Cluster ....

[Texas_Signmaker]

That is cheap. You're not getting poly for that price, unless you found some left over from someone else's job. Sounds more like acrylic.

https://www.nglantz.com/2241217/Product/Glantz_Preferred_Supplier_145706

 

[DerbyCitySignGuy]

For those that are reusing... is the amount of $$ you're saving the customer by not buying new faces (which is not that much $) worth it to remove the signs, drive back to shop, remove letters and prep faces and install new and then go back out there and reinstall the faces?? I'm I the only one that sees this as a time/money efficiency issue?

Depends. If you're paying a dude $12 an hour to strip and reapply, it's probably going to save a ton of money. If you work by yourself (which, I believe you do, correct?) you're probably billing your time and labor at a higher rate. Just gotta check your numbers.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

Depends. If you're paying a dude $12 an hour to strip and reapply, it's probably going to save a ton of money. If you work by yourself (which, I believe you do, correct?) you're probably billing your time and labor at a higher rate. Just gotta check your numbers.

yes, by myself

 

[Johnny Best]

Do you have a plotter to cut the vinyl or do you outsource that out also. Is that what is causing you concern with time and money? Not everyone does things the way you like them to be accomplished, especially a sign company. You could have already driven there, taken the faces down and removed letters from all the time you spent on here and on the phone complaining to the other sign company. The reason I say this because I have dealt with sign companies that have done the same thing to me. Just have patience, do the job, get paid and move on.

 

[TimToad]

You do save a bit, polycarb roll stock isn't cheap (at least not up here, not sure about the USA)

Even if you are replacing the plastic, you still need 2 trips, as you need to get an accurate measurement of the plastic in order to cut the new panels to the correct size, so still 2 trips with the bucket truck, then you need to cut the roll stock down to size (PITA depending on size), cut the hanger strips, glue them on, and apply the graphics.

One of the reasons these out of state vendors are engaging local installers is so that they don't have to send a crew out for field measurements or the installation. They try to find colleagues that are as close to the project as possible to cut down on travel expenses. Everyone has to decide for themselves how far they are willing to go to do a project. We find these out of the area vendors are usually willing to pay a premium rate for the convenience of not having to send crews out great distances. To them, keeping their corporate chain accounts happy and well served is the basis of their business model.

In our area, 52" .177 white poly roll is just under $20.00 per linear foot. So, two 4'x8's are about $300.00 plus that extra labor time to cut you described. Translucent vinyl unless it's really aged usually comes off fairly easily with heat. Avery common size for smaller mall cabinets here is 2'x12'. Our main supplier doesn't stock the 40" roll, so if we demanded that our clients accept a new face for every job, we'd have a pile of 28"x144" drop off panels laying around. As it is, we usually have at least one or two at any given time.

We try to take nearly everything on a case by case basis and to be prepared to adjust the cost if the old faces are rotten or so yellowed that even a full coverage white translucent decal won't make up for its aging. We ALWAYS warn the client in advance of both costs and then let them make the decision. Most actually pop for new faces, but many in small malls that aren't chains try to economize.

 

[unclebun]

They ARE nickel and dimeing me... They don't actually make the channel letters so they couldn't send faces without it costing a ton. They sent me 4 packages... Crate of channel letters, roll of translucent vinyl, another roll of window graphics and another roll of a banner, ALL at different times. Oh and the vinyl graphics are in 8 pieces when really it should of been three but they tried to save $2 of vinyl to cost me another 20-30 mins of time. And you right, they are 2' x 9'

Hmmm. Maybe the company that hired you to install just does design and doesn't actually manufacture anything. Then they just sit at their desk and watch the money roll in.

 

[DerbyCitySignGuy]

Hmmm. Maybe the company that hired you to install just does design and doesn't actually manufacture anything. Then they just sit at their desk and watch the money roll in.

I'd say this is nail on the head territory.

 

[unclebun]

I'd say this is nail on the head territory.

We do seasonal graphics changeouts at a luxury purse company's factory outlet store which is literally right across the street from us. But the company's ad agency and graphics supplier (located in the Northeast) is not who hires us to do it. They design the advertising and ship the graphics. But they've contracted with a company in our state which apparently gets the installations done at the stores around here for them, and through looking at email headers and other things I've found out that they are actually a medical equipment supplier.

 

[DerbyCitySignGuy]

We do seasonal graphics changeouts at a luxury purse company's factory outlet store which is literally right across the street from us. But the company's ad agency and graphics supplier (located in the Northeast) is not who hires us to do it. They design the advertising and ship the graphics. But they've contracted with a company in our state which apparently gets the installations done at the stores around here for them, and through looking at email headers and other things I've found out that they are actually a medical equipment supplier.

I've been in this industry quite a while and that's a new one for me.