Across 7,252 four-hour trips we have quoted, the median total was $1,400 and the middle half fell between $1,200 and $1,700. Hours move that number far more than headcount does.
Most pricing articles give you an hourly rate and leave you to multiply. That is the wrong way round. Party buses are quoted as a block, the block is almost always four hours, and the things that move the total are duration, date and vehicle class, in that order. Here is what the quotes we have actually written say.
Duration is the biggest lever
| Requested hours | Median quoted total | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 hours | $1,400 | The standard block: 76% of all trips we quote |
| 6 hours | $2,050 | Where the hourly rate starts to fall and driver-hours rules begin to matter |
| 8 hours | $2,500 | Only 3.6% of trips; usually wedding days and tournaments |
Going from four hours to six adds about $650 at the median, roughly $325 an hour. Going from six to eight adds $450. The per-hour cost of a long night falls as it gets longer, which is why a group that is debating a fifth hour usually books it: 8.3% of all our quotes are written for exactly five hours.
Headcount matters less than people think
| Group size | Median quoted total (4 hours) | Per person |
|---|---|---|
| 10 or fewer | $1,250 | about $125+ |
| 15–20 | $1,450 | about $73–$97 |
| 31 and up | $1,780 | under $58 |
Tripling the group from 10 to 31 raises the four-hour total by $530, or 42%. The per-person cost halves. This is the single most useful number for anyone splitting a bill: a bigger group on a bigger bus is cheaper per head, every time.
By vehicle class
| Class | Median quote | Middle half | Share of all vehicles quoted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Party bus | $1,700 | $1,400–$2,100 | 72% |
| Coach or shuttle bus | $1,800 | $1,500–$2,150 | 1.6% |
| Limo-style Sprinter | $1,400 | $1,160–$1,760 | 11% |
| SUV stretch limousine | $1,400 | $1,250–$1,710 | 2.9% |
| Stretch limousine | $1,280 | $1,080–$1,600 | 12% |
Date moves it, but less than availability does
Saturday quotes have run a median $1,650 against $1,500 on a Tuesday: a 10% premium. The bigger weekend cost is choice, not price. Saturday is 61% of every date we are asked about, so the vehicle you want is far more likely to be gone than to be expensive. Quarter to quarter the median moved from $1,530 in January–March up to $1,750 in April–June and back to $1,530 in July–September.
How to use this
Start from $1,400 for four hours and a mid-size party bus. Add roughly $650 for six hours. Expect a Saturday in spring to sit at the top of the middle-half range, a Tuesday in January at the bottom. Then send the date, stops and headcount and get the real number: every quote is trip-specific, and the figures above are history, not a rate card.
Price your trip with the people who wrote these quotes
One written, all-inclusive number for your date, hours and stops. Our own vehicles, our own chauffeurs.
