Are you thinking about turning your creative passion into a business? Picture framing could be the perfect way to do just that. Every piece of art deserves a great frame to match — and there’s something gratifying about helping people display their favorite photos, paintings, and keepsakes in style.
But before you start investing in tools and materials, you’re probably wondering: Is a picture framing business profitable?
Yes, if you do it right! While big-box stores sell mass-produced frames, many customers still seek high-quality, custom options to protect and showcase their prized pieces. They’re willing to pay for craftsmanship, expert design, and personal service that you just can’t get off the shelf.
In this guide, we’ll explain what it takes to turn framing into a profitable business — and provide three essential tips for setting your shop up for success.
How To Start a Custom Picture Frame Shop
If you’re good with your hands and have experience in manual jobs like carpentry, transitioning to custom frame-making may feel natural. But to turn this skill into a successful business, you’ll need a few key essentials:
- Licensing and legal requirements: Register your business and apply for licenses or permits your local jurisdiction might require. If you plan to hire employees, you may also need to operate as an LLC, corporation, or partnership and obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN).
- Point of sale (POS) and visualization software: Frame shops of all sizes need a purpose-built point of sale (POS) system! They handle everything from payment processing to inventory management. Many modern solutions even come with visualization software, helping you mock up artwork during client consultations.
- Equipment and tooling: Essential frame shop equipment includes saws, mat cutters, frame joiners, glass cutters, clamps, and adhesives.
- Frame materials: Get a starter selection of materials to build a full selection of custom frames. For example, consider frame mouldings in different colors and materials from top vendors, hanging hardware, backing boards, mat boards, and glass or acrylic panels.
- Painting materials: Are you planning to design custom-painted or distressed frames? If so, add paints, stains, finishes, and basic tools like brushes and sandpaper to your starter inventory.
- A suitable workspace: Building custom frames requires a dedicated work area for cutting, assembling, painting, and touching up your creations. You’ll also need space to store and organize your materials and tools.
Starting strong means handling the essentials first: registering your business, setting up your workspace, and making sure you have the right POS system and materials. With a solid foundation, your custom frame shop will be primed for long-term success.
Is a Picture Framing Business Profitable?
The short answer is yes! Custom framing can be profitable if you love working with your hands and have an eye for detail. Not only do you get to create one-of-a-kind pieces for your clients, but you can also turn a solid profit doing it.
Once a frame shop is up and running, most owners price their work at 55% to 65% above material costs. For example, if the materials for a standard 16 x 20 frame cost you $50, you might sell the frame for around $78 to $83. For specialty services — like custom engravings or hand-painted finishes — markups can be even higher, sometimes reaching 500%.
That means a unique, hand-finished frame that costs $50 in materials could sell for $250 or more. That’s some serious earning potential!
Framing Business Expenses
Of course, making money isn’t just about setting prices. Like any business, you’ll need to factor in startup costs and ongoing expenses. To figure out when you’ll break even and start seeing real profits, here are a few questions you should ask yourself:
- What are my startup costs? This refers to your initial investment in equipment, workspace setup, and any necessary licensing or legal fees.
- What are my ongoing expenses? These include everything needed to keep the business running monthly, such as utilities, software subscriptions, and recurring materials. If you plan to hire help, factor employees’ salary and benefits in, too.
Thinking through these costs upfront can give you a clear path forward — and help you build a creative and financially sustainable framing business.
How To Calculate Your Break-Even Point
Figuring out when your framing business will start turning a profit comes down to a simple calculation. Follow these steps to determine your break-even point:
1. Determine Your Fixed Costs
Fixed costs are expenses that remain the same regardless of how many frames you sell. These include rent, utilities, insurance, salaries, and other overhead costs. For this example, let’s assume your fixed costs total $4,000 per month.
2. Identify Your Variable Costs
Variable costs change depending on the number of frames sold. This includes materials such as frames, glass, matting, and labor. For a standard 16 x 20 frame, the variable cost is $50 per unit.
3. Set Your Selling Price
Your selling price should cover the cost of materials while leaving room for profit. If you price a 16 x 20 frame between $78 and $83, we’ll use an average price of $80 per frame for this calculation.
4. Apply the Break-Even Formula
Use the break-even equation to determine how many frames you need to sell to cover all costs:
Break-even point = Fixed costs / (Selling price per unit − Variable cost per unit)
Example calculation: 4,000/(80−50) = 133.33
Since you can’t sell a fraction of a frame, you’ll need to sell 134 frames each month to break even. Everything over and above that is profit!
Top 3 Tips to Improve Your Shop’s Profitability
Now that you have your target numbers, it’s time to hit the gas! These three proven strategies will help your frame shop bring in profits faster.
1. Don’t Undersell Your Services
Don’t sell yourself short. It’s easy to think undercutting the competition will bring customers flocking to your shop, but if your prices don’t cover your costs, you’ll be working hard for little to no profit — and that’s no way to run a business.
Instead, focus on delivering exceptional craftsmanship that customers can’t resist. Use premium-grade mouldings, high-quality matting, and conservation-grade glass. Take the time to get every detail just right. People will gladly pay more for frames that protect and show off their treasured pieces.
Want to stand out even more? Offer extras that big-box stores can’t match — like one-on-one framing consultations, custom engravings, or unique design touches. When you emphasize quality and personalized service, customers won’t just buy from you — they’ll keep coming back for your expertise.
2. Minimize Supply Waste
Every piece of wood, glass, and matting eats into your profits, so why let waste pile up? While some leftover materials are inevitable in the framing business, smart choices can help you reduce costs without cutting corners.
Instead of making physical sample frames to show customers their options, use a virtual frame visualizer. This lets customers see their proposed design before you pick up your saw, meaning you only cut materials once they’re 100% happy. Less waste, more savings, and a more efficient sales process.
3. Use Your Time Efficiently
You’ve nailed high-quality craftsmanship, priced your services right, and minimized material waste, so why isn’t your profit where it should be? The culprit might not be your frames — it could be your workflow. Time wasted in the workshop is just as costly as wasted materials, and if production is too slow, you might not be making enough frames to hit your break-even point.
The fix? Keep your workspace organized and clutter-free, then find ways to work smarter, not harder. Instead of completing one frame from start to finish, try batching similar tasks — cutting glass in one go, assembling frames in another, and mounting artwork.
Do you notice customers gravitate toward certain sizes, colors, or styles? Pre-cut those materials or offer ready-made frames to speed things up and increase sales. The more efficient your shop runs, the more money you keep in your pocket.
Start a Profitable Framing Business
Is running a picture framing business profitable? Absolutely — but only if you set yourself up for success. The key is delivering exceptional craftsmanship while keeping material waste low and making the most of your time in the workshop.
Using a POS system designed for frame shops, like LifeSaver, you can price and mock up jobs efficiently, track materials accurately, and manage orders stress-free. No more second-guessing costs or sifting through paperwork — just a simpler workflow that keeps your shop running efficiently.
Want to spend less time on admin and more time creating frames your customers love? Try LifeSaver POS for free and see how it simplifies the business side of framing so you can focus on your craft.
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