• I want to thank all the members that have upgraded your accounts. I truly appreciate your support of the site monetarily. Supporting the site keeps this site up and running as a lot of work daily goes on behind the scenes. Click to Support Signs101 ...

A fair price for large scale hand lettering

Brushworks Plus

New Member
I have a large indoor school wall to hand letter the name to.
letters are 60" in hieght with a secondary color forming a 3" drop shadow. Total of 15 letters. Wall is 15-20ft up from ground. I can make patterns to pounce on the wall. I'll tape off and paint in. Half the wall is concrete block. Any idea on how to quote this job, what would you quote it at?
 

Gino

Premium Subscriber
Don't know if you're working off a ladder or scaffolds, but there's going to be a lot of moving stuff around..... and back and forth. I would figure this to take about 15 to 18 or so hours because of all the moving.......

Price it accordingly. You're out in the 'Open Forums' where anyone can see this, so actual numbers are not my thing here.
 

Brushworks Plus

New Member
Thanks for your input and time. I was quessing 20 hours on tape off and paint. An additional 5 hours on pattern making via plotter and then electric pouncing.
 

OldPaint

New Member
LETTERS 60 INCHES HIGH???and you want to do a pounce pattern????? as an old old sign guy........who has done stuff this big once or twice, a couple straight 2 X 4's, ball of string and some charcoal/#2 carpenter pencils for the round stuff.........i cant see hangin paper that big for no reason. find the center of the wall, count the number of letters that will go into each half.....once its done, aint nobody get a tape measure out to see if its exact))))))))))))
price wise, i see your working for a SCHOOL..........this is usually as cheap as they can get it. but for this kinda work, 672 sq ft, if that is the lettering area..........times $10.00 a SQ FT= $6,720.00............THAT WHAT IT WORTH. half of that is more like what you will get, i hope. so $3,360.00 would be $5 a SQ FT. who in your family is going to school there??????? so you probably wind up doing it for almost free.
 

John Butto

New Member
basic signpainting 101

I agree with OldPaint on the pattern and tape not being used, make a good scaled drawing of the lettering and wall and draw out the letters and cut them in. As far as the pricing and if you are a professional signman that is something you should know how to do just as you should know how to do a wall job.
 

SignosaurusRex

Active Member
I'll start off by saying that I don't mean to offend you but, If you are here asking for pricing on a project like that and intend to go about it in the manner mentioned, than this project is way over your head and you will realize that in very short order....even if you get tip-top dollar. You will be much farther ahead to sub the project to a good seasoned veteran walldog. You'll make more money in the long run and if you can shadow them, pay attention and possibly help out.....just to learn, then just maybe you will gain enough knowledge to be able to effectively attack the next like project on your own.
The way I see it....Two people, a scale grid drawing, chalk snap-line, charcoal sticks, rolling stage, paint, brushes, paint rollers, a coffee pot & some donuts, someone to fetch lunch, a go-gettum attitude and one very long day.....project done.
Price: Like Gino......not discussed in an open forum. Best of luck to you.
 

iSign

New Member
and I'll chime in that I wouldn't want to offend my friends Rex, OP, or Gino.... but I've never done this either & I don't see a single aspect of this job that anyone with ambition & dexterity couldn't do a fine job at, hopefully with at least one "veteran walldog" friend that would be willing to share the entire 20 minutes of training this would require... I mean talk about a "real signwriting" job & I would never say that.. but come on people.. this is about as skilled labor as painting the trim on my house, once you get the pattern on there.. and the pattern, well that's a little more advanced then drawing out a hopscotch board for my little sister... but come on...

tell a guy to use Nova colors, some rollers & cutters.. and a paint drop cloth.. and he's trained already... maybe use a projector & a stabilo marker

as for price? well, go to Signs101 & ask... maybe sign up for a premium membership.... as little as $7 a month once upon a time... not sure today.. and then maybe guys will help you a little more.. I have no doubt if this were my job, I could learn on-the-job ..and never screw up too bad..
 

SignosaurusRex

Active Member
and I'll chime in that I wouldn't want to offend my friends Rex, OP, or Gino.... but I've never done this either & I don't see a single aspect of this job that anyone with ambition & dexterity couldn't do a fine job at, hopefully with at least one "veteran walldog" friend that would be willing to share the entire 20 minutes of training this would require... I mean talk about a "real signwriting" job & I would never say that.. but come on people.. this is about as skilled labor as painting the trim on my house, once you get the pattern on there.. and the pattern, well that's a little more advanced then drawing out a hopscotch board for my little sister... but come on...

tell a guy to use Nova colors, some rollers & cutters.. and a paint drop cloth.. and he's trained already... maybe use a projector & a stabilo marker

as for price? well, go to Signs101 & ask... maybe sign up for a premium membership.... as little as $7 a month once upon a time... not sure today.. and then maybe guys will help you a little more.. I have no doubt if this were my job, I could learn on-the-job ..and never screw up too bad..

