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Events & Weddings Weddings

Wedding tent rental cost calculator

Work out what a wedding tent will really cost. Size the tent from your guest count, price it from the quoted rate per square foot, then add the lines that arrive with it: flooring, lighting, heating or fans, delivery and the labour to raise and strike it. See the total, a realistic range, and what each part adds.

§ 01 Your numbers

Change anything. The answer updates as you type.

How many people go under the tent. This drives the square footage, which drives almost everything else on the quote.
Seated at round tables needs more room than rows of chairs. Add for a dance floor, a bar, a buffet line or a band, all of which sit inside the same canvas.
The company's rate for the tent itself, per square foot, for the rental period. A pole tent on grass sits at the low end; a clear-span frame tent on a hard surface runs well above it.
Zero if guests stand on the grass. Subflooring and a dance floor are priced per square foot on top of the tent, and wet ground turns this from optional into required.
String lights or chandeliers, sidewalls if the weather turns, and heaters or fans for the season. A tent has no power of its own, so a generator belongs here too if the site has no supply.
The truck, the crew, and the labour to raise it and strike it. Long drives, tight access and same-day takedown all push this up.
Many towns require a permit for a tent over a given size, sometimes with a fire inspection. Zero if yours does not; call the local office rather than assume.
Estimated cost
$1,850

Typical range $1,388 – $2,683

  • Tent (area × rate)$1,200
  • Flooring & dance floor$0
  • Lighting, sidewalls & climate$250
  • Delivery, setup & takedown$400
  • Permit & inspection$0
  • Total$1,850
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$1,500 to $5,000 is a typical reception tent with flooring, lighting and setup. Get the extras itemised before you sign.

What this assumes, and where it could be wrong

Every one of these is a place the number could be off. They are here because you should be able to check our working, not because we are hedging.

A TENT IS PRICED BY AREA, AND THE RATE IS YOURS.
Rental companies quote by the size of the tent, at a rate that turns on the frame style, the season and how far the truck drives. That rate reaches you as a quote, so it is your input here. The square footage is built from your guest count and your spacing, and every default here is ours and editable

Square feet per guest is a planning choice, not a rule. Rows of chairs pack tighter than round tables, and a dance floor, a bar, a buffet line and a band all take room inside the same canvas. Raising the per-guest figure is how you make space for them.

The canvas is frequently the smaller half of the quote. Flooring, sidewalls, lighting, heating or fans, delivery and the labour to raise and strike the tent are separate lines, and a quote that covers the tent alone will understate what you pay.

A tent brings no power and no floor with it. If the site has no supply you are renting a generator, and if the ground is soft or uneven you are renting subflooring, which is priced per square foot and can rival the tent.

This is the tent and its own kit. Tables, chairs, linens, catering equipment and restrooms are separate rentals, often from the same company on the same invoice, and they are not in this total.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a wedding tent rental cost?
Size the tent from your guest count, multiply the area by the company's rate per square foot, then add flooring, lighting, climate control, delivery and any permit. The calculator above builds the real number from your quote and your count, because the rate turns on frame style, season and travel distance rather than on any published figure.
What size tent do I need for 100 guests?
Start from square feet per guest. Rows of chairs for a ceremony need less room per head than round tables for a seated dinner, and a dance floor, a bar and a band each want their own footprint inside the tent. Set the per-guest figure in the calculator to match your layout and it will size the area for you.
Why is the delivery and setup charge so large?
Because it is a truck and a crew, twice. They drive out, raise the tent, stake or weight it, and come back to strike it and haul it away. Long drives, tight site access, staking through a hard surface and a same-day takedown after the reception all add to that line.
Do I need a permit for a wedding tent?
Many towns require one above a certain tent size or occupancy, and some pair it with a fire inspection covering exits, heaters and flame retardancy. The threshold and the fee are set locally, so call the town office or ask the rental company, who usually pull these routinely and know the local rule.

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