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Inflation

3Dsigns

New Member
We did a dimensional job for a golf course back in 2017. We made the two entrance signs and two or three informational and directional signs. But there were two signs we quoted which the customer told us he wanted to wait on. The customer just called, wants them now, and says the quote for those two smaller signs was $2945. But I'm thinking the economy has changed somewhat since 2017. I checked the inflation rate and what I found was that $1 in 2017 is now about $1.28 in 2024. What say you?
 

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Gettin'By

New Member
The quote from 2017 is irrelevant, your costs aren't the same, as I'm sure his operating costs aren't either. Requote it as normal, and compare that to the original quote. It'll be more relevant to your specific situation and line of work than a generic value curve for the dollar nationally. I've never heard of a quote from anyone for anything with a 7 year shelf life if that's what he was getting at...
 

WildWestDesigns

Active Member
I have never known a quote (regardless if the economy had shifted significantly) lasting years. Measured in days typically, not years.

I agree, I wouldn't go by the value of the dollar as that includes other concerns in it as well, that may or may not affect what you are going to have to deal with. Go by what things cost you and your usual math to come to your final price.
 

White Haus

Not a Newbie
We recently had to re-quote a sandblasted cedar sign we did back in 2017..........previous price was $1785 (which was way too low to begin with) and I re-quoted it at around $4k.
Didn't get the job. Whoever wants to do it cheaper can have it.

Regarding your questions about inflation, I would put more emphasis on just how much material costs have sky-rocketed since then rather than what inflation is.

Quote it using your normal formulas and that's what today's price is. Hopefully your client is smart enough to understand that things have changed significantly in the last 7 years. If he honestly thinks a quote from 2017 has any relevance then he's been living under a rock and you probably don't want him as a client anyways.

Those signs have a lot more value than most, hopefully you're getting what they're worth. (Based on perceived value and not just time+materials & inflation)
 

3Dsigns

New Member
On your quote, somewhere very obvious, it should read 'this quote valid for 30 days only.

Inflation Rate ??? What the f*ck does that got to do with anything ??

Those signs look really nice. Are they wood or foam ?? Carved or cnc'd ??
Thanks. HDU. Sandblasted. But I quit sandblasting a few years ago, sold all my equipment. We only CNC now.
 

White Haus

Not a Newbie
Yeah they are great looking signs! Sandblasting seems to have disappeared when it comes to signs, we used to do a lot of them back in the day.

It took me a full week of phonecalls and unanswered emails before I could even find anyone local that would blast a sign for us.
 

JBurton

Signtologist
Thanks. HDU. Sandblasted. But I quit sandblasting a few years ago, sold all my equipment. We only CNC now.
That's going to spin the price way more than inflation will, and I'm not sure which direction. If you've got a beast of a router and have mastered enroute, I'd imagine cheaper, but with paint and hdu having gone up, who knows. Surely this customer isn't waiving the quote at you?
 

Gino

Premium Subscriber
Thanks. HDU. Sandblasted. But I quit sandblasting a few years ago, sold all my equipment. We only CNC now.

Same here. Haven't sandblasted a sign in like almost 10 years. Cnc'ing most everything anymore. Still use red cedar and redwood. Try to stay away from HDU. Just don't like it or it's properties.
 

3Dsigns

New Member
Same here. Haven't sandblasted a sign in like almost 10 years. Cnc'ing most everything anymore. Still use red cedar and redwood. Try to stay away from HDU. Just don't like it or it's properties.
I'm sure they do better in some climates, and I love the look of re3al wood but, here in Florida, from my experience, HDU does better than redwood and west coast cedar, especially the cedar. I still have a good amount of nice clear, all-heart, vertical grain redwood in my shop. Willing to sell to someone who needs it. I used to have a doctor's office which I originally built the sign of redwood. From time to time, he would call me whenever an new associate joined his practice and I would use redwood so the new name-board would match the rest of the sign.. But his practice closed several years ago and I will probably never use it again.
 

3Dsigns

New Member
Cut them to length, rip the rounded edges off on a tablesaw with a planer blade, carefully set to 90 degrees, using featherboards for accuracy, flip them so the grain alternates, laminate with west system epoxy. Oh yeah I remember those days. I have two boards left...clear all-heart vertical grain 2x8's 18' long,
 

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John Miller

New Member
My gut was $2500 each when I looked at the pic. Since when did the actual costs of doing business keep in line with the increase of materials costs. Did the cost of HDU increase by .28 per dollar? I think not.
 

Stacey K

I like making signs
Estimates past 30 days don't mean much. I'm actually re-quoting a sign from 2021 so I'm interested how much it's increased!
 
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