TentCraft Cost

How Much Are TentCraft Tents? All Custom Canopy Tent Prices

You’re shopping for a custom-printed canopy tent to better promote your business or your client’s business before a big event, but you’re struggling to find one very important piece of information: the price!


Yes, even as a leader in the custom tent industry, we’re guilty of not providing enough information on how much one of our heavy-duty custom canopies could cost you. In fact, we often get asked, “Why aren’t your prices directly listed on your website?”


We get it. You’re either coming into this purchase blind — totally clueless on how much to budget for a high-quality pop-up tent. Or you have a hard budget set by your boss, be it $500 or $50,000. And all you want to know is how much does a custom printed pop-up tent cost?!


You’re probably not going to like our first answer, but hear us out: It depends.



There are simply too many variables that go into pricing a custom pop-up tent to give an out-the-door price.


  • Is it just a stock canopy or will it be branded?

  • How big of a tent do you need?

  • Do you need heavy-duty durability or medium-duty?

  • How are you ballasting the tent?

  • Do you need footplate weights?

  • If the wind could be an issue, will you need walls? How many?

  • What exactly are you using this tent for?

  • Will you need add-ons, like shelves, heaters, or lights?

  • Silver-colored frame or do you want a black frame?

  • How many times per year is this canopy being used?

  • Do you need to leave it assembled outside for a long period of time?

  • Where are we shipping the canopy?

  • How quickly do you need it?


We could keep going...





When you work with TentCraft, our team of experts — actual people! — offer concierge-style customer service to develop a custom solution that best fits your needs. A simple solution, like a medium-duty, stock 10’x10’ pop-up canopy, is on the lower end of the pricing spectrum. A 10’x20’ custom-branded MONARCHTENT with sidewalls, peak flags, and weighted footplates that needs to be rushed through production and shipped overnight in order to arrive before an important event obviously increases your final cost.

Prices of materials, like aluminum, are also constantly changing, which impacts overall cost.


To help you fully understand everything that goes into the cost of a custom pop-up tent, we’ll guide you through:


Are you ready? Let’s first dive into our No. 1 asked question:

How much is a heavy-duty 10’x10’ pop-up tent with a logo from TentCraft?

The average price for a heavy-duty, custom-branded pop-up tent from TentCraft — the MONARCHTENT — is between $2,500-$3,000.


TentCraft is the only American canopy tent company that actually manufactures its own tent frames right here in the USA — Traverse City, Michigan, to be exact. We source aluminum domestically and fabricate it inside our Northern Michigan headquarters. When our customers receive one of our tents for the first time and feel that American craftsmanship in their hands, they quickly realize why quality comes at a higher price.


“We were using this cheap little tent we bought on Amazon that essentially fell apart right away,” said Lindsey Walterscheid, co-owner of Vita 10 IV Therapy. “We knew we needed something that was more heavy-duty and dependable. When we received our tent, we could tell the difference right away.”

Still, why is TentCraft 3X to 4X the cost of similar companies?

By no means is it our goal to be the price leader in this industry. We are, however, innovating and working our butts off to be the quality leader. And if that means our products come at a higher price to pay for made-in-the-USA, handcrafted quality, we’re OK with that.


We’re not cheap, but we can proudly say our products aren’t made cheaply either.


We also know that TentCraft isn’t for everyone.


We’ve heard our customers time and time again: They’re tired of replacing cheap tents. They want to invest in a solution — be it a pop-up canopy or a semi-permanent frame tent — that’s going to handle constant use and any outdoor weather element thrown its way. There’s no guessing with TentCraft. You take it out of the storage bag, pop it up, secure the canopy and it’s perfect. Every time. Period.

The TentCraft Business Model

So, quality is a big reason for our prices, which brings us to TentCraft’s build-to-order business model. We’re not a middleman for an overseas pop-up tent manufacturer. We used to do that for about a decade as the North American supplier of MASTERTENT. We realized, though, that we can offer better solutions and quality control by bringing all of our manufacturing to Northern Michigan. We now create custom structures as requests roll in.


