Longarm Quilting Cost Estimator
The minimum charge means the rate is not the rate — a baby quilt pays 1.6x list and a mug rug 34x. Below it, growing the quilt is free.
Rates vary enormously by region, by quilter and by year. Everything here is an editable starting point for a conversation, not a price list — ask your quilter.
The minimum charge means the rate is not the rate
Quilting is priced per square inch, so it looks like the cost scales smoothly with the quilt. It does not, because almost every quilter has a minimum — the quilt has to be loaded, basted, trimmed and taken off the frame whatever size it is, and that work does not shrink.
| Quilt | Area | At the rate | Charged | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mug rug 8×11″ | 88 | $2.20 | $75.00 | 34.09× list |
| Baby 36×52″ | 1,872 | $46.80 | $75.00 | 1.60× list |
| Lap 50×65″ | 3,250 | $81.25 | $81.25 | 1.00× list |
| Twin 66×90″ | 5,940 | $148.50 | $148.50 | 1.00× list |
| Queen 90×100″ | 9,000 | $225.00 | $225.00 | 1.00× list |
| King 108×100″ | 10,800 | $270.00 | $270.00 | 1.00× list |
A mug rug pays 34 times the list rate and a baby quilt 1.60 times. The minimum stops biting at rate × area = minimum, which at these figures is 3,000 square inches — a 55-inch square, roughly a large baby quilt.
Which cuts the other way too
If your quilt is under the minimum, making it bigger is free right up to the break-even. A 36×52 baby quilt at these rates has over a thousand square inches of headroom costing nothing — that is the difference between a baby quilt and a generous lap quilt, for the same invoice. Worth knowing while the top is still being planned, and the tool says how much room you have.
And the density tier matters far more than the size
| Tier | Typical rate | On a queen | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edge to edge, open | $0.020/sq in | $180 | One pantograph over the whole quilt, widely spaced. |
| Edge to edge, dense | $0.035/sq in | $315 | The same idea worked closer together — more thread and more time. |
| Semi-custom | $0.060/sq in | $540 | Different fills in borders and blocks, but no piece-by-piece work. |
| Custom | $0.100/sq in | $900 | Designs chosen per block, ditch work, marked motifs. |
| Heirloom / show | $0.160/sq in | $1,440 | Dense feathers, background fills, competition finish. |
That is an eight-fold spread on one quilt — $180 to $1,440. Going from the smallest quilt anyone would send out to the largest swings the price about three-fold at a fixed tier. So the tier is the decision; the size is a detail by comparison. Settle what kind of quilting you want before worrying about the dimensions.
Notes
- Send the backing generously. Most quilters want four inches spare on every side to load the quilt, and a backing that is short comes home unquilted. Check what yours asks for.
- Press the top and check the seams. Pressing and seam repairs are commonly charged as extras, and both are much quicker for you to do at home than for someone to do on a loaded frame.
- Ask what the minimum is before designing small. It is the single figure that most changes what a small quilt costs, and it is rarely on the price list.
- Batting is usually separate. If the quilter supplies it, it is charged by the yard off a wide roll, which is often cheaper than buying a packaged one — worth asking rather than assuming.
How to use
- Enter the quilt size and pick a quilting tier.
- Adjust the rate and minimum to your own quilter's figures.
- Add any extras like binding or pressing.
- Check whether you are paying the minimum — if so, size up for free.
Frequently asked questions
How much does longarm quilting cost?
It is priced per square inch, typically somewhere from two cents for an open edge-to-edge pantograph up to sixteen or more for heirloom custom work. But almost every quilter also has a minimum charge, and on a small quilt that is what you actually pay.
Why is my small quilt so expensive to have quilted?
Because of the minimum. The quilt has to be loaded, basted, trimmed and taken off the frame whatever size it is, and that work does not shrink. At a common rate and minimum, a baby quilt ends up paying about 1.6 times the list rate per square inch and a mug rug over thirty times.
When does the minimum stop applying?
Where rate times area equals the minimum. At two and a half cents with a seventy-five dollar minimum that is 3,000 square inches — a 55-inch square, or roughly a large baby quilt. Above it you pay exactly the rate; below it the dimensions barely matter.
Can I get more quilting for the same money?
If you are under the minimum, yes — making the quilt bigger is free right up to the break-even. A 36 by 52 baby quilt at typical rates has over a thousand square inches of headroom costing nothing, which is the difference between a baby quilt and a generous lap quilt for the same invoice.
What is the difference between edge-to-edge and custom quilting?
Edge to edge runs one design over the whole quilt without regard to the piecing. Custom chooses designs per block, works in the ditch and marks motifs. The spread between the cheapest and dearest tiers is about eight times — far more than any decision about the quilt's size.
Does the quilt size or the quilting style matter more?
The style, by a long way. Going from the cheapest tier to the dearest swings the price about eightfold on the same quilt; going from the smallest quilt anyone sends out to the largest swings it about threefold at a fixed tier. Settle what kind of quilting you want first.
What else gets charged for?
Commonly binding — machine or hand finished, priced by the perimeter — plus pressing a top that arrives creased and repairing open seams found on loading. Both of those last two are much quicker to do at home than on a loaded frame.
How much backing should I send?
Most quilters want about four inches spare on every side to load the quilt, and a backing that comes up short comes home unquilted. Check the figure with yours, because some ask for more.
Are these prices accurate?
They are editable starting points, not a price list. Rates vary enormously by region, by quilter and by year, so use this to understand the shape of the pricing — especially the minimum — and then ask your quilter for their figures.
🔒 This tool runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you enter is uploaded, logged, or stored.