I need some help. A bride wants this cake. The 16" bottom tier and the 3rd tier from the top(10") will be cake but all the rest will be styrofoam. I need to know what to charge. I've never done and charged for a cake that is part cake/styrofoam before.  http://www.pinterest.com/pin/235031674278217332/

I can't quite help you on the pricing other than to price the non-cake tiers based on how much time it will take you to decorate them plus the cost of all that fondant and decor... They will probably come out to close to real cake prices too...

But if I were you, I would do the smaller tiers with cake so that if there is leftover cake it can more easily be boxed up... and then you are working on less styrofoam...

AThe cost of the styrofoam is about the same or close to the cake ingredients. You still have to decorate the styrofoam tier. The only time/cost difference would be actual bake/cleanup for the fake tier. I'm pretty sure 10% -15% off the cost if the styrofoam at the very most. Figure out how much the tiers cost seperatly and then take 10% off the foam ones. Unfortunately it's not much of a savings.

I charge the same for fake cakes as I do the real thing.  The cost of the styrofoam is almost equivalent to the cost of ingredients, particularly if you have to add in shipping.  It costs me the same amount of frosting and fondant to decorate a fake cake as it does the real thing and it takes the same amount of time.  It costs the same to deliver.  If they want a fake tier because they want the look of a big cake but don't need that many servings that's fine but it's still going to cost them the same.

ANo less from me. That contoured tier would definitely add to the price.

BRIDE  sounds as if she would be happy having the dinner consist  of  plastic food displays !  I would charge the same price  for her styrofoam cake as you do  for a cake of the dimensions she provided.

Typically I charge 10% less for a Styrofoam cake than I would for a real cake..yes the price is almost identical, but you don't actually have to do the baking, torting, etc..So I cost of up how I would charge if it were a "real" cake and then take the 10% off..its not much, but I think its pretty fair. 

+1 here for charging exactly the same price for all the reasons already mentioned above.