Bringing back this thread instead of starting a new one.
I have been in the sign industry for 13 years, and have been doing wraps for about 12-1/2. It was something that I caught on to quick, enjoyed the process and my attention to detail made me good at it. With that being said, I now run my own small shop. Just me and one other installer (wish we could find another helper). He has been in the industry for nearly 25 years. I would say 50% of our work is wraps, both color change and commercial. We are known for being one of the more high end shops with the quality we put out, but the longer I'm in business, the less I want to touch color change wraps just because of the profit margin (hey, we're all in business to make money).
When quoting a color change, I've learned going by a square foot price doesn't usually work out- so I stick with time/material. I, personally, can do a full color change- not including jams, in about 40 hours. This includes pressure wash/degrease, clay pad, removal of all parts including bumpers, install and reassembly. It keeps our prices somewhat competitive for the area, and there is money to be made. The problem is, as most business owners, I am finding less and less time to actually find the time for physical installs, so my employee is doing a good portion of the work. I'm happy with his quality, about 90% of the time.. but, his pace is maybe half of mine. I have never had him go 100% solo on one particular car, because we try to have a one week turn around.
Just out of curiosity for those who properly do color change wraps, roughly how many labor hours do you have into it? Obviously this differs per vehicle, but on average? Are there subcontracted installers out there, that even mess with color changes? Because that may be the route I have to go with the lack of installers in my area.
