Weddings, parties and field sites
What does event hire actually cost?
Almost every line on an event hire quote is driven by one number: how many people are coming. Guest count sets the marquee size, which sets the flooring, the heating, the power, the toilets and the staff, and each of those brings a delivery and collection charge with it. Get the guest number right and the rest of the quote falls into place. Tell us about your event and hire suppliers will quote you directly.
Three steps
- Tell us the event, the guest number, the site and the date. Two minutes, no account needed.
- We pass it to event hire suppliers who cover your postcode, and to nobody else.
- They come back to you directly with real prices for your event. Compare, pick, or walk away.
Event Hire Costs is a free introduction service operated by Ellul Solutions Ltd; we pass your details to relevant event hire suppliers who quote you directly. We may receive a fee from providers; you pay nothing and are under no obligation. We are not a hire company and we are not affiliated with any council, the Health and Safety Executive or any body named on this site. Licensing information here is a plain summary of published gov.uk guidance for England and Wales, current at the updated date above, and is not legal advice: your council is the authority on your own application.
What drives the cost of event hire
Last updated
Event hire quotes vary enormously for the same guest count, and it is almost never the equipment rates that explain the gap. It is the site, the dates and the logistics around them. These are the factors that move the number, and the questions that make two quotes comparable.
A cost-driver table rather than a price list. Hire rates vary too much by region, season, supplier and specification for published totals to be useful, so this table names the variables suppliers actually price against. The licensing figures are taken verbatim from gov.uk guidance on temporary event notices for England and Wales, current at the updated date above. Get quotes for your own event through the form above.
| Factor | Why it moves the price | What to ask for |
|---|---|---|
| Guest numbers | Guest count sets marquee size, which sets flooring area, heating capacity, generator size, toilet units and staffing. It compounds: an extra twenty guests can push you into a bigger structure and take everything else up with it. | A quote at your realistic number and at the next size up, so you can see where the step change falls before you finalise the guest list. |
| Marquee against a venue that includes kit | A venue with tables, chairs, power, kitchen and toilets already in place has absorbed those costs into its hire fee. A bare field means bringing every one of them in, each with its own delivery and collection charge. | A written list of exactly what the venue includes, then price only the gap. Comparing a venue fee with a marquee package alone is comparing two different things. |
| Hire duration, including build and breakdown | Hire periods are counted in days on site, not hours of party. A marquee usually needs build days before and breakdown days after, so a one-day event routinely means three or more chargeable days. | The hire period stated in days with build and breakdown shown separately, and the cost of an extra day if the schedule slips. |
| Date and weekend premium | Saturdays in peak season are the scarcest thing in the industry. Suppliers price them accordingly, and the good ones sell out a year or more ahead. Midweek and off-season dates are materially cheaper for identical kit. | A price for your date and for a midweek or off-season alternative. If your date has any flexibility at all, ask before you fix it. |
| Delivery, set-up and collection windows | Distance from the depot, access for a lorry, whether a crew has to hand-carry across a field, and how tight the collection window is all add labour and vehicle time. Out-of-hours or same-night collection is a premium. | Delivery and collection quoted as named line items, with the access requirements the supplier is assuming and what happens if the ground is too soft for a vehicle. |
| Damage deposit and insurance | Most suppliers hold a refundable damage deposit and expect the hirer to insure the hired-in equipment while it is on site. Neither is a hidden charge, but both affect cash flow and both are frequently missed in budgeting. | The deposit amount, when it is taken, what triggers a deduction, and whether the supplier requires proof of hired-in plant or public liability cover. |
| Staffing | Bar staff, waiting staff, event crew, stewards and a duty manager are priced per person per hour with minimum call-outs, and evening and overnight hours cost more. On larger events, security and stewarding may be a condition of the site or the licence. | Staff numbers, hours, minimum call-out and whether travel time is charged. Ask whether the price assumes you provide any labour yourself. |
| Power, water and toilets on a bare site | A field has no power, no water, no drainage and no lighting. Generators are sized to the load and carry fuel and attendance costs; toilet units are specified per guest and per hours of use, with servicing on longer events. | A load calculation rather than a guess at generator size, the toilet specification for your guest count and duration, and whether fuel, servicing and out-of-hours attendance are included. |
| Licensing and permissions | Selling alcohol, providing regulated entertainment such as music or dancing, or serving hot food or drink between 11pm and 5am at an unlicensed venue normally needs a temporary event notice from the council. gov.uk states the fee is £21, that you must apply at least 10 clear working days before the event, and that the event must have fewer than 500 people at all times including staff and last no more than 168 hours (7 days). | Confirmation of who is applying for the notice, you or the caterer, and the date it will be submitted. See our <a href="/temporary-event-notice/">temporary event notice guide</a>. |
- Guest count is the master variable in an event hire quote: it sets marquee size, and marquee size sets flooring, heating, power, toilets and staffing.
- Hire periods are charged in days on site including build and breakdown, so a one-day event commonly means three or more chargeable days of marquee hire.
- In England and Wales a temporary event notice costs £21 and must be applied for at least 10 clear working days before the event, which exclude the day the council receives it and the day of the event (gov.uk, 2026).
- An event run on a temporary event notice must have fewer than 500 people present at all times including staff, and must last no more than 168 hours, which is 7 days (gov.uk, 2026).
Cite this page
“What drives the cost of event hire”, Event Hire Costs, https://eventhirecosts.co.uk/ (updated 2026-08-14). A cost-driver table rather than a price list. Hire rates vary too much by region, season, supplier and specification for published totals to be useful, so this table names the variables suppliers actually price against. The licensing figures are taken verbatim from gov.uk guidance on temporary event notices for England and Wales, current at the updated date above. Get quotes for your own event through the form above.
Frequently asked
How much does event hire cost?
There is no single figure, because the same guest count can cost very differently depending on the site and the date. The drivers are guest numbers, whether you are in a marquee or a venue that already includes equipment, how many days the kit is on site including build and breakdown, weekend and peak season premiums, delivery and collection, damage deposits, staffing, and whether power and toilets have to be brought in. Get quotes for your own event rather than working from a published average.
Why do event hire quotes vary so much for the same event?
Usually because they cover different things. One includes flooring, lighting and heating and another does not; one prices three days on site and another prices one; one assumes a lorry can reach the spot and another has costed a hand-carry across a field. Compare the inclusions and the number of days before comparing the totals.
Do I need a licence for a bar at my party?
If alcohol is being sold at a venue that is not licensed, gov.uk lists that as a licensable activity requiring a temporary event notice in England and Wales, along with providing entertainment such as music or dancing and serving hot food or drink between 11pm and 5am. gov.uk states the fee is £21 and that you must apply at least 10 clear working days before the event.
How far in advance should I book event hire?
Saturdays in peak season are the scarcest dates in the industry and good suppliers book out a year or more ahead. If your date is fixed and popular, book early. If your date is flexible, ask for prices on a midweek or off-season alternative before you fix it, because that is often the single biggest saving available.
What is a damage deposit and will I get it back?
A refundable sum held by the supplier against loss or damage to hired equipment, released after the kit comes back and is checked. It is normal practice rather than a hidden charge. Ask what triggers a deduction, how items are counted back in, and how quickly the deposit is returned.
Is this quote service really free?
Yes, free to you, with no obligation to accept any quote. We pass your details only to relevant event hire suppliers, who quote you directly; we may receive a fee from those providers, which is how the service is funded.