How much does venue hire cost in the UK?

Village halls cost £100-£400. Pub function rooms are often free with a minimum bar spend (£500-£1,500). Hotel function rooms run £500-£3,000. Barn venues cost £1,000-£5,000. Prices vary hugely by region, day of week, and time of year.

What is corkage and how much is it?

Corkage is a fee the venue charges for each bottle of wine or champagne you bring in. UK corkage ranges from £5-£15 per bottle. Some venues charge corkage on all alcohol. Always ask whether the venue allows BYO and what the corkage fee is.

What hidden venue costs should I look for?

Common extras include: cleaning fee (£50-£200), security/doorman (£150-£300), corkage, overtime charges, cloakroom, table and chair hire, PA system hire, car park attendant, and a damage deposit (usually refundable). The damage deposit is returned to you after the event, so this calculator holds it separately and does not add it to the headline cost — it is not VATable either (HMRC treats a refundable security deposit as outside the scope of VAT).

Is VAT charged on venue hire?

Bare room hire on its own is usually exempt from VAT, so a simple village or community hall booking may have no VAT at all. However, VAT at 20% applies when the room is supplied as part of a catering package, the venue has "opted to tax", or it forms part of a wedding package (HMRC treats wedding-package room hire as standard-rated). This calculator defaults to 20% — set the VAT Rate to 0% in Advanced Options if your hire is genuinely exempt.

When is the cheapest time to hire a venue?

Weekdays and Sundays are typically 20-40% cheaper than Friday and Saturday. January, February, and November are the cheapest months. Daytime hire is cheaper than evening. Off-peak bookings can save hundreds of pounds.

Venue Cost Calculator — Compare Venue Hire Costs

Estimate the total cost of venue hire including corkage, cleaning, and extras.

Venue TypePre-fills a typical UK hire figure you can edit

Venue Hire Cost

The room/space hire fee from your quote (ex VAT)

Number of Guests

Total number of people attending

Event Duration

Hours of hire — used for the cost-per-hour figure

Corkage per Bottle

Typical UK corkage is £5-£15 per 75cl bottle

Estimated Bottles

Bottles you plan to bring (BYO) — venue charges corkage on each

Cleaning Fee

Often £50-£200; sometimes deducted from your deposit

Security / Doorman

Doorman/SIA cover, typically £150-£300 per event

How We Calculate This

This calculator adds up all venue-related costs to give you the true total cost of your venue. Choosing a Venue Type pre-fills a typical UK hire figure (which you can then overwrite with your actual quote).

Formula

Corkage total = corkage per bottle × estimated bottles
Extras total = cleaning + security + corkage
Subtotal (ex VAT) = venue hire + extras total
VAT = subtotal × VAT rate (default 20%)
Total venue cost = subtotal + VAT
Cost per guest = total venue cost ÷ guests
Cost per hour = total venue cost ÷ hours

A refundable damage deposit is held separately: it is refunded after the event so it is not part of the headline cost, and HMRC treats a refundable security deposit as outside the scope of VAT, so no VAT is added to it. Note that bare room hire is often VAT-exempt — set the VAT Rate to 0% in Advanced Options if your booking is not bundled with catering and the venue has not opted to tax.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Last updated: February 2026

All calculations are estimates. Adjust quantities based on your guests and event type.