Stop finding the same receipt twice.
Keep purchase prices and units in your material library. Buying clay by the bag and using it by weight should be part of the calculation, not a separate puzzle every time.
Pottery cost & pricing calculator
61¢ of clay.
A finished mug.
$21.86 to make.
Ready to turn your pottery into something you sell? Start with the whole cost.
Glaze. Two firings. Your time. The pieces that don’t make it. In this worked example, they turn 61¢ of clay into a $21.86 mug. CrafterBy helps you calculate your own costs and see what your selling price leaves you.
Calculate my first pieceStart free · Create an account, then add one piece
Explore the mug’s cost first
The moment a hobby becomes a sale
Someone asks the price.
You shouldn’t have to guess.
You’ve learned to center the clay, pull the wall and get that handle right. Then someone picks up your mug and asks, “How much?” Suddenly, you’re doing a different kind of work.
You remember the clay receipt. You look at what another potter charges. You choose a number that feels comfortable. But does it cover the hours, the kiln and the pieces you couldn’t sell?
You don’t need to solve your whole business today. You need to know what one finished piece costs. That gives your next price a starting point you can explain.
01 / See what the clay price leaves out
The receipt says 61¢.
The work says more.
This stoneware mug includes clay, glaze, a share of two firings, 36 minutes of active work and a loss allowance. Together, those listed costs come to $21.86.
Move the selling price. Watch what remains change. This is the question to answer before the next market, shop inquiry or batch of mugs.
Try a $30 selling price.
You’ll see $8.14 left after the listed costs. Packaging and selling fees still have to come out of that amount if you haven’t included them.
Illustrative USD example. Your clay, kiln, pace and chosen hourly rate will give you different numbers.
Anatomy of a price
Example · USDHandmade stoneware mug
- Stoneware clay, 1.1 lb @ $0.55
- $0.61
- Glaze (dip + liner, per-piece share)
- $0.80
- Kiln firings — bisque + glaze (per-piece share)
- $1.30
- Labor — throw, trim, handle, glaze (0.6 hr @ $28)
- $16.80
- Loss allowance (~12%)
- $2.35
- Cost in this example
- $21.86
$10.00Explore a selling price$45.00
Left after listed costs$8.14
27.1% margin
before other expenses
A fictional worked example, not a recommended price. Include any packaging, overhead, selling fees and applicable taxes not listed here before treating the remainder as profit. Changing the price doesn’t predict demand.
Give your hours a place in the price
Loving the work
doesn’t make
your time free.
In this mug example, 36 minutes at a chosen $28 hourly rate adds $16.80. That is active making time: throwing, trimming, adding the handle and glazing.
It doesn’t mean charging an hourly rate while the clay sits drying. It means counting the hands-on work that turns a bag of clay into something someone wants.
Your making time is already a cost. The money left after costs serves a different purpose. It may still need to cover your packaging, sales channel and other studio expenses.
Calculate my first piece02 / Put those numbers somewhere useful
A calculator for this piece.
A starting point for the next.
CrafterBy brings your materials, working time and equipment costs into a saved product. Explore the actual app below.
Save your clay and glaze costs, work with the units you use, and keep material prices in one library. These real app captures use sample woodworking data; you use the same tools for your pottery.
Inside CrafterBy / MaterialsActual app
Your materials, organized · Real captures with sample woodworking data; your pottery uses the same tools.
View full sizeKeep the recipe behind the price.
Save the clay, glaze, making time and firing allowance for a familiar form. Use it as a starting point when you make another batch or change the design.
See what a price leaves you.
Compare a proposed selling price with the costs you entered. Review a market price or shop quote with the breakdown in front of you. You stay in charge of the decision.
Built around the way pottery is made
One piece.
Every stage that matters.
A handle, an extra glaze or a larger form can change the cost. Give those differences somewhere to go.
Weigh what goes in.
Start with the clay used for the piece and the glaze applied. Include a realistic material waste allowance. The whole bag price isn’t the cost of one mug.
Count the work you do.
Time a familiar batch, including preparation and cleanup. Share that active work across the pieces you make, then add any extra carving or finishing a design needs.
Share the firing cost.
Work out a reasonable share of each kiln load for the piece. A combined $26 for bisque and glaze firings, shared equally across 20 mugs, is $1.30 each. Mixed loads may need a different split.
Allow for what won’t sell.
Use your own firing records to allow for cracks and glaze failures. Check that your finished-piece allowance doesn’t count the same loss already included as material waste.
When the number feels uncomfortable
A clearer cost gives you
a better next question.
“Will anyone pay that?” is a fair question. A calculator can’t answer it for your customers. It can show whether the price you’re considering covers the work you’ve put in.
When the margin is tight, look at the choices you can make. Would a simpler finish reduce active work? Could a fuller kiln load change the firing share? Does the shop’s proposed price leave enough after its selling terms?
Those choices belong to you. Make them with the costs visible. Copying another seller’s price won’t tell you how their hours, kiln loads or materials compare with yours.
03 / Your first step is small
Pick one mug.
Find its real cost.
Choose a piece you know well. Create your free account, add the materials and work that go into it, then explore a selling price. You can build the rest of your catalog from there.
Calculate my first pieceStart free. See current plans and limits.
Before you start
Good questions.
Clear answers.
I’m only selling a few pieces. Is this for me?
Yes. Start with one mug or bowl you already make. Add its materials, active working time and firing costs. You don’t need a large catalog, a team or experience with bookkeeping to understand the cost of your first product.
Do I count drying time as paid labor?
Count the time you actively spend wedging, throwing, trimming, attaching handles, glazing and finishing. Passive drying time isn’t automatically paid labor. Kiln use, occupied space and the cost of running your studio are separate considerations. Keep active work and waiting time distinct.
How do I divide a kiln bill between different pieces?
Start with the cost of the firing and choose a reasonable share for each piece, taking into account the space it uses. Similar mugs can share equally; a platter and a small cup may need different shares. Add the appropriate amount to your product cost, including each firing it needs.
What about cracked mugs, glaze tests and seconds?
Use your own batches to estimate an allowance for materials and work that don’t become saleable pieces. Include that allowance once. Material waste and finished-piece losses can overlap, so check that you haven’t charged for the same loss twice. Update your assumptions as your process changes.
If I sell this example mug for $30, is $8.14 my profit?
It’s the amount left after the $21.86 of costs listed here: a 27.1% margin on the selling price. Packaging, selling fees, shipping you cover, taxes and any other unlisted expenses can reduce it. The example already includes $16.80 for your active labor; paying for your making time and having money left afterward are different things.
What if customers won’t pay the price I need?
CrafterBy doesn’t predict demand or choose your price. It shows what a price leaves after the costs you enter. If the numbers don’t work, review the design, batch size, sales channel or price before committing to another batch. Knowing your cost gives you a clearer choice.
I already have a spreadsheet. Why switch?
A spreadsheet can work if you keep it accurate and up to date. CrafterBy brings your material library, product templates and cost breakdowns into one place. Try it with one familiar piece and compare the process. The benefit should be something you can see in your own work.
Can I try CrafterBy before paying?
Yes. You can start free. Create an account and begin with one product. Check the pricing page for current plan limits and features before choosing a paid plan.
Your next piece deserves a clearer price
You’ve learned to make the mug.
Now learn what it costs.
Start with one piece, your materials and your time.
Give your next price a reason behind it.
Free to start · Your costs, your price, your decision