I know we talk about this so much but I don't want to be too high because I want to get more of their business. The area hospital called me Thursday and asked if I would do some signs they need by Monday. The wording and all would not be ready til Friday so it would require me to work the weekend. Here are thje signs: (4) 18in X48in max 50 letters (5) 6inX12in just an arrow (4) 12inX12in 20 letters (1) 18inX18in 94 letters They were put on 4MM coroplast I figured two different ways and I come up with $306. What would you charge?
Posted by Bob Boyd (Member # 2500) on :
Your description of the job makes it hard to price, but it sounds cheap, especially if you have to work Saturday. Double the price. Don't use coroplast.
[ February 17, 2002, 06:46 PM: Message edited by: Bob Boyd ]
Posted by Cpack (Member # 2011) on :
These signs will only be used 2 weeks and they wanted the cheapest materials.
Posted by david drane (Member # 507) on :
When I am asked to quote by x letters on a sign my smartass reply is that I have to know the letters because I sell I's less than the cost of say W's or M's and if it is handwritten then S's take a bit longer to produce because more skill is required. What is a sign worth? How long is a piece of string??.
Posted by John Martin Robson (Member # 1686) on :
Price it the way you would price anything………estimate time, cost of materials, and a premium for working the weekend.
Just do it………don’t over think it………….stiff the bastards and stiff em good.
[ February 17, 2002, 07:31 PM: Message edited by: John Martin Robson ]
Posted by Ian Wilson (Member # 177) on :
one cent per mm of letter size per letter and double it for weekends plus materials and labour 2" letter 50cents by 2 for weekends
Posted by Steve Nuttle (Member # 2645) on :
Cynthia,
Sounds way cheap to me. How long they plan to use the signs does not really matter. If they want cheap throw away signs let them buy some marker pens and scribble what they want themeselves on cardboard and hang them up. The bottom line is they want decent good looking signs at a reasonable price but they want them right away! I don't know how you price your stuff but for us to do a job like that I would double the price at least. Just my opinion. Good luck.
Posted by Joe Rees (Member # 211) on :
So Cynthia, did you get the job? Do you feel like you made money on it?
Just shooting from the hip (sloppy and dangerous), my figures were something like $70 ea for the 4 18"x48"ers ($280), $12 ea for the 5 arrows ($60), $30ea for the 4 12"x12"s ($120), and $60 for the single 18"x18", totaling $520. And I think every one of those prices are on the low side, so I'd say you might have left more on the table than you needed to, to get the job and endear yourself to the client. The timeframe you were put in should have made you a hero by itself. Hope they appreciated it.
Posted by Bruce Bowers (Member # 892) on :
Cynthia,
This comes under the perception of value that Dave Draper was trying to get across last week. Cheap is cheap but the cost of materials is so insignificant on so many fronts.
Intercell, sintra, or a myriad of other materials are so close in cost to the price of coroplast, it is ridiculous. PVC sheets will always look better and the price difference is a few dollars for a far superior product.
The customer will think that you are some kind of hero when you supply them signs that look professional and worthy of your shop.
We use very little coroplast in our shop. The price difference between an 18" X 24" in .040 aluminium and coroplast is like 3-4 bucks. The metal looks so much better than the coroplast it isn't even a contest.
The customer gets a better product, you are working on better material, and everyone wins.
As far as pricing goes... I have no idea of what the economy or market is like in your area. To price it for Western New York would probably be of little, if any, help to you.
Have a great one!
Posted by Cpack (Member # 2011) on :
Thanks for your input. This is my second year in this business and I just can't get my nerve to charge what I need to charge. I usually go cost times 3-4. I live in a very small area and I am afraid of over charging and getting a bad name around here. Word of mouth is the only advertising I do but I have all the business that I feel like doing. Due to my health I only "play" around 15 to 20 hours a week if I feel like doing anything.
Posted by Brian Snyder (Member # 41) on :
"I live in a very small area and I am afraid of over charging and getting a bad name around here"
I don't remember who said it but someone here once said "you're work will either get known as being good or cheap." I always think of that when quoting to a new customer.
Posted by Santo (Member # 411) on :
$475. $1 per inch length + width, materials cost plus 50%, 2 hours shop rate.
[ February 18, 2002, 09:08 AM: Message edited by: Santo ]
Posted by Tony Lucero (Member # 1470) on :
I figured about $420 full retail...now if one of my sign buddies asked me to knock it off for them...I would knock off 25% so my wholesale would be $315...this job might take an hour or so and materials would probably be under $20. When I have to anguish over retail pricing...I just think of my current cash flow and needs and then never discount to my wholesale level. You gotta remember that a lot of the members of Letterhead are very talented and skilled handletterers as such they often concentrate on a handful of projects at a time and charge a premium price regardless of complexity. On the other hand many of us are not among the artistic and rely on volume and prompt reliable service and often must deal with up to 25 or more jobs of varied size at a time. Banging out $300 in an hour, establishing a relationship with a large customer and moving on to the next job can make sense. My Dad was a mason and would work all day on a side-job to knock off $300...that always keeps me humble and grateful.
Posted by Santo (Member # 411) on :
Tony, Are you going to cut and weed 374 small letters and 4 arrows. Handle the coroplast. Layout and apply them all in an hour? You are indeed humble.
Posted by jimmy chatham (Member # 525) on :
go to the emergency room 1 time and you wont have any problem tripling the price.
Posted by cheryl nordby (Member # 1100) on :
Cynthia....pricing can be the hardest part. If I were you I would get one of Marks pricing guides. He is a merchant in Letterville. Never try to be the lowest price in town. That would be a hard one to get out of.
Posted by old paint (Member # 549) on :
well acordin to my figures you got 4,716 sq.in....divided by 144= about 33 sq.ft. at $10 a sq.ft should be $330.00, but you said your gona put em on corplast....around here you cant get more the $5 a sq. ft. for a corplast sign. but hey if you can get your price....grab the money and run!!!!!!!!!
Posted by Bruce Bowers (Member # 892) on :
Remind me to never, ever, ever, move to Pensacola, Fla and have to absorb the abuse that Old Joe Paint has to endure on an hourly basis...
David, You got your tire tool handy? LOL!
Have a great one!
Posted by Bruce Evans (Member # 44) on :
Material costs....we'll say virtually zero. Working on my weekend time off, $500 sounds good.
