Crew quotes look simple until the invoice arrives. Knowing how event labor is billed helps you budget accurately and avoid surprise overtime.
The 10-hour day
Most freelance AV crew bill a day rate that covers up to 10 hours, counted from call time to release. Skilled positions like V1, A1 and lighting designers carry higher rates than general technicians and stagehands.
Overtime and premium days
This is how Central Florida Show Labor bills premium time. Multipliers apply to the straight-time hourly rate (the day rate divided by 10), and they don't stack.
| Day | Hours 1–10 | After 10 hours | After 14 hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday–Friday | 1x | 1.5x | 2x |
| Saturday | 1.5x | 2x | 2.5x |
| Sunday | 2x | 2.5x | 3x |
| Holiday | 2x | 2.5x | 3x |
Minimum calls
A short call still takes a tech's whole day, so most crew bill a minimum. Ours is 5 hours, and any call longer than 5 hours bills as a full day.
Turnaround and meals
- Turnaround: crew needs at least 10 hours between release and the next call. Hours that cut into turnaround bill at 1.5x.
- Meals: a 30-minute meal break is due within 6 hours of call. A missed meal adds a meal penalty unless food and time to eat are provided on site.
Cancellation
Crew turn down other work to hold your dates. Our cancellation schedule: no charge at 7 or more days out, 50% from 72 hours to 7 days, and 100% inside 72 hours.
How to keep labor costs down
- Send a complete advance so crew isn't waiting on information.
- Schedule load-in so skilled positions aren't paid to wait on trucks.
- Book the same crew for every day of a multi-day show. They learn the room once and work faster every day after.
See our Terms for full booking details.