Help nationwide

[stew1tx]

i am trying to establish a database of average instal labor rates across the nation. I will be qualifying testing and establishing national install teams for various projects. The work will be pretty consistent across the region with some travel and overnight all which is compensated for. Establishing the regions now then will break it down a little further into smaller or larger areas by necessity.

I am sure I will have to train a bunch of people on teams and that’s ok too. Not going to divulge any details at this point but the work will typically be multiple days and most of it will be flat panel with good vinyl there will be some brick and block and a limited amount of signs mounted on standoffs. This is for an established entity and looking for the right people. Need to have good presence and clean records. I know that reduces the labor pool some but it is what it is.

If possible please post or message me locale and and what you have seen as wholesale install rates in that area.

 

[Bigdawg]

Not sure about others, but we do a fair amount of installs for out-of-area sign companies and we quote per job. Depends a great deal on the location and what exactly needs to be done - I've refused several requests that were what I call "blind quotes" because we do a site survey before committing to the job. And if it is exterior work - who does the permitting? Even if you do get hourly rates... who decides how many hours something would take? You or the contracted company? I understand what you are trying to do, but I'm not sure it would give you an accurate idea of how much the installs will end up costing you. Good luck.

 

[stew1tx]

Check your pm

 

[visual800]

We stopped doing stuff like this a few years ago. We found it waste of time to quote these companies. You cannot nail down prices on these items as every situation would be different

 

[Gino]

There are third party installers everywhere for just about anything you wanna do, but the problems are always the same thing...... you guys don't wanna pay on our terms and want us to wait til you get paid. Not here, buddy. You are our customer and we get paid immediately or in some cases..... in advance.

We just had one earlier this week. Her install team reneged on her deal, so she called us form NC to put some signs up inside and outside. Gave her our price and she turned me down, called back an hour later and laughing said it's a go. We made all the arrangements. Then, she tells me, well hafta get the permits. No we wont I told her, it wasnt part of the quote. Then, when the signs were to be here, they weren't here. I called her and she found out, someone shipped them out wrong and we were supposed to go to the hub to get them.... an hour and a half drive.... one way. Nope, not in the quote. She said, then they'll be there tomorrow at 10am. I had a loop set up to do 3 installs that day and now I hadda go back to the shop to wait for her day-late signs. F*cked up my whole morning. Oh yeah, and they didn't show up. I called her and told her I was getting upset and gonna hafta re-quote her for last time. She said, I don't like your attitude, we're cancelling the job. I said, fine, but put it in writing as this is a relief, cause I doubt I would've gotten paid. The integrity and unprofessionalism was running rampant in your company. You've lied 5 or 6 times in less then 24 hours. You want me to pay for all of your screwups. Nope, I got your number. So, while I might've wasted an hour or two, I still got other things done. Then, I went out and finished my other job.

You're gonna hafta do better than put out a vague request and expect professional results and answers. You...... are the one who must give absolute speicfics, not us, not til we know everything in minute detail.

 

[Browner]

Any time I’ve done (or been approached to do) work for out of town companies, they’ve insisted on a price per square foot. I’m talking window graphics, mall hoarding, museum displays, etc.

 

[stew1tx]

I hear ya guys. This is basically collegiate installs inside. Walls (hallways, entry ways athletic rooms gyms or stadiums), brick and block, some Windows at entry ways above doors etc that being perf of course. I am working on average ft2 but they range from 1-3 days worth of work normally. This is not something new this company has established, they have been doing these nationwide for about 2 years and they are a very mature company.

I am coming into the picture to help them manage labor and attempt to put together installer teams. I am probably not going to reach out to shops as the typical response is like the one above, they have their own work to handle and can’t/won’t play well with others. I get it, I own a shop too. More looking at freelance installers that want frequent work in easy environments that are climate controlled.

I’m working on curriculum and criteria for testing installers. Believe me TONS of people always think they can do the work. however, just like some ambulances we were doing some outsource on helping out another shop in a bind, they had about 7 people come and not one of them could do the work.

Again this isn’t a pipe dream where someone is trying to set up something new they have been sending people all over the country for 2 years.

 

[stew1tx]

Oh Gino, all of these are paid for before! This really isn’t anything any of you are doing which is the reason for some discretion. But this is something I usually hear. Also remember we are all in the same industry so let’s not let a few bad apples make it where we become an ass to other shops. It sucks that you have a deadbeat sounding shop that has reached out to you. I have been there with a company that handled marketing for gas stations.

If that’s the case, I’ll just establish my regions, put the work in the pipeline fly out and set up the teams myself, some of the labor I’m sure will vacate shops to pursue a much more lucrative option.