Overlaid MDO plywood pricing

[CropMarks]

Hello, I did some searches and couldn't really find anything that fits what I'm looking for. Using the Signcraft price guide (2012) - I'm trying to figure out what category complexity might be. Basically I'm taking a 4x8 vinyl print... applying it to a piece of MDO that is primed on both sides.... prior to applying the print I've painted the whole back and edges with an outdoor latex white paint. After the print is on, I then coat the whole print and edges with frog juice. ----- so, is this a basic.... intermediate.... or complex sign?

Do people consider a "basic" sign only taking a print and slapping it on a piece of plywood.... no treating edges or painting????

A customer came in with a quote from a "big" nationwide sign place for $325ea (for 2 signs) and I'm trying to figure out what they might be offering?

Thank you very much for any direction or help with this.
Miked.

 

[J Hill Designs]

time+materials+markup and see where you are

 

[ChicagoGraphics]

Here in my neck of the woods, I use to get 375.00 for a 1/2" 4x8 MDO sign, now since the economy is crap it's down to 275 and it's still hard to get customers to pay that

 

[Malkin]

Basic, Intermediate & Complex refer to the layout complexity.
Part of that it how much time it takes to layout the job and how much extra time and materials it takes to complete it.
The modern digital printed sign eliminates some of the cost, but not all. Additionally, the value is still there, but is more difficult than ever to sell on a value based system.

 

[john1]

$359 here 1 sided 1/2" RTG MDO (you can buy it painted on both sides and edges painted, it's called RTG for ready to go) You can fill the edges and sand them and paint them but it's debatable on if just some paint on them is good enough.

Simple layout included, Anything fancy pants would be more. I do mostly aluminum composite (dibond) signs now.

 

[CropMarks]

thank you all very much for the input... It has only been in the last 1/2 a year since we've moved into our new building (850sq ft up to 9,000) that I've been able to handle making signs this big. I'm happy with the quality of the product I'm producing... I just want to make sure that I'm not spending way too much time/labor with the painting the back of the sign. 2-3 coats of white paint on the back and edges... then the frog juice over the graphic on the front = 2 hours of time.

Thank you all again... your info has made me feel a little better about what I'm charging. Miked.

 

[J Hill Designs]

I quote $450+ single sided, and get it about half the time.

 

[TXFB.INS]

$359 here 1 sided 1/2" RTG MDO (you can buy it painted on both sides and edges painted, it's called RTG for ready to go) You can fill the edges and sand them and paint them but it's debatable on if just some paint on them is good enough.

Simple layout included, Anything fancy pants would be more. I do mostly aluminum composite (dibond) signs now.

ours runs 416 includes initial layout and 1 edit

but as john says most all is now dibond, have not done MDO is close to a year

 

[Pat Whatley]

A customer came in with a quote from a "big" nationwide sign place for $325ea (for 2 signs) and I'm trying to figure out what they might be offering?

Willing to bet you they're offering a laminated print mounted to pre-painted, single sided MDO (the stuff that's painted on the edges and one face, the other face is an oilboard type stuff)

 

[Jillbeans]

$325ea

This is what I charged for a hand-painted 4'x8' on plywood in 1990.
All this technology now so that we can keep getting cheaper makes me sad.
I'm considerably higher now, and I mainly use aluminum composite.
Love....Jill