How Much Does a Life-Size 6-Foot Bronze Statue Cost in 2026? China-to-US & Europe Price Guide

Quick answer: At Mily, we have previously published a US$3,000–$5,000 starting range for an approximately 6-foot (183 cm) bronze statue. We also list our 6-foot bronze bear and 6-foot cowboy horse at US$5,000–$9,000. These are useful sculpture-price references, but a new portrait, complex pose, larger body volume, custom pedestal, export delivery, and local installation can raise the total substantially. Our factory price is not your landed, installed price unless the written quote explicitly includes those services.

The figures below are 2026 planning allowances in US dollars, based on Mily’s public examples and the cost steps buyers must budget for. They are not a live quotation or fixed shipping tariff. A firm price requires a drawing or photographs, dimensions, delivery address, and a written scope of work. Where this guide gives a separate allowance for a cost component, do not add it again if that work is already included in the supplier’s sculpture price.

First define what “6 feet” means

A statue 6 feet tall without its pedestal is a different project from a 6-foot-tall display including a 2-foot base. Ask the foundry to write down the sculpture’s height, width, depth, pose, and whether the measurement includes raised arms, wings, horns, or other projections. Those details determine bronze volume, the number of cast sections, crate size, freight charge, and lifting method. The final shipped weight and crate dimensions should appear on the shipping documents before freight is booked.

2026 price by size and type of sculpture

These are not a per-foot rate. A slender standing figure can require less metal and fewer cast sections than a bear, horse, or figure with outstretched arms of the same height. For example, our 6-foot bear listing is $5,000–$9,000, while our custom sculpture examples include a much more complex multi-animal composition at $19,800–$30,000. We would not use the latter as a quote for a single 6-foot figure.

Break the quote into seven cost lines

The table below shows allowances to ask about when preparing a budget, not a promise that we bill each stage separately. Our written quote may combine modeling, molds, casting, chasing, and standard patina in one sculpture price. Ask us for an itemized quote or a clear list of inclusions and exclusions.

The most common budgeting error is double counting. If the supplier quotes $5,000 for a finished bronze statue with standard patina, the casting line and standard finish are already inside that $5,000. Add only the separately excluded base, crate, transport, import charges, and local work.

1. Size: height alone does not determine cost

Compare the actual bronze figure size, overall dimensions, expected finished weight, and whether the sculpture is hollow or solid. A life-size hollow cast is normal for large bronze sculpture; “solid bronze” should not be assumed from the word bronze. Ask for the specified alloy and wall thickness in the contract. A cheap quote can reflect a smaller body, thinner casting, or fewer hours of finishing rather than a better manufacturing price.

2. Design and pose: model reuse versus a new commission

An existing model avoids some original sculpting and mold work. A portrait of a person, a pet recreated from photographs, an unusual pose, or a memorial with names and insignia needs a new approval process. Ask whether concept drawings, clay-model photographs, revisions, and the right to approve the likeness before casting are included. Do not approve casting until the face, hands, pose, and dimensions are signed off.

3. Casting: compare the process, not just the metal label

In lost-wax casting, the foundry makes a model and molds, casts separate bronze sections, joins them, then chases welds and surface detail before patination. In our custom bronze sculpture service, we describe the stages as modeling, mold making, bronze casting, refinement, and patina; our linked 6-foot bear and cowboy horse listings specify lost-wax casting. For two competing quotes, ask for the same alloy, wall thickness, casting method, reinforcement, finish standard, and quality-control photographs. That makes the comparison meaningful.

4. Surface: patina and outdoor finish

A standard brown or green patina may be included, but a color-matched sample, polished details, multiple tones, or a special protective coating can increase labor. For an outdoor statue, decide whether a natural changing patina is acceptable or whether the original finish must be maintained. Request the supplier’s care instructions for the actual finish and climate. No fixed “maintenance every two years” schedule applies to every site.

5. Base: decorative pedestal versus engineered foundation

The pedestal can be stone, bronze, or another material, and it may be made in China or locally. The foundation and anchors are site-specific. For a public monument, a local engineer should check wind exposure, overturning, load capacity, access, and local requirements. Have the foundry provide anchor locations and the sculpture’s finished weight early enough for the site contractor to plan the foundation.

6. Shipping from China: factory price versus delivered price

Our shipping policy says we normally ship large items above 50 kg by sea and ask buyers to allow 4–9 weeks for delivery. We include worldwide shipping for some listed products, but not every listing; our standard curbside delivery does not include bringing the sculpture inside or setting it on a pedestal. Overseas customs fees, taxes, and duties may be the recipient’s responsibility. Check our individual written quote, even if a product page says “free shipping.”

Ask the supplier for the named delivery term and place. Under Incoterms® 2020, FOB is a sea-freight term and leaves the buyer to arrange the main transport after loading at the named Chinese port. DAP can cover delivery to a named destination, but import clearance and import taxes generally remain with the buyer. DDP places import clearance and duties with the seller, if the seller can legally perform those obligations at the destination. A “door-to-door” price still needs an exact address and a statement about unloading, insurance, duties, VAT, and installation.

