From ~$5,000 local
A staffed local live station starts around $5,000 — operators, press gear, transfers, setup, and teardown included.
What shapes a quote
Live airbrushing station pricing, explained plainly.
There’s no flat “per shirt” airbrush rate here because a live station is staffing and production, not a single artist’s time. Here is exactly what moves the number.
The anchors
Three numbers to plan around.
$250/hr staffing
Crew time runs about $250 per hour, covering setup and teardown, not just the live window.
$900 travel outside SoCal
Local OC/LA/SD is travel-free; beyond that a $900 travel fee applies, with nationwide load-ins quoted per event.
Quote inputs
What the estimate is built from.
- Event hours. Staffing spans setup, live production, breaks, and teardown — a four-hour party needs more crew hours than four hours on the clock.
- Guest count and target throughput. A 100-guest reception and a 500-guest festival need very different station counts to keep the line short.
- Garments. Bella+Canvas 3001 tees, Gildan heavyweights, hoodies, caps, and totes each carry different blank costs and prep.
- Artwork. Clean full-color files press fast; art that needs cleanup, color separation, or multiple design options adds prep time.
- Travel. Local is free; distance and convention-center load-ins change the logistics line.
Best next step: send the date, city, guest count, and the products you want guests to walk away with. We’ll quote the right station instead of guessing from a generic table.
Pricing questions
Straight answers on cost.
How much does a live station cost?
Local Southern California live stations start around $5,000 for a staffed setup, which covers operators, equipment, transfers, setup, and teardown. The final number moves with hours, guest count, garment choice, and how much art prep happens before doors open.
Is it billed hourly?
Staffing runs about $250 per hour and includes setup and teardown time, not just live production. We build the hours around your run-of-show so the line is covered from doors to last call.
Do you charge for travel?
Local OC, LA, and San Diego events have no travel fee. Programs outside that radius carry a $900 travel fee, and full nationwide load-ins are quoted per event based on gear shipping and crew.
Plan your live station
Get a number built for your event.
Give us the details and we’ll return a real estimate — station count, staffing hours, blanks, and any travel — usually within one business day.