Pricing multi color cut vinyl

[gnubler]

How do you charge for multiple color cut vinyl? I'm doing some truck decals that are three colors layered. My estimating software is calculating my base sq ft price for one color and 50% for additional colors (eg: $10/sf base, $5/sf add'l colors). Then there's the production time in swapping out the different rolls of vinyl, and masking & assembling the decals.

 

[rjssigns]

Software pricing sounds about right. As far as the rest of it get a timer. I used one for a long time to get a bead on now long roll changes, weeding, masking etc... would take.
Can chuck all those times in a spread sheet and use that to make your estimating software "smarter".

I'm going all spreadsheet based. Wife made a Userform in Excel and I'm starting to populate it with material costs, print time, ink, travel, actual install times vs estimated etc...
This way it's all in one place and she can pull invoice or any other information she needs.

Even a place for notes which I used after a couple installs that took way longer than expected. Now if I work on the same type of boat I can look up those notes/specs.

 

[Stacey K]

I agree with rjsigns, that estimate sounds about right. I made a form in Excel and I track pretty much all my time on each job. I also use the stopwatch on my phone.

 

[Norman Clifton]

anyone care to share their excel sheet forms?

 

[DPD]

Software pricing sounds about right. As far as the rest of it get a timer. I used one for a long time to get a bead on now long roll changes, weeding, masking etc... would take.
Can chuck all those times in a spread sheet and use that to make your estimating software "smarter".

I'm going all spreadsheet based. Wife made a Userform in Excel and I'm starting to populate it with material costs, print time, ink, travel, actual install times vs estimated etc...
This way it's all in one place and she can pull invoice or any other information she needs.

Even a place for notes which I used after a couple installs that took way longer than expected. Now if I work on the same type of boat I can look up those notes/specs.

That's what I did and I never looked back. You'll be surprised how much you were undercharging and how much guessing went into everything. I have Cyrious for estimating but I haven't used it in years. It OK for beginning work but when the signs get complex its time to ditch the software.

 

[highrolling24]

anyone care to share their excel sheet forms?

I found this on signcraft.com and I thought a few of these were real helpful for me. Hope they help. You can go to signcraft.com and download them yourself if these do not work, they are free.

 

[Stacey K]

Software pricing sounds about right. As far as the rest of it get a timer. I used one for a long time to get a bead on now long roll changes, weeding, masking etc... would take.
Can chuck all those times in a spread sheet and use that to make your estimating software "smarter".

I'm going all spreadsheet based. Wife made a Userform in Excel and I'm starting to populate it with material costs, print time, ink, travel, actual install times vs estimated etc...
This way it's all in one place and she can pull invoice or any other information she needs.

Even a place for notes which I used after a couple installs that took way longer than expected. Now if I work on the same type of boat I can look up those notes/specs.

As far as your spreadsheet, are you tracking some of it on paper then entering the data in later? That's the part where I think I would end up getting behind since I don't have a helper to do my paperwork.

 

[kcollinsdesign]

I use a version of SignCraft's pricing guide for square footage retail costs of cut vinyl (modified for detail and type of vinyl). I add all the vinyl together to get total square footage.
Example: 2' x 3' 3-color doors (2x) cast vinyl

Black: 12 sq. ft.
Red: 6 sq. ft.
White: 9 sq. ft.

Total: 28 sq. ft. @ $15.65 (2019 blue column) = $438.20
Total retail price (graphics only, does not include design or installation)

By contrast, pricing for same set of stickers using digitally printed 3M 180 IJcv3 with 3M 8158 laminate:
28 sq. ft. @$4 = $112.00, w/ tax $121.80, w/shipping and contour cutting added $151.80, w/40% margin = $253.00
One hour set-up/ordering time: $70
Total retail price (graphics only, does not include design or installation): $323.00

For all but the simplest one-color or two-color jobs, digital printing is likely going to be the least expensive option.