When a producer asks, "What does a gaffer cost?" the honest answer is: more than the number they quoted you. The day rate is real, but it's the floor, not the ceiling. By the time you account for fringe, a prep day, and a kit rental, a $900/day non-union gaffer on a 2-day commercial with 1 prep day can run north of $3,600 fully loaded.
This post breaks down every component of that number, explains the fringe math, and shows you exactly what to put in your budget so the final invoice doesn't come as a surprise.
The Day Rate: What $900 Actually Means
Non-union gaffer rates in the LA market currently sit in the range of $800 to $1,000 per day for commercial work, with $900 being the median for experienced non-union gaffers on mid-budget spots. That number assumes a 10-hour day. Overtime kicks in at hour 10 and escalates at hour 12.
For a 2-day shoot without significant overtime, $900/day is a clean, defensible number to put on paper. But that's the gross rate, not the total cost of hire.
"Most producers know the day rate. Almost none of them know the fully loaded cost until the invoice arrives."
— Common producer experience on non-union commercialsFringe Math at 24%
Fringe covers the taxes and benefits layered on top of a crew member's gross wages. For non-union hires on a commercial production, a 24% fringe rate is the standard line-item assumption when building an AICP-format budget.
That 24% typically breaks down as follows:
- FICA (Social Security + Medicare): ~7.65%
- Federal Unemployment (FUTA): ~0.6%
- State Unemployment (SUTA, California): ~3.4%
- Workers' Compensation (CA commercial, camera adjacent): ~8–12%
- Employer-side payroll processing / rounding buffer: ~2%
The exact fringe rate varies by state, payroll company, and workers' comp classification. Some productions run as low as 18% for low-risk classifications; others hit 28% or higher. 24% is the safe, defensible middle on a California commercial shoot.
Applied to all gross labor, including prep days and overtime. On a $900/day rate, that's $216 in fringe per day, before any additional costs.
Prep Days and Why They Cost Real Money
A gaffer on a 2-day commercial shoot typically requires at least 1 prep day. During prep, they're pulling gear, coordinating with the rental house, doing a tech scout, and building out the lighting plan. This is billable time at the standard day rate, not a courtesy favor.
Some producers negotiate a "prep rate" at 75% of the shoot day rate. Others budget prep at full rate to avoid friction and maintain the relationship. For a gaffer at $900/day, prep at full rate adds $900 to the total labor. At 75%, that's $675.
For this breakdown, we're using full prep rate. It's cleaner math and a more honest budget.
The Kit Fee: Often Overlooked, Always Real
Non-union gaffers frequently bring their own kit, which includes hand tools, expendables, and sometimes small lighting fixtures and grip accessories. This kit is rented to the production at a day rate, separate from labor.
Non-union gaffer kit fees in LA typically run $75 to $200 per day. For a 2-day shoot with 1 prep day, a $100/day kit fee adds $300 to the budget — and fringe does not apply to kit fees, since it's a rental, not labor.
Prep day plus 2 shoot days. Kit fees are gear rentals, not wages, so no fringe applies. Budget them as a separate line item.
The Full Cost Table: 2-Day Shoot, 1 Prep Day
Here's every number in one place. This is what you put in your budget under Gaffer when you're building the G&E labor section of an AICP top sheet.
| Line Item | Days | Rate | Subtotal | Fringe (24%) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaffer — Shoot Days | 2 | $900.00 | $1,800.00 | $432.00 | $2,232.00 |
| Gaffer — Prep Day | 1 | $900.00 | $900.00 | $216.00 | $1,116.00 |
| Gaffer Kit Fee | 3 | $100.00 | $300.00 | — | $300.00 |
| Fully Loaded Gaffer Hire | $3,000.00 | $648.00 | $3,648.00 |
Where Producers Get Burned
The most common budget mistake is entering the day rate without fringe, then discovering the error when the payroll company processes the invoice. On a $900/day gaffer, that's $216 per day in fringe you didn't budget. Over 3 days, that's $648 missing from your numbers before you've even thought about overtime.
The second most common mistake: forgetting the kit fee entirely. It's easy to do because it comes in on a separate invoice from the gaffer's personal rental account. Budget it upfront as a separate line item under G&E equipment, not labor.
The third: assuming prep at half-rate without confirming with the gaffer. Most experienced non-union gaffers expect full rate for prep. If you're budgeting 50%, have the conversation before you submit the bid — not after you win it.
"The $900 day rate is what you say when someone asks. The $3,648 is what you budget when no one is looking."
— The distinction that separates experienced line producers from everyone elseHow to Budget This in Villager Pro
In the AICP budget template on Villager Pro, G&E labor lives in Section A (Prep Crew) and Section B (Shoot Crew). Fringe is calculated automatically as a percentage layered on top of gross labor. Kit fees belong in Section B under G&E equipment or as a separate package line.
The template handles the fringe math automatically once you set your fringe rate. Set it to 24% for California non-union work, enter the day rate and number of days, and the subtotal and fringe column populate in real time. No manual calculation required.
The complete AICP format top sheet — with all sections, fringe logic, and contingency calculation — is available free at villagerpro.io/aicp.