gnubler
Active Member
Nope, this was just for the experienced installer working solo. I was also going to hire a second person at my usual rate to help with the removal.
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Hiring contractors - who sets the hourly rate?
- Thread starter gnubler
- Start date
gnubler
Active Member
Yes! Flashback to the horror of the customer with the Jeep striping who decided to hang around. She was told it would take at least two hours, and after an hour I could see her popping her head in to see where I was at. Lesson learned, and NEVER AGAIN.
Never pay your installers an hourly rate, an hourly rate is for your employees only.
We usually tallyup how much material it will take up, email the job proof to the installers, how much square feet it is and ask for a square foot price.
Charge by the hour and it will take twice as long to complete. I can do a 10-ft by 10 foot wall graphic in half the amount of time as our normal installer, and do a better job. If I got paid per hour what that guy got paid you can bet I'm taking my time instead of working my ass off.
There's been an occasion where we tell an installer where we need to be per square foot because it is a budget job, and most of the time they can work with us, but that's because we're not haggling the price on every single job and send them a lot of work.
There's one installer who works for us, we were doing about 1500 square feet of wall graphics. I think he ended up charging 2 a square foot, which we considered really cheap,and he finished it in under one day. So 3 thusand dollars for 8 hours of work... At your $50 an hour rate you would have only got paid $400.
And would have laughed in our face if that's what we offered him.
So while you can look for a $50 an hour person, you usually will end up getting bottom of the barrel when you're using a contractor...
We usually tallyup how much material it will take up, email the job proof to the installers, how much square feet it is and ask for a square foot price.
Charge by the hour and it will take twice as long to complete. I can do a 10-ft by 10 foot wall graphic in half the amount of time as our normal installer, and do a better job. If I got paid per hour what that guy got paid you can bet I'm taking my time instead of working my ass off.
There's been an occasion where we tell an installer where we need to be per square foot because it is a budget job, and most of the time they can work with us, but that's because we're not haggling the price on every single job and send them a lot of work.
There's one installer who works for us, we were doing about 1500 square feet of wall graphics. I think he ended up charging 2 a square foot, which we considered really cheap,and he finished it in under one day. So 3 thusand dollars for 8 hours of work... At your $50 an hour rate you would have only got paid $400.
And would have laughed in our face if that's what we offered him.
So while you can look for a $50 an hour person, you usually will end up getting bottom of the barrel when you're using a contractor...
Texas_Signmaker
Very Active Signmaker
When I work as a sub for local sign shops, I give flat rates. One shop wanted to know my hourly rate and I told them $250. They rather pay me $250 an hour than flat and I don't blame them because they make out better. It all depends on the speed and skill of the installer.
kcollinsdesign
Old member
I am a big fan of outsourcing anything I can – except for installation. Too much can go wrong (especially with vinyl wraps)!
I'll do the design work (branding and brand integration) and work with the client's wrap installation company (who will do the printing and installation).
Design and installation are the money makers. Printed vinyl is readily available at commodity pricing.
I'll do the design work (branding and brand integration) and work with the client's wrap installation company (who will do the printing and installation).
Design and installation are the money makers. Printed vinyl is readily available at commodity pricing.
mkmie
Lost Soul
mkmie
Lost Soul
That explains it. We have paid by the hour for removal if we didn't do the original wrap. You're saying it's old material and I'm sure you don't know what material it is. Removal is a PITA. Nobody wants to do removals but if you must you have to charge by the hour and make it clear to the customer what you are up against. Might take three hours might take 8. Until you get in there and start pulling you just don't know. An experienced installer can give you an educated guess.
gnubler
Active Member
That's exactly what this contract installer said. He guessed 8-10 hours for removal at $100/hr. Said he'd know within the first hour if it would be easy or PITA.