With all due respect Doug, that's pretty clear. You are not the average Joe in the industry and you are very self confident and ambitious, yet there are times that one can and will get there ass in a sling real quick with no way out. While the original poster may...or may not be like you...I prefer to advise on the side of caution. As for my advise to you, when you get a like project......."Go Get'm Charger" :wink:
 

OldPaint

New Member
doug, sorry to disagree with ya buddy........but doin a pattern.......is a waste of time for a "seasoned old wall dog." rex is right, and if you have to make a pattern and hang and pounce
something this big, you are a beginer, not ment to offend. but a scaled out drawing chalk line 2x4 whatever to make straight line and string and chalk for rounds..........is simplicity at its best. YES.......being artistic/having talent is prefered for this way...........my wife works for a large company that paints industrial sites. they call me for pricing on large lettering jobs. the lastest one is a 32 FOOT TALL X 67 FOOT 3 letters, and a smaller line of text below them. last one we talked about was the roof on a semi flat top water tower in the virgin islands, they wanted to paint a 50 FOOT logo on the roof. pattern is out as to wind, so a grid drawing and some chalk line snapping is it. then rollers with paint.
ask timi(round man) he does this all the time for the NASCAR race track grass logos.
 

iSign

New Member
doug, sorry to disagree with ya buddy........but doin a pattern.......is a waste of time

no chit cherloc...

maybe use a projector & a stabilo marker

even I agree with you guys on all your suggestions.. I'm just saying all your suggestions take about 10 minutes to give & 20 minutes to heed... after that it's basic house trim work :thumb: ..ok, I'm exaggerating, and Rex... thanks for the vote of confidence.. I see your point about not assuming too much & erring on the side of caution... at least you guys are giving out the tips & that was all i was getting at anyway...
 

John Butto

New Member
YouTube

ISign, you forgot to mention the time it will take you for making your videos for your first time wall sign.
 

sardocs

New Member
If the lettering is going on the concrete bricks, I would make a working drawing that has a grid corresponding to the brick pattern. That way pounce patterns aren't needed. Mark it on as you go, so you don't have to keep moving your ladders or scaffold.
 

andy

New Member
I have a large indoor school wall to hand letter the name to.
letters are 60" in hieght with a secondary color forming a 3" drop shadow. Total of 15 letters. Wall is 15-20ft up from ground. I can make patterns to pounce on the wall. I'll tape off and paint in. Half the wall is concrete block. Any idea on how to quote this job, what would you quote it at?

I'd quote if for flat cut letter shapes manufactured from acrylic or ploymetal, hell for indoor use you could use coloured Sintra.

Painting serves no practical purpose as far as I can see... it's a lot of pi$$ing about on site and from the sounds of it a load of aggro... cut the shapes from rigid sheet, whack on vinyl for the drop shadow and all you've got to do is lift up a letter shape and secure it to the wall.

If you've got better things to do with 25 hours of your time then rigid cut lettering is the only sane option.
 

Craig Sjoquist

New Member
Well a pounce pattern is not necessary for 60" letters, really be a hassle to put up.
A scale drawing be best, snap lines, I normally use ..2 rolling stages and a long plank between if all possible or just one rolling stage with leg adjusters = scaffolds.

Next mark out your scale drawing letter and spacing to make sure it fits, make changes, draw letters, roll on paint as much as possible, finish up with brush outline and clean up.

About a hour per letter or less depends how rough surface is, height slows you down, rough wall slows you down, things in the way slow you down, using ladders slow you down if your moving them alot. odd surfaces slow you down.
 

Gino

Premium Subscriber
Not going to go into naming names or anything, but this being in the air some 15' or 20' is what makes this a little hairy for the OP. With or without experience, I hope he has the correct insurance for himself and liability... should he drop something on someone's head. That's my first concern.

Next, again.... being that high makes a pounce almost out of the question. I didn't even think to mention that originally because it goes without saying. However, having so many novices when it comes to hand painting, I forget sometimes.

Before doing anything, you must first prep the wall if needed. Personally, using a grid was always something I used when doing pictorials and/or large areas.... not this kinda layout. This being about 5' x 65'... I'd be on a 17' walk plank between two tall ladders. I would draw in a top line and bottom line. Sketch in with the charcoal all the letters I could fit in the first 15 or so feet. Probably about three, maybe four letters. Cut them in, fill them in and then do the shadow right away. Move to the next section and so on til finished.

If this was near ground level, I'd again put both top and bottom lines and charcoal in the letters from start to finish, cut them in, roll them in and come back and cut the shadow in when finished with the first color.

As for being the same skill level as painting your house, please don't say such things unless you're lettering your house while painting it. Has nothing to do with experience or talent. Has everything to do with paletting your paint, right consistency and proper prep work. None of which is done the same as in house painting. Ever wonder why some wall lettering jobs have lasted 30, 40 and 60 years, while most house painters jobs might last 5 years before needing a re-paint ??

No, the two shouldn't be compared to each other, but if that's all you think of it, then its no wonder we have some of the problems in communications and understanding of hand-painting techniques.

Actually, it even takes a house painter longer to learn how to properly paint and they too would probably feel a little insulted, that you hold no respect for what they do either. Truthfully admitting that you could learn on the job and not screw it up too bad is not something ANYONE's customer would like to hear. I would never place that fear into a customer. Things go bad, and jobs go south for many reasons, but they shouldn't be actions of negligence of not knowing your trade and treating it so lightly.

Sorry, but this is the kind of attitude that just give me pains in my stomach sometimes. Sorry to vent on ya, but it had to be said. I'm sure you meant well, but it didn't come across that way at all. If you understood, thank you.... if you took offense, then I'm glad I said it.
 

Si Allen

New Member
:goodpost:


Gino is 100% correct!

Due to your inexperience ... my guess is that you will screw this up and/or lose your ass on this one!


Find someone who is experienced at walldogging and have him/her work with you on this! What you will learn is worth much more that what this job will pay!
 
Top