How Much Does it Cost to Rent a Hospital Set for a Day?
Hospitals and other medical facilities are among the most sought after categories of filming locations (how many movies have you watched with at least one hospital scene). Fortunately, hospital sets and doctor's offices offer comparatively affordable rental rates compared to other types of commercial locations such as warehouses, churches, and restaurants.
While we don't book a huge amount of hospital themed shoots on Giggster, relative to other location categories (healthcare themed bookings are less than 1% of all Giggster bookings). We still have a healthy enough sample size to give us a good picture of the average booking price for a hospital-themed rental.
Average price to rent a hospital set for a day - $1,283
Average price to rent a real hospital/doctor's office - $4,064
These averages (based on a random sample of a dozen hospital themed rentals) should give you an approximate idea of the rental price of a medical space. As noted above, there is a significant price variance between built-for-film hospital standing sets which start at $80 per hour, and real world hospitals which require a lengthy approvals process and demand a huge rental minimum (day rates at LA's St. Vincent Medical Center are well over $10,000).
Booking real-world hospitals is so expensive and so complicated that very few are represented on online platforms like Giggster or even at top location agencies (of the 154 hospitals in the LA region only a handful are available for film rentals). For this reason it's best to budget for a hospital set, which are easy to book and readily available with a budget of around $1,500 per day.
There are currently 10 hospital locations in Los Angeles available for less than $100 per hour and 21 available in total. However, you should remember that these rates are all based on smaller crews, so if you're planning a large production or event with hundreds of people, you can expect to pay significantly more.
A hospital set rental in Los Angeles ranges from $800 to $2,000 per day. With the average day rate at a cost of $1,283.
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What type of hospital can I afford to rent for a day?
Here at Giggster, we’ve seen a lot of questions about how much a hospital set should cost - and generally speaking, it's very hard to offer a single rate you should expect to pay. Are you looking for a single room with a few props and a gurney? Or are you going to need a variety of settings such as hallways, nursing stations, and waiting rooms?
To give you a better idea of what you can afford we've created a list of hospital options at 3 price tiers:
1) Studio Sets - Hospitals for less than $500 per day
If you need a hospital without breaking the bank, there are several solid options in both New York and LA for around $100 per hour (many also feature additional sets like courtrooms, schools, and jails). The filming location pictured above (Affordable Hospital Standing Set) is an amazing steal at a list price of only $80 per hour and only a 4 hour minimum. While it isn't fancy, it's very film-friendly; offering a great blank slate for a wide range of production projects.
Rent this Los Angeles hospital set location for $80 per hour
2) Need the Real Thing - Hospitals for under $1000 per day
If a studio set isn't going to work and you need the real thing, you can expect to pay a bit more for the rental (especially when you factor in the cost of permits and insurance). While the location above (Animal Veterinary Hospital) looks similar to the first option at a glance, there are many features that provide additional value. Depending on the needs of your project the stand-alone structure might be worth a few hundreds extra dollars.
Rent this Los Angeles veterinary hospital for $100 per hour
3) Specific Requirement - Hospitals for over $1000 per day
When it comes to hospitals, the market above $150 per hour increases exponentially (as mentioned above large hospitals can cost as much as $10,000 per day) However, sometimes a studio set won't work or and there aren't any low-cost alternatives. For example, if you're looking for a pharmacy it's going to be expensive. The image shown above (Quiet and Quaint pharmacy) is a solid choice at $833 with an 8 hour minimum. While it's a very steep price, since it's pretty much the only sub-$1000 per hour option on the market, it's what you'll have to pay if you absolutely NEED a real pharmacy.
Rent this Los Angeles pharmacy location for $833 per hour
What percentage of my budget should be spent on a hospital rental?
Regardless of what type of medical filming location you're interested in, it's usually a good idea to dedicate a significant amount of your total budget to the rental (we recommend at least 30%). Because they're relatively rare, locking down a hospital set can be a competitive process (so keep some flex in your budget so you're not outbid) While friends will work for free and equipment can be borrowed, hospital location rentals have rigid daily rates that you either pay for or lose out on.
Where do I actually rent a hospital for a day?
Though booking rooftop locations can be competitive, actually finding them and contacting the owners is incredibly easy thanks to Giggster. Our online platform connects you directly with hundreds of local property owners where you can start a new chat, sort out the details, and book directly and securely online.