This is the point in the conversation where customers occasionally show some skepticism about our made-to-order approach:


  • Doesn’t that mean I need to wait longer to receive my canopy tent?


  • Wouldn’t it be faster to have a big supply of pre-built tent frames to choose from?




Our answer is pretty simple: Absolutely not.




In fact, we can ship a branded canopy tent to wherever you need it as fast — and typically faster than our competition. Our average turnaround time is three business days and it’s not uncommon for our team to ship a custom order in 24 hours when a customer is in a time crunch.


Yeah, speed is our bread and butter.


There are several other advantages to our model:


First, we don’t rely on an unpredictable supply chain like our competition. A pop-up tent supplier may have inventory today, but what about six months from now? When the global supply chain goes into a tizzy, there’s a chance those frames could be stuck on a cargo ship waiting to come into port. (‘Containergeddon’ is a real thing.)


And two, the companies that source event tent frames from overseas still need to fabricate the soft goods — the custom-printed canopies and walls that make your tent really stand out. While we’re printing canopies, our experienced team of metal fabricators is simultaneously manufacturing your frame, so there’s no extra time needed.


There are also several quality-control attributes tied to our built-to-order model:


  • First-time quality. You know exactly what you’re paying for and can rest assured that it is manufactured by trained American professionals and hasn’t been sitting on a shelf collecting dust. (Or rattling around inside of a shipping container surrounded by salt water!)

  • Inspections. After your TentCraft custom canopy tent is manufactured, it goes through final inspection to ensure we ship you a tent with zero manufacturing defects. It’s hard to know when a supplier who imports tent frames last inspected the frame, if ever.

  • Versatility. Sometimes the vision or requirements change for your custom tent. Since all of our manufacturing is in-house, we can easily make changes on the fly.

  • Less waste. We only use what we need, which means less stuff ends up in a landfill. Unfortunately, those cheaper solutions that ultimately break down, end up in a landfill.


Finally, our build-to-order model allows us to support American manufacturing and create a bunch of jobs in a Northern Michigan town that’s consistently rated as one of the best places to live. We think that’s pretty cool.


So, is TentCraft more expensive? Yes. But you get what you pay for — and our customers tend to agree with that sentiment.


Convinced on TentCraft?

Get ready to experience real quality and customer service with a face. Contact TentCraft today to get the ball rolling on your custom event tent solution.


TentCraft Custom Canopy Tent Prices


Now that you know how TentCraft’s business philosophy dictates prices, let’s take a deeper dive into what you can expect to pay for our various custom canopy tents and structures.


Pop-Up Tent Prices

TentCraft offers two pop-up tents: MONARCHTENT and mightyTENT.

American Grilled Cheese pop-up custom canopy tent




MONARCHTENT

This is our heavy-duty pop-up tent that includes a branded peak flag. When ordered with a fully-branded canopy, you can expect to pay about $3,000 for a 10’x10’. The larger the tent - and the more custom printed branding on that tent - the higher the price.


MONARCHTENT can go beyond your traditional pop-up tent design. You can also order it in a number of different styles, including Gable, Reach, Storefront, Hex, and Flat Roof.


MONARCHTENT features an all-aluminum framework with thicker reinforced footpads for shock absorption and includes a wheel kit, a rugged bag for reliable transportation, a deluxe staking kit, and a printed peak flag or printed peak banner. The frame includes a lifetime warranty and the canopy has a seven-year warranty.


mightyTENT

mightyTENT is our medium-duty pop-up tent that’s made with an aluminum frame and industrial plastic joints. With partial branding, you can expect to pay at least $1,400 for a 10’x10’. mightyTent is a durable pop-up tent, but not as robust as MONARCHTENT. Still, when you need a reliable solution, but not something that is top-of-the-line, consider mightyTENT because it’s miles ahead of the solutions you find on Amazon or in the big-box stores. mightyTENT includes a slip-cover storage bag, a stake kit, and carries a 5-year frame warranty.

