARD PRODUCTION

Moderate crew and equipment with normal commercial production activity.

LARGE PRODUCTION

Large crew, significant equipment, multiple trucks, extensive support requirements or substantial operational impact.

You don't necessarily need to publish these tiers publicly.

They simply give your team a consistent framework for evaluating inquiries.

CONSIDER THE TYPE OF PRODUCTION

Different productions have different budgets, footprints and uses.

You may receive inquiries for:

  • Commercial advertising

  • Still photography

  • Television

  • Feature films

  • Music videos

  • Editorial photography

  • Branded content

  • Corporate video

  • Documentary

  • Social content

  • Interviews

A national advertising campaign shouldn't necessarily be priced exactly the same as a small editorial shoot.

Evaluate the scope and commercial use of the project along with its physical impact on the property.

CONSIDER HOW MUCH OF THE PROPERTY THEY NEED

A production using one office shouldn't necessarily pay the same rate as a production taking over the entire building.

Ask:

  • Which areas will appear on camera?

  • Which areas will production occupy?

  • Are support spaces needed?

  • Is the property still operational?

  • Will other tenants or users be displaced?

  • Does production need exclusivity?

You can structure pricing around partial versus exclusive use when appropriate.

PRICE OPERATIONAL DISRUPTION

For a commercial property, one of the biggest considerations is what filming prevents you from doing.

Will you need to:

  • Close the business?

  • Relocate employees?

  • Block customer access?

  • Cancel events?

  • Restrict tenants?

  • Close parking?

  • Change deliveries?

  • Provide after-hours staff?

  • Adjust normal operations?

A filming fee should take reasonable operational disruption into account.

If accommodating production causes direct additional costs, identify those costs rather than hoping the base location fee covers everything.

SEPARATE REQUIRED STAFFING

Commercial and institutional properties may require staff to remain on site.

That might include:

  • Site representative

  • Security

  • Facilities personnel

  • Engineer

  • Custodian

  • Parking attendant

  • Building manager

Determine whether those costs are:

Included in the location rate
or
Charged separately

Either approach can work.

Just make it clear before booking.

See Should You Require a Site Representative? for more guidance.

CHARGE FOR SPECIAL PARKING WHEN APPROPRIATE

Production parking can consume valuable commercial space.

If production needs:

  • Significant portions of your parking lot

  • Loading areas

  • Truck staging

  • Overnight vehicle parking

  • Dedicated spaces

  • An entire secondary lot

consider whether that use should be included in the base rate or charged separately.

For Nashville-specific parking considerations, read How to Handle Production Parking.

CONSIDER UTILITIES + SPECIAL FACILITY USE

Some productions use more of a property's infrastructure than others.

Depending on your property, additional charges might apply for:

  • Significant electrical use

  • HVAC outside normal hours

  • Freight elevator operation

  • Loading dock access

  • Specialized facilities

  • After-hours building operation

  • Additional cleaning

  • Waste removal

For a straightforward shoot, these may be insignificant.

For a complicated commercial property, they can represent real expenses.

ESTABLISH SCOUT + TECH SCOUT POLICIES

Productions commonly need to visit a location before filming.

An initial location scout is typically used to evaluate whether the property works creatively and logistically.

After the property is selected, a technical scout may bring department heads to finalize lighting, camera, power, access, parking and other production logistics.

Decide whether reasonable scout access is included as part of the booking process or whether extensive scout activity requires additional fees or staffing.

DECIDE HOW YOU HANDLE HOLD DAYS

Productions may occasionally ask you to hold a date while final approvals are pending.

Establish what a "hold" means for your property.

Questions to consider:

  • Is the hold complimentary?

  • How long will you hold the date?

  • Can another client challenge the hold?

  • Does production need to pay to make the hold firm?

  • At what point does the booking become non-refundable?

This is particularly important for venues and commercial properties where holding a production date may prevent another booking.

CREATE A CANCELLATION POLICY

Film and photo shoots can change because of:

  • Creative decisions

  • Client changes

  • Talent

  • Weather

  • Schedule changes

  • Budget changes

  • Location changes

Your agreement should establish what happens if production cancels after booking.

The appropriate cancellation structure will depend on your property and how much business you may have declined to accommodate the production.

