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Big job....

Master's Touch

New Member
26 trailers for gas and oil industry, to be lettered on site, some as far as 70 miles away, applied to a fairly flat but uneven surface, (think mechanical housings with some inset sections where vinyl will have to be cut and applied into the depression, vents, that sort of thing) Area to cover is about 4x8' approximately, and its 3 color, with PMS codes. What's your price for print, cut and application per unit?

Thanks for the help!
 

StarSign

New Member
Is it cut vinyl, printed vinyl?
What type of vinyl are you using?
is this a 1 person install or 2
do you need to clean off any material?
 

Master's Touch

New Member
Is it cut vinyl, printed vinyl?
What type of vinyl are you using?
is this a 1 person install or 2
do you need to clean off any material?

Probably a little of both.
Definitely a two person job
And there will be surface prep even if they have sufficiently removed old graphics and glue (they say they'll take off old lettering)
 

fozzie

New Member
surface prep clause

make sure your quote says something like - install based upon surface area preparation only requiring light wipe of alcohol cleaner, etc.....then say any surface requiring extra cleaning because of adhesive, dirt, grease, etc, will be billed time and material ( xxx/hr).

otherwise, you will find their definition of "graphics removed" and clean is going to kill your bottom line. most likely, the driver or whoever who was told to take off the old graphics dont give a sh*t and will just do a half *** job and then it is on you.
 

TXFB.INS

New Member
+1 to having the removal disclaimer

for the pricing,
if it is all printed (no layering or alignment of multiple colors) we would be around 15SQFT including install. travel time will be your shop hourly rate.

if it is cut vinyl (layering or having multiple alignments) that will jump the price around 21SQFT including install, again travel being the hourly rate.
 

MrSalumi

New Member
Pricing is a little bit of a sensitive subject around here. You want someone to basically bid the job you are bidding? Figure this.. Materials are materials, we all get them for about the same cost. Labor is labor, we all have different hourly rates based on our burdens, preference etc. What you should be asking is how much time everyone thinks it will take to do one of these trucks and then extrapolate out for yourself what is reasonable. Not to sound harsh but "whats your price for 26 trucks" seems a little vague...
 

visual800

Active Member
Sorry to be a debbie downer but due to past experiences heres whats gonna happen. Your gonna win bid for doing ALL THESE TRUCKS And you will end up doing 2 or 3 and then 2 weeks later another one....and so on. The old lettering will be gone but the adhesive wont. Major pain in ***. They jever do as they say but they want cheapest quote and throw that pms crap out the window.


now if it were my quote I would submit $700 per truck making it plain that includes no cleaning or adhesive removal and I can do more than 1 at a time AND TELL THEM PMS CODES DO NOT APPLY TO OUR MATERIALS. Do not get caught up in the pms crap tell then you can get close enough for approval
 

toucan_graphics

New Member
I agree with Visual.... you will most likely do onesie twosies on the trucks with installs spaced months apart. And if my experience proves true, they will call you at the last minute and tell you they need 2 done this afternoon way out in BFE and three more done tomorrow - and none will be in the same location. Big travel time which means time away from other jobs. Make sure you account for opportunity costs of not completing other jobs during your travel time. Just saying.

Figure up your materials and labor (should be in the neighborhood of $14 or $15 per sq ft) and add travel expenses (shop time, fuel expenses etc). You will probably be in the neighborhood of $20-$22 per sq ft (maybe higher depending on shop rate). Roughly $700 per truck for an approximate total of $18k. Get a signed contract and a deposit. Oh and make sure you have a time-table for completion so everyone is on the same page.
 

Master's Touch

New Member
Thanks guys, for all the serious responses. I actually don't think this will be typical 1-2 at a time deal...simply because it is a corporate rebranding....speed at getting it done was a factor. I think we'll get it and finish these as well as a few other various items as well over a 6 or 7 week spread.
 

phototec

New Member
We don't know your shop rate, and we don't know how much profit you want to make, we don't know what materials you are using, only you know the answers.

As said many, many times on here, material cost + shop rate + profit (and for location work, add mileage) = BID.

:smile:
 

Master's Touch

New Member
I am no spring chicken, but at the same time I am unaccustomed to pricing quotes as large and as complex as this one. There were actually several more elements to this, a few vehicles, a couple utility trailers, conventional signage and some other stuff, but the 26 units was 2/3 of the project. I didn't put my numbers out there, because I wanted to have an unbiased opinion of where others might be on something so large. I wanted a gauge on how much to discount for volume. In the end, I came in under you guys per sq ft., but not by much, so I am right where I wanted to be, I think. I am bidding against a company that prices via sales rep, so ya never know....my worst fear is the sales guy will equate doing this stuff to doing 4x8 panels in the shop. lol. Thank you, sincerely for the advice and the numbers that did get tossed out there. Appreciate the sarcasm too. Hope I didn't offend anyone.
 
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