Help needed to figure a price...

[Patentagosse]

Another shop of my neighborhood just called to offer me an installation job.

Box truck, no rivets, 26ft long, full wrapped sides printed on Oracal 3651GRA+210G, one strip (panel) on roll-door between bolt.

Only downside: it has to be done on Easter weekend. New truck will be delivered on Friday morning so the time to drive down here, wash it, dry it... I figure like 5 hours on Saturday. I estimate the sq.ft around 469.

'Want to be fair with this guy in case he would send more but don't wanna do it cheap to regret it after... 'Never done installs for others so I'm like walking eyes closed. Any help will be appreciated.

What do you think? Cleaning the vehicle + installation...

What do installers charge per sq.ft usually?

I wrote down $1/sq.ft on a Post-It for the moment but looking for inputs.

(rural spot, Eastern Canada)

Thanks

 

[laserman70]

2.00 sq. ft..
plus cleaning time..

 

[Patentagosse]

Really?

So I was leaving money on the table with my $1.00 but I don't think I'll get the job at $2.00. He will never give me around $950 for like 6 hours.

* do you really collect over $1000 just for installs? That's good money, I should re-consider my job as owner and work for you!

Thanks for the input.

 

[MikePro]

if you're assuming it will only take 6hrs... then why not charge him your shop rate x6?

psf pricing is just for ball-parking. if you're bidding this, then sharpen your pencil.
....buuuut, If I had to spend my entire saturday in the shop, I'd better be making more than $400 for my company and my overtime.

 

[Gino]

I come up with more like 414 sq ft, but you're doing this over a holiday weekend.

Charging for something's worth is what you have going here. We get over $550 to de-vinyl a cop cruiser in about 3 hours.

I'd rather be decorating something....... anything, then removing old crap. ​

 

[Patentagosse]

Shop's rate: $65/hour
Estimated time: 6 hours
Total: $390

I have no employee so by the time I'll be doing it, nothing else will move in the shop (designs, installs, papers...)

$390 sounded cheap to me, working on weekend... Easter weekend...

 

[Mosh]

$1000 especially on Easter weekend!!!

 

[HulkSmash]

If it's an regular gig $1.50 a sqft is fine.
for a 1 time install $2.00 a sqft is minimum here.

If you're installing by yourself it's going to take more then 6 hrs, do the fact it's the wrong vinyl being installed on the truck, and you're going to want to punch a few puppies a few hours into the installation.


good luck.

 

[Circleville Signs]

Yup. At $1/sf you are destroying yourself and the rest of the install market. That type of a job I would be at $1.50/sf - ONLY if the truck was prepped and ready to go. Otherwise it would be $1.50/sf + $65/hour for removal and cleaning.

If I had to strip/clean/prep this would be close to a $1000 job. How long it takes is TOTALLY IRRELEVANT.

 

[Patentagosse]

The last thing I want is to be a low baller, cutting throats or a cheap labor guy. I think I'll decline just to avoid being insulted after saying anything over $500 (he probably expects below anyway)...

I think my time is done in vehicle graphics, my prices are from the '90 and that's why I cannot make a good living out of this. Maybe I should consider working for others (who knows... my 24 years of experience may worth more than I expect...)

 

[Circleville Signs]

The last thing I want is to be a low baller, cutting throats or a cheap labor guy. I think I'll decline just to avoid being insulted after saying anything over $500 (he probably expects below anyway)...

I think my time is done in vehicle graphics, my prices are from the '90 and that's why I cannot make a good living out of this. Maybe I should consider working for others (who knows... my 24 years of experience may worth more than I expect...)

Why do you assume that he expects below $500? If he has done any shopping around for installation AT ALL, then he has seen probably 90% of quotes above that.

Additionally, does he want professional work that will look good? Don't sell yourself short. If you have 24 years of experience, and have a good track record of wrap installs, then quoting $1/sf is lunacy.

Why would you simply decline? Just give him a quote and see what happens.

 

[jfiscus]

$1000 seems reasonable for a box truck wrap of this size on a regular day. If it is on a weekend, a holiday weekend; he probably expects to pay much more (or AT LEAST that) for the install. I think he is using the wrong materials also, but YMMV. If they aren't charging more than that to the customer (who knows it HAS to be installed on a holiday weekend), then they have a pricing problem on THEIR end to work out.

 

[SlightlyChilled]

So you are going to drive to the place,wash it and install for $1sq foot... How are you getting to the top of the truck? ladder,loading dock,forklift,cherrypicker?

I would rethink that. 1000.00 would be a better place to be

 

[HulkSmash]

wow...
dude $2 a sqft isn't so far fetched. Trust me, i do installs for other shops and massive organizations every day, and they're much more stingy then your current customer is, trust me.

 

[SignManiac]

Typical sign problem that's destroying the industry. Fear of rejection. If you don't ask for it, you won't get it. Stop assuming what he will pay. Who cares, charge a realistic price that makes it worth you while to be in business. If he can't afford you then no big deal. Move on to the next client. If you want to work for chump change then go fishing instead.

 

[Patentagosse]

No, here at my shop, the other shop is supplying the helper (but what kinda helper he is, 'don't know... limited experience as he can do it himself...)

I have nice working plateform approx. 20ft long, adjustable in height. 'Work fine.

 

[SignManiac]

Nice platform! Where did you come across that?

 

[Gino]

Nice platform! Where did you come across that?

I was just thinking the same thing. I had Jeremy come in and look at it. Gonna PM him and looked the thread up again and saw you posted about it.

 

[Mosh]

That thing looks dangerous to me!!! Where did you get that? I want one!

 

[Patentagosse]

Imported from New Zealand:

http://easyaccess.co.nz/shop/Work+Platforms/Stabull+Platform/2+Man+Platform+450mm+deck+width.html