STEEL BEAMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[signspark1988]

I'm curious... What do you do when you're installing pin mount channel letters and you discover there's a steel beam behind the bricks.

1) do you charge the customer for the raceway and revisit?

2) do you eat the cost? and do it?

 

[Gino]

That's a toughie. This must be high up on a building, but that's still no excuse not to know what you are getting into. You can't go around drilling holes all over the place and destroying property, but perhaps a clause that addresses such unknowns might help.

In all my years, I've never come across anything like your scenario, but I will look at those installs more closely and make sure my terms or line items are worded correctly.

I'm gonna say, talk to the customer and explain to them, you had no idea and you'll split the cost with him. That should cover all of your materials and labor.

 

[JTBoh]

Get some jet fuel.

 

[bannertime]

Second what Gino said. Our clause specifically states "Installation times are estimates. In the event of unforeseen instances, you will be billed accordingly..."

It'd probably go down two ways when explaining it to the customer.
1) Hey we ran into a steel beam, this part will take a bit longer and may require some changes. Here are some options...

2)Hey we ran into a steel beam. "Oh yeah I knew that was there..." or "you should have known about that..." Ah, yeah, well here's the bill for the extra labor. You should have disclosed that information when I asked if there is anything I should know before the install. The invoice states a price for installing into brick.

 

[letterman7]

Or when you work from the plans, in concert with the architect and when the time comes to put up said channel letters find that the builders lowered said beam for no particular reason. Actually ran into that last year.. channel letters through Dryvit (and plywood) but right behind it was a beam that should have been 2' higher. Finished putting up the letters.. but getting the wires in was a pain so there was a little more time than anticipated. Discussed it with the client who acknowledged there was a screw up so he was ok with a little extra cost. In your situation a full survey should have been done - if you're going behind the brick to wire it anyway, you should know what's there.

 

[BIG EASY DOES IT]

Don't do these types of installs. But what about cutting the pins shorter and just installing into the brick?

 

[visual800]

Don't do these types of installs. But what about cutting the pins shorter and just installing into the brick?

This right here is what i would do

 

[Rocco G]

It all depends. Is it your job and you didn't do a survey or was this a job done for another company who didn't want to pay for the survey. In either case whoever was responsible for the survey is at fault. My main income stream is from sign installation (mostly electric and a LOT of channel letters) for national accounts and I always cringe when a customer doesn't want to pay for a survey. I word my quotes "price based on information in the drawings provided". However no contract wording covers everything.

I'm guessing that the main problem is running the wires. Assuming it's LED you can snake the wires around it in 90% of the cases thought it may entail some spelunking. Tapcon the letters to the wall instead of pin-mounting them if that's the problem. Yes it takes more time and you have to work that out with the customer.

Once in a great while (maybe a dozen time in the past 35+ years) there really is a hidden beam that you can't see in a survey. This happens mostly when a property owner saves money when remodeling a property and just puts a storefront on top of the existing facade. In that case you go to the customer and tell them that there is a hidden beam and the price quote is no longer valid. Most people are reasonable and you can work something out.

Take the long term approach look at it. Will you make more money by splitting the cost with these people and doing more with them in the future or do you never expect to work with them again? Only you can answer that question.

 

[orcabruce]

I agree, I would cut the pins if is wasen't to much We have done many installs on brick and just silicone the crap out of them. II would also bend the pins a bit for a better grab in the holes