Real estate photography pricing by home size
Square footage is the simplest way to tier a photo package, because it predicts both the number of photos an agent expects and how long you spend on site and in editing. These are typical US ranges for a standard daytime shoot — use them as a starting point, then adjust the calculator to your own market.
| Home size | Typical edited photos | Typical price (US) |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1,500 sqft | 15–25 | $150–$200 |
| 1,500–3,000 sqft | 25–35 | $200–$300 |
| 3,000–5,000 sqft | 35–50 | $275–$400 |
| 5,000+ sqft / luxury | 50+ | $400+, quoted per job |
Notice the per-photo rate drifts down as homes get bigger: a condo still needs a drive, a setup, and a minimum amount of editing, so small jobs carry a higher effective rate. That's exactly what the minimum charge in the calculator protects.
What drives the price of a listing photo shoot
- Photo count and editing time. HDR blending, window pulls, and sky replacement scale with every image you deliver — this is the per-photo line in the calculator.
- Travel. A 45-minute drive each way can cost more time than the shoot itself. Build it into your minimum or add a travel fee outside your core service area.
- Twilight and dusk exteriors. These need a second visit or a shoot timed to sunset, so price them per shot or as a flat twilight add-on.
- Turnaround. Next-morning delivery means editing that night. The rush toggle adds 50% by default.
- Add-on media. Drone, floor plans, virtual staging, and 3D tours are priced separately — see the drone, floor plan, and virtual staging calculators.
Worked example: pricing a 2,400 sqft listing
Using the calculator's default rates — $8 per edited photo, $50 per twilight shot, and a $175 minimum:
- 25 edited photos × $8 = $200 (above the $175 minimum, so the minimum doesn't apply)
- Add 2 twilight exteriors × $50 = $100, bringing the quote to $300
- Agent needs it tomorrow morning: rush × 1.5 = $450
The same rates on a 900 sqft condo with 15 photos come to $120, so the minimum kicks in and the quote is $175. That gap is why a firm minimum matters more than the per-photo rate on small jobs.
How to set your minimum charge
Your minimum should cover the cost of showing up at all. Add your round-trip drive, the time on site, editing, and admin (booking, upload, invoicing), then multiply by the hourly rate you need to earn. For example, one hour of driving, one hour shooting, and one hour of editing and admin at $60/hour is $180 — close to the calculator's $175 default. If you shoot far from home, raise it. To check that your rates add up to the income you want, run them through the income goal calculator.
Bundling photos with 3D tours and floor plans
Most agents buy media in packages, not line items. A common structure is photos as the base tier, photos plus a floor plan in the middle, and photos, floor plan, and a 3D virtual tour at the top. Price each component here and in the 3D tour price calculator, then assemble the tiers in the package builder. For the case to make to agents who think photos are enough, see 3D tour vs real estate photography.