How much could/should I charge?

[hogiewan]

I designed a sign for a company's 50th anniversary. They will be supplying the wood. How much is a reasonable amount to charge for this? It will be 30 x 11.5 x .75, and designer tells me it would take 15 hours 45 min on optimal, but it should be easy enough to sand to run it normal (just under 6 hours).

Attached is a picture of the sign in Designer.

[lhanner]

I charge 30.00 per hour.

[hogiewan]

does that include design and finish or machine time only?

[Digitalwoodshop]

What kind of wood?

The lower small letters will chip out with the wrong wood... Needs Draft to give them some stability....

$80.00 each would be my price... Wood Cheap... Technology Expensive.

It's a Business Expense for him and I am sure he will require a reciept....

So you would then be required to pay Uncle SAM his 30% cut too....

Hobby? or Business?

Hobby that makes MONEY? A Good Thing....

If he went to a Sign Shop.... $150.00....

I am working with a Development for a 100 Year Plaque much like your's with about 6 hours of cutting time and my price for 20 to 40 plaques is $85.00 EACH ...... Still waiting on that order to firm up but I believe it will happen.

I am SO busy now I ask for my fair price and if I don't get it, I move on to the NEXT call...... Got 2 more calls this morning for signs and a request for 4 Bat Houses for the Labor Day Show. The CW can carve a nice Bat into the front.... "BAT HOTEL"....


AL

[TerryT]

From my shop it would be $95 unfinished $102 with gloss spar varnish finish. Whether they supplied the wood or not.

[Ike]

I designed a sign for a company's 50th anniversary. They will be supplying the wood. How much is a reasonable amount to charge for this? It will be 30 x 11.5 x .75, and designer tells me it would take 15 hours 45 min on optimal, but it should be easy enough to sand to run it normal (just under 6 hours).

Attached is a picture of the sign in Designer.

Thought I would give my 2 cents, the way I charge for a sign is by the board foot 30" x 11.5 ( really is 12" that is what you are buying) X 1" (again considered 1" stock even though it is 3/4") comes out to 2.5 board feet. 30" times 12" times 1" divided by 144 = 2.5 board feet. Once I figure the board feet I choose a price simple residential sign $35-$45 per board foot, ie a sign 1' by 6" by 24" . For a commercial sign ie over 24" long I charge $50- $65 per board foot.

I agree with Al $150.00 would be a good price that is $60.00 a board foot. That includes painted letters and finished. As forth to the time it will take to make the sign it isn't fair to charge the customer on the time it takes for the CW to make the sign. There are sign shops that have other CNC machines that can make this sign in an hour. So 15 hours times $30.00 would be $450.00 I sell a simple 2' by 4' sign for that cost, so for a considerable smaller sign as yours I don't think you can get $450.00! When your customer can go to just about any sign shop and pay anywhere from $150.00 to $250.00 at $100.00 a board foot and there are sign shops that charge $100.00 a board foot.

Now if you can get $100.00 a board foot fantastic! But never under sell yourself just to get the job! Trust me you will regret it!

I gave a bit more then 2 cents worth, but I hope it helps!

Ike

[Digitalwoodshop]

After getting advice from Ike last summer on Sign Pricing I raised my prices and got even MORE WORK....

Thanks Ike !!!!

AL

[hogiewan]

Full disclosure is that I work for this company. They wanted to give me a fair price but I honestly didn't know what to tell them. I wanted a few ideas of what you guys are charging from similar items.

Digitalwoodshop - I have a small draft on those bottom letters, they are .125" above the frame pattern.

[Digitalwoodshop]

They might cause you problems.... What looks good on the computer does not always work in wood.

Good Luck,

AL

[hogiewan]

They might cause you problems.... What looks good on the computer does not always work in wood.

Good Luck,

AL

Already carved one and the letters look great. I'll get some photos up later today.

[Ike]

After getting advice from Ike last summer on Sign Pricing I raised my prices and got even MORE WORK....

Thanks Ike !!!!

AL

You are welcomed Al! We all need to find a happy medium for our products!

Ike