THINK ABOUT WEATHER DAYS

If the production is primarily exterior, it may ask about a weather contingency date.

Determine whether you can hold a second date and what that hold costs.

Don't automatically reserve two valuable dates for the price of one without understanding how production intends to use them.

CONSIDER SECURITY OR DAMAGE DEPOSITS

Depending on the property and production, you may want to require a refundable security or damage deposit.

If you do, your agreement should clearly establish:

  • Amount

  • Payment timing

  • What it may be used for

  • How deductions are documented

  • When the balance is returned

A deposit doesn't replace appropriate production insurance.

For more information, read What Insurance Should You Require From Production?.

DON'T FORGET CLEANING + RESTORATION

Determine who is responsible for returning the property to its original condition.

Depending on the production, you may:

  • Require production to clean

  • Require your own cleaning service

  • Charge a cleaning fee

  • Charge actual restoration expenses

For high-traffic commercial properties, having your own approved cleaning or facilities team handle final restoration may be preferable.

CREATE AN INTERNAL RATE CARD

Once you've identified the variables, create an internal rate card.

It might include:

SHOOT DAY
Base rate / included hours

PREP DAY
Rate / included hours

WRAP DAY
Rate / included hours

OVERTIME
Rate or calculation

SITE REPRESENTATIVE
Hourly or daily rate

SECURITY
Actual cost or established rate

PARKING
Included allowance / additional parking rate

CLEANING
Required fee or actual cost

ADDITIONAL STAFF
Applicable rates

SPECIAL FACILITY USE
As applicable

SECURITY DEPOSIT
When required

CANCELLATION
Established schedule

Your rate card doesn't have to be publicly available.

Its purpose is to help your organization quote productions consistently.

DON'T MAKE YOUR RATE CARD TOO RIGID

Film production inquiries vary enormously.

Your internal rate card should be a starting framework, not something that prevents you from evaluating unusual opportunities.

You may adjust a quote based on:

  • Production size

  • Client

  • Usage

  • Property demand

  • Operational impact

  • Duration

  • Number of spaces

  • Complexity

  • Season

  • Exclusivity

The goal is consistency—not inflexibility.

ASK FOR THE FULL SCOPE BEFORE QUOTING

Avoid giving a firm rate based only on:

"How much does it cost to film there?"

Before quoting, ask for:

  • Production company

  • Client

  • Project type

  • Areas requested

  • Dates

  • Prep

  • Shoot

  • Wrap

  • Access hours

  • Crew size

  • Vehicle count

  • Parking requirements

  • Equipment

  • Alterations

  • Support-space requirements

  • Special activities

See What Information Should You Collect From a Production? for a complete intake checklist.

PUT THE FINAL TERMS IN WRITING

Once you've agreed on pricing, make sure the final location agreement reflects it.

Clearly identify:

  • Location fee

  • Included hours

  • Prep fees

  • Wrap fees

  • Overtime

  • Staffing

  • Parking

  • Cleaning

  • Deposit

  • Additional expenses

  • Cancellation terms

  • Payment schedule

For more information, read What Is a Location Release?.

REVIEW YOUR RATES PERIODICALLY

Your first rate structure doesn't need to be permanent.

After hosting productions, review:

  • Was the fee appropriate for the disruption?

  • Were staff costs covered?

  • Was parking underestimated?

  • Did prep require more access than expected?

  • Did the property need additional cleaning?

  • Were there expenses you hadn't considered?

Use real production experience to refine your rates over time.

THE BOTTOM LINE

There is no single correct commercial filming rate for every Nashville property.

A useful rate structure accounts for time, production size, property use, operational disruption and additional services.

Start with a defined shoot-day rate, then establish policies for prep, wrap, overtime, staffing, parking, cleaning, deposits and cancellation.

Most importantly, don't quote based solely on the name of the property or the number of hours the camera will be rolling.

Understand how production intends to use your property first.

A clear internal rate structure allows your organization to respond faster, quote more consistently and make informed decisions about which productions are worth accommodating.

Nashville Location Company provides film location consulting, commercial filming rate development and property portfolio consulting for businesses, universities, institutions and property groups throughout Nashville and Middle Tennessee.