Prices for Frame Tents


TentCraft offers four different models of frame tents:


  • E-Series. Designed to be left in place for days or even weeks at a time, our E-Series lineup is far more robust than a pop-up tent, but can still be easily installed. The E-Series is available in 10x10, 15x15, and 20x20 and ranges in price from $3,500 to $8,000. /p>

  • X-Series. No tools are required with this frame tent series, which allows for speedy installations. Our customers tend to keep these tents out for weeks at a time with minimal issues. Depending on size and branding, X-Series tents range from $3,500 to $15,000./p>

  • Future Trac. When you need an extra-large tent that can withstand the conditions, the Future Trac is a great investment. Depending on size, this large-scale, semi-permanent structure can range from $12,000 to $30,000. Most customers don’t brand their Future Trac solutions, but it is possible for an added cost./p>

  • Gazebo. Our gazebo structure is a unique shelter and marketing opportunity. Branded gazebos come in a variety of custom sizes and range from $2,000 to $5,000.

Truss Structure Prices


Custom truss structures from TentCraft are some of our most versatile solutions. Check out the shoebox tent Florida A&M University installed near one of the end zones at the school’s football stadium. It’s hard to put a price on a custom truss structure, but they typically start around $15,000 for a fully branded, covered structure.


Some customers opt to create a truss wall (not a covered structure), which is obviously more affordable since it requires less material.

Inflatable Tent Prices


TentCraft sells GYBE Inflatable Event Tents that give your brand lots of exposure. Inflatable tent frames come in 10x10 and 20x20. Both sizes take about 5 minutes to set up. Expect to pay about $3,200 for a branded 10x10 GYBE.

Sports Endeavors Dome

Dome Event Tent Prices

One of TentCraft’s more unique custom structures is the 20’ diameter dome event tent. With full custom printing, a dome tent costs about $8,500. The price goes up as you add windows and other accessories to the structure.

Prices by Strength of Tent


All TentCraft solutions are handcrafted for commercial-grade durability, but depending on how you plan to use your tent, you can save on the cost by going with a less-durable option.


Heavy-Duty Tents

Heavy-duty tents, like the MONARCHTENT, are an all-aluminum structure that comes with a wind rating designated by an actual engineering firm. When properly ballasted, you don’t have to worry about normal winds ruining your tent. A custom heavy-duty pop-up tent typically starts around $3,000. Prices increase as you go with more complex sizes and designs, like the MONARCHHEX, which starts at about $4,000.


Medium-Duty Tents

When you don’t need the top-of-the-line solution, a medium-duty structure, like the mightyTENT, is the perfect option. It’s far superior to what you find on Amazon and other big-box stores, plus can be completely customized to help your brand stand out. A medium-duty tent starts at $1,800.


Semi-Permanent Tents

Semi-permanent tents are commercial-grade quality and can be left set up in most conditions for weeks at a time. These include TentCraft’s frame tents and truss structures. These engineered solutions have a larger price range, but you can expect to pay at least $5,000.

Prices by Size of Pop-Up Tent

The most purchased pop-up tent size in the industry is a 10’x10’, but TentCraft can create custom sizes. Here are average prices for our most common sizes:

10x10 size comparison

10x10 Canopy Price

Depending on durability and branding, you can expect to pay $1,800-$3,000 for a 10x10 tent.


5x5 canopy size comarison

5x5 Canopy Price

Expect to pay about $750 for a 5x5 tent.


5x10 canopy size comparison

5x10 Canopy Price

Expect to pay about $850 for a 5x10 tent.


10x15 canopy size comparison

10x15 Canopy Price

Expect to pay between $1,300 and $2,100 for a 10x15 tent.


10x20 canopy size comparison

10x20 Canopy Price

Expect to pay between $3,200 and $4,300 for a 10x20 tent.


13x13 canopy size comparison

13x13 Canopy Price

Expect to pay about $4,300 for a branded 13x13 tent. Shipping costs also increase starting at this size and typically require freight shipping.


15x15 canopy size comparison

15x15 Canopy Price

Expect to pay about $5,100 for a branded 15x15 tent.


13x20 canopy size comparison

13x20 Canopy Price

Expect to pay about $5,600 for a branded 13x20 tent.


13x26 canopy size comparison

13x26 Canopy Price

Expect to pay about $7,000 for a branded 13x26 tent.


