Backyard Movie Night Rental Cost Calculator

Getting an answer takes six quick steps. Start with the package, because the screen size and the service level set most of the price.

1. Choose a screen package. Full service includes delivery, setup and takedown, while DIY pickup means you set it up yourself.
2. Type the rental hours. The first 3 hours are included in every package, and only the hours past 3 are charged extra.
3. Check the extra hour rate and change it to match your quote if it differs from $50 an hour.
4. Type the number of guests. This sets the cost per guest only.
5. Type the seating, popcorn and concessions, and movie licensing costs from your quote. Enter 0 where nothing applies.
6. Type the delivery miles past the free zone and the rate per extra mile, then press Calculate, or press Enter. The total appears first, with the package cost, the extra hours, each add-on and the cost per guest below.

Total = Package price + (Extra hours x Extra hour rate) + Seating + Popcorn and concessions + Movie licensing + (Extra delivery miles x Delivery rate). Each part comes from a real rental quote, so you can check every line against it.

Package price is the published price for the screen size and service level you pick. Backyard Starz lists full service packages at $399 for a 16 foot screen, $449 for 18 feet and $549 for 20 feet, and DIY pickup at $299, $349 and $449 for the same three sizes.

Seating covers extra lounge chairs, tables or blankets. Popcorn and concessions cover popcorn machine hire, snacks and drinks. Movie licensing covers the public performance license when one is needed, often $200 to $500 per film for a public screening. Delivery is the miles past the free zone times the rate per extra mile, and Backyard Starz charges $3 per mile past its 10 mile free zone. If a quote bundles one of these into the package price, enter 0 for it here.

You book the full service 18 foot package for 4 hours with 25 guests. Seating costs $60, popcorn and concessions cost $40, no license is needed for a private family showing, and your home is 10 miles past the free zone at $3 a mile. Here is exactly what the calculator does.

1. Package price = $449.00 for the full service 18 foot screen.
2. Extra hours = 4 hours minus 3 included hours = 1 hour. Extra hours cost = 1 x $50.00 = $50.00.
3. Delivery = 10 miles x $3.00 = $30.00.
4. Add everything: $449.00 + $50.00 + $60.00 + $40.00 + $0.00 + $30.00 = $629.00.
5. Cost per guest = $629.00 divided by 25 guests = $25.16.

As a check, the same package for exactly 3 hours with no add-ons costs $449.00, which matches the published Backyard Starz price and the $449 starting price for the Baltimore Backyard Movie package.

Screen size and service level move the price most. A 16 foot screen suits a family backyard, an 18 foot screen suits a birthday party, and a 20 foot screen suits a block party. Full service adds delivery, professional setup, on-site operation and teardown, while DIY pickup leaves the setup to you. The table below shows the published Backyard Starz package prices.

Our worked example at $629 sits $180 above the $449 package price, because it adds one extra hour, seating, popcorn and delivery. Baltimore Backyard Movies starts its backyard package at the same $449 for up to 75 guests, with larger setups at $799 and $899, so a quote near $449 for a standard backyard night is in line with the market.

Hours past the included 3 are the first extra to check. Most packages include 3 hours, which covers setup before dark and one film, so a second film or a long evening needs an extra hour or two. S and D Cinema prices its movie service at $125 an hour with a 3 hour minimum.

Delivery is next. Companies usually include a free zone around their base, often 10 miles, and charge per mile past it. Backyard Starz charges $3 per mile past 10 miles, so a home 20 miles past the zone adds $60. S and D Cinema charges $35 an hour for round trip travel time past the first hour outside its 20 mile zone.

Licensing is the extra people forget. A private backyard showing for family and friends usually needs no license, because you are not charging admission or opening the night to the public. A public screening, such as a school or community event, may need a public performance license, often $200 to $500 per film. Seating and concessions are flat amounts from your quote, so enter the exact numbers.

Comparing a DIY price with a full service price is the most common mistake. A $299 DIY kit looks cheaper than a $449 full service package, but the DIY price leaves you with delivery, setup and takedown. Compare the same service level across companies, then add the same add-ons to each one.

Forgetting the license is the costly version of the same error. A public screening without a license can be stopped, so confirm before the night whether your event counts as public and who supplies the license.

Finally, plan the night inside your wider party budget, so check the total with our budget calculator. If the same evening needs music before the film, compare the cost with our wedding DJ cost calculator, and if you also need a skip for the cleanup, check our dumpster rental cost calculator.

This calculator gives an estimate for planning and is for informational purposes only, not financial advice. Actual rental prices depend on your rental company, your screen size, your location and the season. See our disclaimer.