Guides
How much does a videographer cost? Business video rates in 2026
By Oleh Borenko, founder of Base015 · Updated
A business videographer usually charges in one of three ways: by the hour, by the half or full day, or by the finished video. At Base015, a half-day shoot is $600, a full day is $1,000, and 3 finished video ads start at $1,500.
Most of what comes up when you search this is about weddings. This guide is about video for a business, like a contractor who wants ads or social videos, which is priced differently.
What you’re paying for
A quote covers much more than someone holding a camera. Most of it is work you never see:
- Planning and scripts: what to film, who says what, and the shot list.
- Time on location: the crew, camera, audio, lights, and a drone if the job needs one.
- Editing: cutting, captions, color, music and sound, and formatting for each platform.
- Revisions: changes after you see the first cut.
- Delivery and rights: the final files, and how long and where you can use them.
Two quotes can look far apart simply because one includes scripts and editing and the other doesn’t. Always ask what’s included before you compare prices.
The three ways videographers price
- By the hour. Common with freelancers. It looks cheap, but the hours you see are usually only the filming. Editing, travel and revisions are often billed on top, so the final number is hard to know in advance.
- By the half or full day. You pay for a block of time on location, usually around 4 or 8 hours. It’s easier to plan, and good when you need a lot filmed at once. Check whether editing is included.
- By the finished video. You pay for a set number of edited videos, ready to post or run. This is the easiest to compare, because you know what you’ll get before the shoot.
Base015 combines the second and third. You book a shoot day ($600 for a half day, up to 4 hours; $1,000 for a full day, up to 8 hours), and every shoot day comes with at least one Ad Batch: 3 finished ads for $900. That’s why an ad pack starts at $1,500, and why you always leave with ads, not just footage.
What published Sacramento prices look like
Most videographers don’t publish prices. These do:
- BLARE Media, a Sacramento production company, says most of its Sacramento projects fall between $4,500 and $10,000, with commercial productions above that. (Source: BLARE Media)
- Thumbtack’s Sacramento video production listings let you filter by budget, from under $400 (“typically only for very small jobs”) up to $1,500–$2,500. (Source: Thumbtack)
Base015: shoot days from $600, Ad Batches of 3 finished ads for $900, ad packs from $1,500 and monthly video from $2,500 a month. The full list is on our pricing page.
The gap comes from what’s being made. A single brand film with a large crew is a different job from a set of short ads filmed in an afternoon at your job site.
Why wedding prices don’t apply
Wedding videographers price a whole day of coverage of one event, plus a long edit. A business usually needs several short videos from one shoot, made to be posted or run as ads for months. Comparing a wedding package to a business quote compares two different products.
What changes the price of business video
- How many finished videos you need. This matters more than how long the shoot is: 3 short ads from a half day cost less than 12 from a full day.
- Scripts. Some quotes include scripts written with you; others expect you to bring your own.
- Locations and travel. Several job sites in one day take more time, and travel outside a videographer’s area is usually extra. Ours is included in Sacramento, Roseville, Folsom, Elk Grove, Rocklin, El Dorado Hills and Davis, and $150 anywhere else.
- Drone footage. Commercial drone work in the US needs an FAA Part 107 certificate, so ask for it.
- Turnaround. A rush edit costs more. Ours is 3 days instead of 7, for 50% more on the Ad Batches.
- Revisions. Ask how many rounds are included. Every Ad Batch of ours includes 2.
- Usage rights and music. Some cheap quotes limit where or how long you can use the video, or use music that isn’t cleared for ads. Ask before you pay.
Six questions to ask before you hire
- What exactly do I get: how many finished videos, how long, in which formats?
- Who writes the scripts?
- Is editing included, and how many rounds of changes?
- When will I have the final videos?
- Can I run these as ads, on any platform, for as long as I want? Is the music cleared for that?
- Are you insured to film on my job site, and is your drone pilot certified?
A good videographer answers all six before you book. Our answer to the last one: Base015 carries general liability insurance, and our drone pilot holds an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate.
What it costs with Base015
We make video ads and monthly content for Sacramento contractors: construction companies, ADU builders, remodelers, HVAC, roofing and solar companies.
- Half-day shoot: $600, up to 4 hours on location.
- Full-day shoot: $1,000, up to 8 hours.
- Ad Batch: $900 for 3 finished ads, scripted, edited and ready to launch.
- Ad pack: from $1,500 (a half-day shoot plus one Ad Batch), delivered within 7 days of the shoot.
- Monthly video (The Sacramento Trust Engine): from $2,500 a month, with a 3-month minimum.
See what HVAC ads should show, our work, or all prices and extras.