Price of Branding Tents

A majority of TentCraft customers opt to include company branding on their pop-up canopy, which adds to the overall cost of your solution.


Do more colors in my logo and design add cost?

No. We determine our custom printing cost by the number of sides (or panes) you’re printing on. On a 10x10, that works out to between $250-$300 per side. If you want your logo on all four sides, expect to pay $1,000-$1,200 for printing. A side includes printing on the pane of the canopy and the valance.


Cost of Branded Pop-Up Tent

TentCraft canopies go through a dye-sublimation printing technique to create colors that really pop. After your design makes its way through our team of artists, it then heads to our expert print team, before it is fabricated and installed on your tent frame.


On average, a branded pop-up tent starts at $1,800 for a medium-duty model and increases to $3,000 for a heavy-duty. The bigger the canvas to print, the bigger the final price.


10x10 pop-up MightyTENT - the Outward Olive



Cost of Non-Branded Pop-Up Canopy

Sometimes a stock white pop-up canopy is all you need. A restaurant, for example, may want a shelter to handle outdoor takeout orders, but doesn’t need branding because their marquee is nearby on their main building.


On average, a non-branded pop-up canopy is about 35% to 40% more affordable than a branded tent.

Cost of TentCraft’s Most Popular Pop-Up Tent Accessories

Event setups go beyond pop-up canopies. TentCraft offers a number of useful accessories that not only make your setup more durable, but also provide a better overall experience.

Weighted Footplates

One of our most popular accessories and also one of the more expensive due to the cost of shipping. One of our carbon-iron, easy-to-install footplates weighs 55lbs and most customers opt to purchase four to ballast their canopy. A single footplate costs $169. Remember that footplates likely require your pop-up tent order to be shipped via freight (higher cost) transport due to the weight.

Sandbags

Sandbags are a more economical solution to our cast-iron footplates and are perfect for those days where there’s a slight breeze in the air. A set of four sandbags will cost you $140.

Heating Kits

Events don’t shut down in the winter. When the temperatures drop, you need a heating solution to keep your attendees and employees warm. Our 1,500-watt heating kit costs $529.

Tent Gutters

TentCraft-engineered gutters prevent you from getting soaked by rain off your custom canopy. If you’re connecting two or more tents and there’s even a slight chance of rain, purchasing tent gutters is a no-brainer. A single gutter for a 10x10 tent costs $150.

Transportation Accessories

Another reason our MONARCHTENT is a great value: It includes a rugged transport roller bag! mightyTENT also comes with a bag, but it doesn’t include the wheel dolly.

Tent Walls

Whether you need protection from weather or are looking for more branding opportunities - or both! - branded tent walls are the best solution to your problem. Full-length, double-sided branded walls are about $900; a double-sided printed half wall is about $600. Single-sided and stock un-printed options are available for less.

Branded Add-Ons

Custom branding doesn’t end with your pop-up tent’s canopy. TentCraft offers a number of branded add-ons. Here’s roughly how much each accessory costs:


  • Peak flags. A single-sided, branded peak flag is included with the MONARCHTENT. Peak flags attach to the top of the canopy.
  • Peak banners. Similar to the peak flag, but designed for our rectangular heavy-duty models, like the 10x20. With extra space, you can really make your brand name pop. Expect to pay about $400 for a double-sided banner.
  • Feather Flag. This style of flag costs $269 and can be printed on both sides. There’s an additional cost for the flag holder.
  • Inflatable Leg Wraps. Add a pop of color to your setup - and protect the legs of your frame! A set of four inflatable leg wraps costs $300.
  • Connecting Clamps. If your event setup includes multiple pop-up tents, you need connecting clamps to make sure everything stays in place. A single clamp costs $40.
  • Tent Curtains & Dividers. Add some flair to your kit with custom curtains. Curtains range from $200 to $400 depending on if you need custom printing.
Pop-up tent Peak Flag

Why Quality Matters When Purchasing a Custom Pop-Up Tent


Sometimes, you cannot not afford to go with a higher-quality solution.