For US buyers, do not assume every bronze statue has the same tariff treatment. Original sculpture, reproductions, and decorative manufactured articles can differ in classification. The USITC publishes the tariff schedule, while US Customs and Border Protection administers and interprets it. Give your customs broker the design, artist/originality documentation if relevant, commercial invoice, and material description, and ask for the applicable classification and total entry charges before shipment.

For EU buyers, import VAT generally applies to goods entering from outside the EU. The European Commission explains that the taxable amount can include the customs value, duties, packing, transport, and insurance up to the first destination. The VAT rate and duty treatment depend on the importing country and the actual product classification. For UK buyers, HMRC’s import guidance likewise requires a commodity code and import declaration, with any applicable duty and import VAT determined from the shipment details. Ask a local customs agent for a destination-specific estimate; do not treat a factory quote as tax-inclusive unless the contract says so.

7. Installation: budget for the last few meters

A crate arriving at the curb is not an installed sculpture. The buyer may need a forklift or crane, a crew to unwrap and lift the work, anchors or weldable fixings, a finished foundation, and a safe access route. Ask the local installer to quote against the foundry’s packing dimensions, finished weight, anchor drawing, and pedestal details. Confirm who pays if a crate cannot be unloaded by the standard truck or if the site requires special access.

We can provide installation drawings and, on request, professional installers, as described in our bronze bear product guidance. Ask us whether any on-site crew, travel, tools, and lifting equipment are included in your quote.

A worked 2026 budget for a single 6-foot statue

This is an illustrative buyer budget, not a Mily offer. Assume an existing-model, 6-foot standing bronze figure shipped by sea to an accessible US or European address, with a small pedestal and ordinary site access. The numbers show how to avoid mistaking a $4,500 sculpture quote for a $4,500 installed project.

The final total can be lower if a supplier price includes shipping or a base. It can be higher for a custom likeness, heavy sculpture, remote location, crane, engineered foundation, or destination taxes. The import duty/VAT line is intentionally unpriced because it depends on the actual country, classification, taxable value, and current rules; obtain a broker’s calculation before approving the budget.

How to request a quote you can compare

Send the same brief to each foundry:

1. Subject and reference photographs or drawings; state whether you own the design and whether it must be an original likeness.
2. Statue height excluding the base, plus width, depth, pose, display location, and expected audience proximity.
3. Bronze alloy and target wall thickness, casting method, reinforcement, patina sample, outdoor protection, and desired level of detail.
4. Pedestal material and size, plaque text, anchor locations, and whether the foundation will be built locally.
5. Destination country, postal code, delivery address type, unloading access, and requested delivery term such as FOB named Chinese port or DAP named address.
6. A separate price for the sculpture, any custom modeling, base, crate, freight and insurance, plus a list of excluded duties, VAT, site work, and installation.
7. Model-approval milestones, production timeline, pre-shipment photographs/video, warranty or damage process, and payment schedule.

Our previously published $3,000–$5,000 starting range is useful for an early conversation, but only a written quote against this brief can establish what your 6-foot statue will cost. Send us your project details and ask us for both a sculpture-only price and a delivered-price option to your named address.

Frequently asked questions

Is a 6-foot bronze statue from China really $3,000–$5,000?

Our previously published $3,000–$5,000 range can be a starting reference for a straightforward sculpture. We cannot treat it as a guaranteed total for a new portrait or a delivered and installed monument. Ask us whether casting, patina, pedestal, crate, freight, and tax are included in a specific quote.

How much more does a custom portrait cost?

There is no universal percentage. Original modeling, likeness revisions, and approval stages may add hundreds or several thousand dollars, and complex casting adds more. Request the modeling and sculpture prices separately before approving the clay model.

Is the pedestal included in the statue price?

Only if the quote says so. Specify its dimensions and material, anchors, plaque, and foundation. The sculpture’s height and the display’s total height should be shown separately.

Does “free shipping” include customs and installation?

Do not assume it does. We offer free worldwide shipping on some listed items, while our standard curbside delivery does not include moving or installing the sculpture. Our shipping policy also says customs fees, taxes, and duties may be the recipient’s responsibility.

How long should I allow from order to installation?

Allow time for design/model approval, casting and finishing, sea freight, customs clearance, and local installation. Mily’s shipping policy says to allow 4–9 weeks for delivery of large sea-shipped items after shipping; this is not the entire design-to-installation timeline. Ask for a project schedule with approval and dispatch milestones.

What is the best way to compare a Chinese quote with a local foundry quote?

Compare the same sculpture specification and the landed, installed total: model, alloy and wall thickness, casting and finish, base, crate, freight, import charges, insurance, site work, and installation. A factory quote and a local installed quote cover different scopes unless their inclusions are aligned.