How do you tell if a crafting fee is fair?

Start with the cost of replacing the materials, not just what you paid for them. If the agreed payment is less than that cost, the crafter is taking a loss on materials. If the client supplies them, that changes the calculation, but the crafter may still want to charge for the time involved.

Market value for materials doesn’t automatically make the whole job fair. Gathering or buying them, meeting the requested specifications, and doing the crafting all take time. A fee can cover the materials and still undervalue that work. It helps to agree in advance whether the price includes materials, labor, or both.

There isn’t one fee that works for every request. A simple job with materials supplied is different from a custom order where the crafter has to source everything. Asking what qualities or options the buyer wants before naming a price can prevent misunderstandings, and both sides can decide whether the total works for them.