How Much Does It Cost to Start a Candle Business?

You can try your first candles for the price of a starter kit and a few tools, and my example budget for a first craft fair comes to about $480. As of 2026-11-04, CandleScience's Starter Candle Making Kit is $54.99 and makes six 8 oz candles. Everything past that depends on where you sell. The honest way to budget is to split one-time costs from monthly ones, add a buffer, and work out how many candles it takes to pay the start-up back.

What does a first kit cost?

CandleScience's kits page lists five kits as of 2026-11-04: Astra at $45.99, Starter and SimplySoy Starter at $54.99 each, and the two "plus" versions at $74.99 each. It says all kits ship free, and the product page adds that free shipping covers the contiguous US only.

The Starter kit page lists six 8 oz tins, two 1 oz fragrance oils, two 1 lb bags of coconut apricot wax, six pre-tabbed wicks, wick stickers, wick bars, six warning labels, six round product labels and printed instructions. It does not list a scale, a thermometer or a pot, so I treat those as not included. See our guide to supplies for beginners for what else you need.

What counts as a start-up cost?

The US Small Business Administration separates one-time expenses, the initial costs needed to start, from monthly expenses. Its list of common start-up costs includes equipment and supplies, inventory, licenses and permits, insurance, a lawyer and accountant, advertising and marketing, and making a website. In its break-even section it suggests adding a little extra, say 10 percent, to cover costs you cannot predict. It says to count at least one year of monthly expenses, and that five years is ideal.

CandleScience's business guide says to budget for your first two months, including supplies, equipment, overhead and your own pay. It suggests a resale permit and looking into state and local permit requirements. It names business structures but lists no costs and no fees, so I have not put any in. Ask your state and a lawyer or accountant what applies to you.

Worked example: three budgets

Every price here is an example except the $54.99 kit, the Etsy listing fee and the insurance average, which come from the pages I list. Tools are a scale at $18.00, a thermometer at $10.00 and a pouring pot at $20.00.

Budget 1: a test batch. The kit plus tools: 54.99 + 18.00 + 10.00 + 20.00 = $102.99.

Budget 2: a first craft fair. You skip the kit and buy supplies for 48 candles. Materials are $4.10 a candle and packaging $1.20.

Item	Math	Cost
Materials	48 x 4.10	$196.80
Packaging	48 x 1.20	$57.60
Tools	18 + 10 + 20	$48.00
Table display	example	$60.00
Booth fee	example	$75.00
Subtotal		$437.40
10 percent buffer (SBA)	437.40 x 0.10	$43.74
With buffer		$481.14

Budget 3: add insurance and an online listing. As of 2026-11-04, The Hartford's page (last updated April 23, 2026) says its small-business customers have paid an average of $810 a year for stand-alone general liability, about $68 a month. That average is for its small-business customers in general, not candle makers. The same page says The Hartford does not offer coverage to candle makers and refers them to another company, and that the figures are estimates and are not guaranteed. Whether you need it is a separate question. If you buy it, $437.40 + $810 = $1,247.40, and with a 10 percent buffer that is 1,247.40 x 1.10 = $1,372.14. Etsy lists a $0.20 listing fee, so 20 listings cost 20 x 0.20 = $4.00 more. CandleScience's insurance page gives no prices and suggests getting free quotes.

How many candles pay it back?

For Budget 2, the one-time costs are tools, display and booth: 48 + 60 + 75 = $183. Each candle costs $4.10 + $1.20 = $5.30 to make and pack. If one sells for $24.00, it leaves 24.00 - 5.30 = $18.70. Then 183 / 18.70 = 9.79, so you need to sell 10 candles to cover those one-time costs. That is before your time and any fees, so treat it as the lowest the number can be. See our guides on labor and margins.

Where can I spend less?

Start with the kit and test small batches before you buy wax by the case.
Buy tools you will keep, not extras.
Burn-test your first candles before you buy more of anything, as in our burn test guide.
Hold off on a website. A craft fair needs none.

Common mistakes

Buying supplies for 200 candles before you know which scent sells.
Leaving out shipping on your supply orders.
Forgetting packaging, labels and the warning label. See our warning label guide.
Mixing one-time costs and monthly costs in one number.
Skipping the buffer.

Questions

Do I need to form an LLC first?

CandleScience lists business structures but gives no cost and no advice on which to pick, and suggests speaking with an attorney, an accountant and an insurance professional. I did not find a fee I could cite, so ask your state.

Can I start for under $100?

Budget 1 comes to $102.99 with the kit and example tool prices. Your tool prices may be lower, or you may already own some. The kit makes only six candles.

What monthly costs should I plan for?

The SBA gives rent, salaries and utilities as examples of monthly costs. For a home candle maker, think software, insurance, listing fees and restocking.

How BatchLab helps

The maker behind Ark & Dove built BatchLab for his own candle business. BatchLab keeps your materials, recipes, batches and stock in one place and works out cost per candle from what you paid, so you can see how a budget turns into candles. Low stock is on the Starter plan. BatchLab is itself a monthly cost: the Starter plan is $12 a month or $120 a year, the Maker plan is $24 a month or $240 a year, and there is a 14-day free trial with no card.