Leaflet distribution looks simple on a quote: a number of leaflets, a price per 1,000. What the quote doesn't show is what happens on the street: how many people, how many hours, and what it actually costs to put a leaflet through every door.
This post opens up our own numbers. It isn't about any other provider. It's about why we price the way we do, and what you should ask before you accept a quote that looks too good.
The raw cost of reaching 14,134 households
Take a real area we cover: Loughton, IG10 sectors 1 to 4. That's 14,134 households.
The biggest cost in leaflet distribution is people. Distributor pay alone sits at around £105-110 per 1,000 leaflets delivered. Add supervision, GPS tracking, transport and route planning, and our cost baseline is about £115 per 1,000.
Now compare that with a Solus Drop quoted at £85 per 1,000:
| Per 1,000 | Loughton IG10 (14,134 households) | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue at £85 per 1,000 | £85.00 | £1,201.39 |
| Cost at £115 per 1,000 | £115.00 | £1,625.41 |
| Result | -£30.00 | -£424.02 |
That's a deficit of £424.02 on one area, before printing coordination, office time or a single van repair. The job loses money from the first door.
What a deficit does on the street
A business can't run every job at a loss. When a price is below what the work costs, the gap has to come from somewhere, and it usually comes from the street:
- Fewer people sent to cover the same area, so each one has to rush.
- Leaflets left in piles in communal hallways instead of each letterbox.
- Harder streets (long front gardens, locked blocks, hills) quietly skipped.
- No supervisor on site to check the work.
None of this shows on the quote. It shows weeks later, when the phone doesn't ring.
So before you book any Solus Drop, ask three questions: How many people will cover my area? Will I see their routes live? When will I get proof of delivery?
Why weight changes the job
The format of your leaflet changes how hard the round is. A light A5 flyer fits in a shoulder bag. A thick A3 leaflet needs a trolley, and the same street takes longer.
Here is how our internal model plans the team for those same 14,134 households in Loughton, on a 6-7 hour shift:
| Format | Approx. weight per 1,000 | How it's carried | Team needed (Solus or 1+1) | Team needed (1+2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A5, 2 pages, 130gsm | 4-12 kg | Shoulder bags | ~12 distributors | ~13 distributors |
| A4, 4 pages, 130gsm | 16-24 kg | Trolleys above Solus | ~14 distributors | ~15 distributors |
| A3, 4 pages, 300gsm | 37-46 kg | Trolleys | ~15 distributors | ~16 distributors |
A heavy A3 campaign needs a bigger team than a light A5 one to cover the same doors properly. A flat cheap price ignores that, and the heaviest jobs suffer most.
Why our Solus Drop is £130 per 1,000
Our Solus Drop is £130 per 1,000 + VAT. On the Loughton example, that's £1,837.42 against a £1,625.41 cost baseline. The margin is £212.01: enough to run the job properly, with a supervisor, live GPS tracking and a verified report within 2 hours.
That's not a premium for its own sake. It's the price at which every letterbox can actually be reached.
Why Shared Drop works at £50 per 1,000
Shared Drop is how most of our clients advertise, and it's how we keep prices low without cutting corners.
On a Shared Drop 1+2, one route carries leaflets for three non-competing clients. Each pays £50 per 1,000 + VAT, so the route earns £150 per 1,000 doors, above our £115 baseline. Shared Drop 1+1 works the same way: two clients at £65 per 1,000 + VAT each.
Your leaflet still goes through every door on the route, GPS tracked, with never more than 3 leaflets per letterbox. The minimum is 10,000 leaflets.
What to check before you book
- Ask how many distributors will cover your area, and who supervises them.
- Ask whether GPS tracking is live and included, or an extra.
- Ask when you'll receive proof of delivery, and what it contains.
- For a Shared Drop, ask how many other leaflets go through the door with yours.
If a quote can't answer these clearly, the low price may be costing you more than it saves. See our Coverage & Pricing, or see our full cost breakdown in "The Mathematics of Direct Leaflet Marketing".
The figures in this post come from our own internal cost model, based on our own team, routes and rates. They show how we price our own work and are not a statement about any other provider's costs or services.
Solus Drop pricing: FAQ
How much does a Solus Drop cost?
Our Solus Drop is £130 per 1,000 + VAT, with GPS tracking and a verified report within 2 hours included.
Why is Shared Drop cheaper than Solus?
One route carries up to three non-competing clients, so the cost of the round is shared. Shared Drop starts at £50 per 1,000 + VAT, minimum 10,000.
Does the size of my leaflet affect delivery?
Yes. Heavier formats like A4 brochures and thick A3 leaflets need trolleys and a larger team to cover the same streets properly.
What should I ask before accepting a low quote?
How many people will cover your area, whether you can track them live, and when you'll get proof of delivery.
Want a price that covers the job properly?
Tell us your area, quantity and leaflet format, and we'll send your quote today. Get a quote, call us on 07739 556 456 or message us on WhatsApp.
