Private chef pricing is not just food cost + a little markup.
Your real costs are groceries, prep time, service time, travel, cleanup, and the admin work most clients never see. If you miss any one of those, you end up working for free.
This guide gives you a clear, US-focused pricing framework with labor benchmarks, pricing formulas, and examples you can adapt to your own menu and client base.
Quick Summary
- Price by total cost per event, not by intuition
- Separate food cost, labor cost, and overhead before you set a per-person rate
- Use public wage benchmarks as a baseline, then adjust for your experience and market
- Set a minimum spend so small parties do not destroy your margin
Who This Guide Is For
- Private chefs and personal chefs doing in-home dinners
- Chefs running weekly meal prep for families
- Small catering teams testing private dining packages
- Culinary freelancers pricing their first paid events
1) The 5 Cost Buckets You Must Price
Private chef services blend restaurant work and consulting work. That means your price needs to cover more than ingredients.
- Food cost
- Proteins, produce, pantry, garnish, and tasting portions
- Labor cost
- Menu planning, shopping, prep, cook, service, cleanup
- Travel and transport
- Mileage, parking, tolls, delivery time
- Equipment and consumables
- Foil, parchment, gloves, towels, cleaning supplies
- Admin and marketing
- Consult calls, menu updates, invoicing, follow-ups
If you do not track these separately, you cannot see which part is eating margin.
2) Use Wage Benchmarks as Your Labor Baseline
Your rate should reflect your skill, but you still need a data anchor. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) provides median pay for chefs and cooks that you can use as a floor.
| Role (BLS, May 2024) | Median pay | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Chefs and head cooks | $60,990 / year | Executive-level pricing baseline |
| Cooks (all) | $17.19 / hour | Baseline for prep and line work |
| Cooks, private household | $21.41 / hour | Closest proxy to in-home cooking |
How to use this:
- Pick an hourly rate that reflects your brand and market (example: $30-$60/hr).
- Add a buffer for taxes, insurance, and downtime (often 15-25%).
3) Inflation Reality Check (Why Prices Must Move)
Private chef pricing is not static because ingredient and service costs move every year. The latest BLS CPI release (December 2025) shows:
| CPI category (12 months) | Change |
|---|---|
| All items | +2.7% |
| Food (all) | +3.1% |
| Food at home | +2.4% |
| Food away from home | +4.1% |
| Full service meals | +4.9% |
| Limited service meals | +3.3% |
If your pricing has not moved in 12 months, your margin almost certainly has.
4) The Private Chef Pricing Formula
Use a total-cost formula, then convert to per-person pricing.
Total cost = Food cost + Labor cost + Travel + Overhead
Menu price = Total cost / (1 - Target margin)
Per-person price = Menu price / Guest countTarget margins (common starting points):
- New chef: 15-20%
- Established chef: 25-35%
- Premium chef: 40%+
5) Example: 10-Person In-Home Dinner
This is an example price build using realistic, not perfect, numbers. Swap in your actual ingredient prices and hours.
Menu (3 courses):
- Starter: seasonal salad
- Main: herb-roasted chicken + pan sauce
- Sides: roasted potatoes + market vegetables
- Dessert: lemon tart
Step A: Food Cost (Example)
| Item | Portion cost | Guests | Line cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salad + garnish | $2.40 | 10 | $24.00 |
| Chicken + sauce | $7.25 | 10 | $72.50 |
| Potatoes | $1.10 | 10 | $11.00 |
| Vegetables | $2.10 | 10 | $21.00 |
| Dessert | $3.60 | 10 | $36.00 |
| Total food cost | $164.50 |
Step B: Labor Cost (Example)
| Task | Hours | Rate | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Menu planning | 1.0 | $35 | $35 |
| Shopping | 1.5 | $35 | $52.50 |
| Prep + cook | 6.0 | $35 | $210 |
| Service | 2.5 | $35 | $87.50 |
| Cleanup | 1.0 | $35 | $35 |
| Labor total | $420.00 |
Step C: Travel + Overhead
- Mileage + parking: $35
- Consumables + admin: $45
- Total overhead: $80
Step D: Price
Total cost = 164.50 + 420 + 80 = $664.50
Target margin = 25%
Menu price = 664.50 / 0.75 = $886.00
Per-person = 886 / 10 = $88.60Rounded price: $95 per person
This creates room for menu upgrades, last-minute requests, and no-show risk.
6) Set a Minimum Spend (Protects Your Time)
Small parties consume the same planning and shopping time as large parties. Set a minimum spend or minimum guest count so you do not lose money on 4-person dinners.
Simple rule:
Minimum spend = (Fixed prep hours x rate) + baseline grocery cost + overheadExample:
- Fixed prep hours: 5
- Rate: $35/hr
- Baseline groceries: $120
- Overhead: $40
Minimum spend = (5 x 35) + 120 + 40 = $335
7) Common Pricing Models (Pick One and Be Clear)
- Per-person rate
- Best for fixed menus and predictable events
- Per-event quote
- Best for custom menus and premium clients
- Weekly retainer
- Best for families or recurring clients
- Menu-based tiering
- Tier 1 (casual) / Tier 2 (premium) / Tier 3 (luxury)
Do not mix models within the same client without a clear explanation.
8) Contracts, Deposits, and Cancellations
Private chef work has high prep costs. Protect yourself.
- Require a 30-50% deposit to confirm dates
- Set a cancellation window (7-14 days)
- Charge a late-change fee for guest count reductions after shopping
Even a simple one-page agreement prevents most conflict.
9) Pricing Checklist (Use Before Every Quote)
- Final guest count confirmed
- Menu costed per portion
- Labor hours estimated
- Travel and parking included
- Minimum spend applied
- Margin checked (15-35%)
- Deposit and cancellation terms sent
How KitchenCost Helps Private Chefs
KitchenCost lets you build recipe cards, assign labor time, and see your real per-person cost before you send a quote.
- Cost menus by portion, not by guesswork
- Save reusable menu templates
- Update prices fast when ingredient costs move
Want a faster way to price private chef menus? Try KitchenCost - free to start.
Related guides:
- How to Calculate Recipe Cost
- Food Cost Ratio Guide
- Prime Cost Complete Guide
- Loss Rate Calculation Guide
- Home Baking Pricing Guide
- Chicken Restaurant Cost Guide
- Pizza Cost Calculator
- Bunsik Cost Guide
- Menu Engineering Guide
- Price Increase Timing Guide