Yes, we know that the last sentence includes a double negative, but it’s true!


Investing in a high-quality custom tent upfront not only saves you money in the long run, but also prevents headaches down the road. The last thing you want to happen is to unfold a tent and have the frame snap in half. And if you’re thinking that won’t happen, trust us - it has and it will again.

an overhead view of tent manufacturing



Here are actual comments prospective customers have recently written when submitting a quote to TentCraft:


“I am looking for a quality tent made in the USA to replace my cheap made-in-China tent that just broke.”


“Looking for easy pop-up, but more durable than a standard pop-up purchased at Walmart, etc.”


“My Quictent 10x20 Easy Pop-up Canopy Tent I purchased on Sept. 20 has broken. The supports in the middle have snapped and are unrepairable.”


We literally hear these stories from prospective customers EVERY DAY.


If you continually opt to go with cheap tents, chances are higher you’ll need to purchase multiple cheap tents over the life of your business. About 30% of our business is new orders from repeat customers (mostly marketing agencies working with highly-visible brands). That is a true testament to our quality. We don't receive a ton of repeat business from our non-agency clients because our products last a REALLY long time.


And when we do hear from those previous non-agency clients, it’s typically for a canopy that needs updated branding or for an additional accessory.


In other words, when you buy a TentCraft pop-up tent, you're buying quality.

MONARCHtent frames ready for final inspection

What ‘Made in the USA’ Really Means

When you receive a custom tent from TentCraft, there’s a notecard inside that says who assembled the frame. Maybe it’s signed “AS” for Arthur Scramlin, one of our go-to metal fabricators.


But before Arthur assembled that frame, Charles Blouch sewed your custom-printed canopy together. Before Charles sewed that canopy, Josh Scott printed your design and then rolled it onto the canvas using the dye-sublimation technique. Before Josh printed that design, Josie Shink stayed in close contact with you, ensuring your pop-up canopy was exactly to your liking. And before Josie started emailing you, Molly Thomasma sent you a digital quote with a rendering and price tag. And before Molly sent that quote, Forrest Hanson designed the artwork that’s printed on your custom canopy. And before Forrest designed that artwork, Jake Mikula created a 3D rendering of your custom solution. And before Jake created that rendering, you were chatting with Molly for the first time because you just read a blog post written by Andrew Dodson that described some unique application of a TentCraft product.




People matter at TentCraft. A lot. That’s because we need good, hard-working people to ensure you’re purchasing a solution that more than meets your needs and one that will last a really long time. Something that stands out, but also something that’s predictable when it comes to transport and setup.


“I appreciated the actual interaction with people,” said George Salais, owner of H-Town Hibachi, a food truck in Houston that purchased a branded mightyTENT. “Many of these tent sites are faceless, but from the start of this, I had a sense that I was dealing with people.”


That’s what “Made in the USA” really means to TentCraft. Does that come at a price? Sure, but it also guarantees the highest possible quality. When a product is made in the USA, it comes with that noticeable, American-made craftsmanship - a quality you can trust. We work hard to recruit and retain top talent to protect the trust our customers have put in us.


Again, we’re not striving to be the price leader. We’re the quality leader.

6 Tips to Lower the Cost of Your Custom Pop-Up Tent

Our pop-up tent experts know better than anyone the importance of sticking to a budget. If we’re close to your budget’s bottom line, there are some creative solutions to help you achieve that price point. Here are some cost-saving tips from the experts:



1) Bundle Your Purchase

“By adding more items into your 'cart,' you open the door for TentCraft to offer you discounts by bundling. Items like media walls, footplates, lights, heaters, half walls, etc. enhance discounting opportunities.”

- Tom Straub, TentCraft Vice President of Sales

2) Order in Bulk

“If there’s a good chance you’re going to be ordering more of the same solution in the future, do everything you can to make a bulk order at the same time. Your savings can be significant because completing those jobs becomes more efficient.”

- Brianna Popa, TentCraft Inside Sales

3) Don’t Order Last Minute

“Order early! We understand that sometimes rush orders are out of your control, but you can drastically cut down on cost when you don’t have to worry about paying rush fees for manufacturing and shipping.”

