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I just spent 5 1/2 hours stripping some of my lettering that the customer ruined with a pressure washer. He joked I must not have done a good job. I told him you can't fool me, I've seen what it looks like when you blow off the lettering. Plus it's about 8-10 years old.
So my question is, what do you charge for removing painted lettering?
-------------------- David Thompson Pro-Line Graphics Martinsville, NJ
I'm not this dumb, it's just the paint fumes talkin' Posts: 396 | From: Martinsville, NJ | Registered: Oct 2001
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What is your shop rate Si? I guess that's what I should've asked from the start. I haven't had a job that I needed to figure by the hour in probably ten years. So a new question to everyone, what's your shop rate?
I've never given a price for removal, just for the reasons you stated. I also warn customers there is a good chance it will cost more to remove the old, than to paint on the new.
This job was a perfect example, 5.5 hrs. to remove, 3 hrs to redo.
[ December 14, 2016, 03:30 PM: Message edited by: David Thompson ]
-------------------- David Thompson Pro-Line Graphics Martinsville, NJ
I'm not this dumb, it's just the paint fumes talkin' Posts: 396 | From: Martinsville, NJ | Registered: Oct 2001
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By the hour only, $85per plus a chemical/supplies charge of $50.
-------------------- Bob Moroney The Sign Guy 310 Club Valley Drive Falmouth, MA 02536 508-259-6297 Posts: 216 | From: Falmouth, MA | Registered: Jul 2008
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I've been out of the game for 9 years. But I totally agree with everyone above. Charge by the hour and keep the hourly rate high.
-------------------- Dave Grundy retired in Chelem,Yucatan,Mexico/Hensall,Ontario,Canada 1-519-262-3651 Canada 011-52-1-999-102-2923 Mexico cell 1-226-785-8957 Canada/Mexico home
Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. — Charles Mingus Posts: 6712 | From: Mendocino, CA. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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I would remove my showroom window splashes for free, if they wanted a new one. Naturally, I subbed it out to the window cleaners who charged a hundred bucks or so and added it into the next bid, discreetly. Had to do a few that I could not get the cleaners to do, but that stripper smells so good and don't you love the effect on your skin?
Now my paintings today....Never had to removed one off the canvas as I try to make them last five hundred years.
-------------------- Preston McCall 112 Rim Road Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 text: 5056607370 Posts: 1552 | From: Santa Fe, New Mexico | Registered: Nov 1998
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Mr.Preston - dittos! I consider it a personal challenge to see how long I can make a sign last! Alas, the sun is against me on the south side of any sign in no shade ...
Original Q: "What do you charge for removal?"
A: As much as possible . .
A: Not enough . . .
Dave, you didn't really specify what kind of lettering or what it was on - was it painted? Vinyl? Was it on aluminum, HDU, brick, block, or a vehicle?
I get $75 to $100 to remove vinyl from a truck or somethin' ... Maybe more maybe less -depends on if I have to use Easy-Off - ok - now I'm 'dating' myself ....
But no matter what needs to be cleaned, the customers is going to be directed to do it themselves. If they start choking on my price, I will go into great detail about all the possible scenarios including the mystery unkown one, so they can at least make and educated combined decision about who'll do the cleaning & their pocket book.
Meanwhile, I can think of no sign that needs to be PRESSURE washed period!!! Signs should be cleaned like cars - regular spray-hose force, auto soap or something like that, with a soft brush. Road scum comes right off aluminum with a little added comet.
I learned this 'no pressure' lesson years ago - I needed to repaint a hand-painted (on aluminum) billboard about 10 years old. I asked the customer to have the sign cleaned. They called some guy with a pressure washer who nearly blasted off the baked-on aluminum finish. I had to re-do nearly the whole layout.
As a side note: When I get called to to-do a sign I ask a few questions, and since the sign would need to be clean anyway, I direct them (with detailed instructions) to go ahead and clean it. And occasionally I'll get a call back saying, "Nevermind! The sign looks brand new since we washed it!"
Duh-yeh!
ALSO - GREAT side job for your teen! All they need is a small truck, a big square tank of water w/hose, car brushes, soap, & maybe a ladder (you-they can set a limit on height) Then they can go around and offer to properly wash signs - doctor & insurance offices etc etc etc - those dryvit monuments etc etc. A kid could make their monthly car payment, insurance, & have some extra bux to boot if they did a few of these a week after school! . . . make 'em some little business cards . . .
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