Tired of feast-or-famine profits in your frame shop? If your pricing depends on the occasional big-ticket shadowbox to stay afloat, it’s time for a reset.
For most small shops, a healthy markup falls between 55% and 65%, but hitting that number means factoring in more than material costs alone. It takes targeted, custom framing markup strategies to turn every job into a moneymaker — from basic mats to museum-grade displays.
Here are seven proven markup strategies to help you price accurately, protect your time, and improve your bottom line without complicating your quotes.
Tiered pricing is a custom framing markup strategy that groups materials into levels, like standard, UV-protective, and archival glazing. Seeing the options side by side helps draw customers toward the mid- or high-tier choices, which usually carry better markups.
To build this into your quoting process:
Sort materials into basic, archival, and premium mats, glass, and backing categories.
Show visual examples that let customers compare levels side by side using physical displays or visualization software.
Apply consistent markups across each tier to cover labor, material costs, and time.
Upgrades sell themselves when customers see how each material enhances their piece’s look, protection, and longevity.
Some materials — like matboard, foam backing, or spacers — cost very little but still take time to measure, cut, and fit. Instead of using a percentage markup that barely adds to your total, flat pricing helps you charge for the labor involved in addition to the material.
To apply this custom framing markup strategy:
Charge a flat dollar amount per item that reflects your handling and production time.
Raise prices for oversized or specialty materials — like large mats or textured boards — that take extra time and care to handle.
Keep markup consistent across all small-ticket items to simplify quoting and keep pricing transparent for customers.
Flat rates turn overlooked materials into reliable sources of revenue — without overcomplicating the quote.
Moulding prices vary widely, but many take similar time and effort to cut and join. Sliding scale pricing helps you stay competitive on high-end jobs and profitable on budget ones, without cutting into your margins.
Try these tips to keep pricing balanced and profitable:
Add more margin to lower-cost moulding to reflect the work involved.
Scale back markup on higher-end options to keep quotes reasonable.
Highlight mid-range styles that look polished and still protect your profit.
Sliding scale markups match your pricing to both the work involved and what your customers are willing to spend.
Some jobs require more tools, time, or technical care, and your pricing needs to reflect that. Whether it’s a fragile textile or a nonstandard-size poster, these projects demand more from your team and your workspace.
To charge appropriately:
This custom framing markup strategy protects your schedule and makes specialized projects worth the extra effort.
Customers often need help seeing the value in upgrades like UV glass or archival mats. Bundling lets you create ready-made combinations that increase order value and make decisions easier.
To create bundles that sell:
Bundling turns your frames into tailored solutions, making it easier for customers to say yes during their consultation.
Small frames might not cost much in materials, but they can require just as much design, cutting, and assembly time as high-end jobs. Without a minimum charge, those hours add up with little return.
To avoid undercharging on these projects:
Minimum charges keep small jobs from draining time that could be spent on more profitable work.
Markup isn’t the problem — it’s how it’s presented. Customers will be more willing to pay for luxury materials when your team knows how to explain their benefits.
Train your staff to sell based on value:
Clear communication helps customers understand the value of upgrades and reinforces the expertise behind your pricing.
Custom framing markup strategies only work when your systems can support them. Without the right tools, even the best pricing strategy can fall apart.
LifeSaver helps you implement your pricing plans by connecting every part of the process. Build detailed quotes and work orders that reflect each step, keep material costs current with automatic vendor updates, and present upgrades clearly using FrameVue. Real-time reporting makes it easy to catch margin gaps and track what’s working.
Stop losing profit to outdated pricing. Try LifeSaver free for 14 days and build a pricing system that works for every frame — and your bottom line.