- Jenn Hodges, TentCraft Inside Sales

4) Order Accessories Later

“It’s common to order accessories down the road. Use the tent a few times and determine if you need walls, for example. Our tents can accept the walls after the fact so feel free to just order the tent, for now, to keep costs down.”

- Andy Belanger, TentCraft Inside Sales

5) Use Our In-House Art Team

“TentCraft’s In-House Art and Design Team saves you the time and expense that comes with a third-party design company. We can help with your design from concept to reality.”

- Forrest Hanson, TentCraft Production Artist

6) Tell us Your Budget Up Front

“If you tell us your budget up front, we can put together a package that best accommodates what you’re looking for. And if your budget is too low, we’ll tell you that, too.”

- Kyle Kendzicky, TentCraft Outside Sales

How Much Should a Custom Printed Pop Up Tent Cost?

It all depends on what you’re looking for. As TentCraft CEO Matt Bulloch says, “Do you need a 1990 Cutlass Supreme to get you through one last semester of college? Or do you want the Cadillac of tents that’s going to last a lifetime?"


There are essentially three grades of pop-up tents:


Recreational Pop-Up Tent Cost

These are the steel frame pop-ups you bring to your kid’s Saturday morning soccer game. For a 10x10, it’s going to cost you between $100 and $500.


Professional Grade Tent Cost

This is where we compete against other companies. Often, professional-grade pop-ups use aluminum frames. A medium-duty, professional-grade tent will cost you between $600 and $1,000.


Commercial Grade Tent Cost

This is what we manufacture in Northern Michigan. These are tents that are designed for high mileage and reliable setup. A 10x10 commercial-grade tent is going to start around $2,000


When it comes to buying a custom printed pop-up tent, you get what you pay for. If a website is offering a pop-up tent for under $250, we can almost guarantee you’ll be shopping for another tent in a year... if you’re lucky.

Ready for the TentCraft Experience?

Well, there you have it - a complete guide to everything you ever wondered about the cost of TentCraft’s custom pop-up tents and structures. Now armed with this information, you can confidently discuss your project with one of our experts, who can help you come up with the best possible solution for your business.

Custom Pop-Up Tent Price FAQ

Still have questions? Here are some of our customers most-asked questions when they meet us for the first time:

  • Does TentCraft charge a credit card processing fee?
  • Yes, TentCraft charges a 3% credit card processing fee.

  • Does TentCraft ever have sales?
  • Not really, but that doesn’t mean our sales staff can’t help you come up with a solution that fits your budget. Remember, sales at any business are typically driven by excess inventory. Because our solutions are built-to-order, we rarely have excessive inventory.

  • Does TentCraft offer free shipping?
  • No. While Amazon has conditioned consumers to expect free shipping, when it comes to our products, we’re unable to offer free shipping. Freight costs are driven by weight, dimensions, destination, and shipping method. Our tents are large and weigh more than average consumer products. A company like Amazon is essentially its own freight company because of its eye-popping amount of volume which allows it to better negotiate prices.

  • Does TentCraft offer discounts for nonprofits?
  • While we don’t have a set-in-stone discount, you can always discuss your needs and budget with one of our tent experts, who can help you come up with some options.

    We understand that nonprofit budgets can be tight. But we also understand nonprofits can’t afford to continuously purchase cheap products that need to be replaced every couple of years. By investing in quality upfront, you can make your budgets more predictable down the road.

  • Where can I find the quoted price for my tent(s)?
  • You will receive a digital quote in your email inbox that includes a complete breakdown of the entire purchase, including shipping and taxes.

  • When do I pay TentCraft for my pop-up tent?
  • You will receive a digital quote in your email inbox that includes your custom art. There may be some back-and-forth between you, your project manager, and our art team to get that design just right. Once everyone is happy, you can pay through the link in your digital quote.

  • Does TentCraft have a price book?
  • TentCraft doesn’t have a price book for customers because we offer so many custom solutions. The book would constantly be changing. It’s easier for our sales staff to work one-on-one with customers to come up with the best possible price based on their needs.