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CheapVehicleWrap
New Member
Wait, let me get this right... confirmed $150.. which is what you figured... before or after a discount? Either way the best scenario you BILLING 37.50 hr. and more likely <25?
Well, I hope things go your way but if you do ditch the job maybe a few of us can request the specifics and low ball out the lowballers. Except for Mosh though, because he'd actually do the installs.
S
SignTech
Guest
Thanks Mike ........ great to see you ... I did all the explanations as you suggest, and they where happy to get quality info, I still get the cheap vibe even though they are already dissappointed with the ones that where messed up. He kept mentioning cutting out the middle man ... I believe they must have had a full sign co in the area already on the job ... and then figured hmmmmmm let's find an independent guy and we can maybe get better quality at a cheaper price ........ but I still won't budge ... no way would I do 65 75 or even 100 ....... 150 is fair ...... but I agree I won't burn the bridge .......
S
SignTech
Guest
Hey man ....... miss ordering from you ............. yes the stripe is two sided on all vehicles and yes it was a pain in the ass ........ but at the right temp it went on relatively smooth .......
Locals Find!
New Member
I could find you an installer in my area willing to come up and work for half that and they would pay their own expenses and get the job done in less than 1 month.
I have one installer I use calling me daily begging for work. You could land the job at their price and not have to lift a finger.
I have one installer I use calling me daily begging for work. You could land the job at their price and not have to lift a finger.
S
SignTech
Guest
1.5 ............. well maybe I'm not super installer but no slouch either ... but never 1.5 for me ....... I enjoy sign work ... the relaxing aspect not the rush rush factor ..... some of these vans where sliced and diced severely ... whoever did them def id them in 1.5 hours and three guys ...... lol
S
SignTech
Guest
NO ............ I will offer them 150 a piece ........... they offered 65 a piece like they where doing me a favor lol a definite chuckle moment ... but in this business nothing shocks me .....
S
SignTech
Guest
Ohh so take 65 a van hire a guy for 10 bucks a van and all is good lol ....... please ......... btw lifting a finger is what I do I enjoy the install part .......... and desperate people such as the guy that begs you to work still deserve good wages if their ............... good
Mike Paul
Super Active Member
With the bottom wrap around stripe? Bullshit...
Typestries
New Member
The bummer is that stupid rocker stripe. To do it right involves a lot of extra time-cleaning, and either on knees, your but, a creeper, or a low rolling stool. Either way that's the time eater-upper here. The rest of the install is cake. To do that stripe right and not have it haunt you later is (at least) 30% of the install time and all of the install hassle. Try getting that clean the right way in the winter!
S
SignTech
Guest
yup I was there butt, back, knees and no stool ........ pain in the ass for sure ... add in cutting between the door seams etc ...... lots of stretching and heat ..... matter of fact I asked the person planning to hire me potentially why Frontier just didn't have these rockers painted ........ probably because of a re-sale issue once the vans are spent ........
CheapVehicleWrap
New Member
4 post lift ALLOT easier.
S
SignTech
Guest
def would be awesome ........... or high gloss red spray can ........ but they will smell the paint lol
W
wetgravy
Guest
Very good point. In a business where installers and any shop help really could have some serious down time certain times of the year ... idle work not only kills their down time but can help offset their cost to keep them around during that time especially on low overhead jobs. If you're by yourself, or have only a few shop hands available to do tedious jobs, labor is one of the things that really shouldn't be discounted since it is one of the primary sources of revenue to cover overhead and taxes without having to pay out for materials and hidden shop costs. I had a boss that in times of job slowdowns would rent me out to other sign shops to go to their shops and do the jobs they didn't know how to do or to just do stuff that was so tedious that my hourly rental rate was well worth it ... could be anything from doing 10k rivets on a trailer graphic install to one time it was hand cutting 38 feet of reflective that wasn't cut with enough force so it was only scored and thus wasn't weedable nor expendable (also got paid time and half for that and shop still made a big hunk of change on those type of ventures)
Mainframe
New Member
Here is what I would do, go to the table armed with facts, make a list of what it takes to get the graphics on the vans for the long term, tell them with your install they will have a hard time telling the difference between a 3 year old van & a new one if the install is done right, make a list (DON'T GIVE THEM THIS LIST!, SHOW IT BUT DON'T LET THEM KEEP IT) of all the things you have to do, clean, prep, again, don't tell them your secret formula for prep solution, mention how tough it is to get the stripe lined up, & the perf to stay etc, & also mention how much you would get for a complete custom 3 van job. Compliment them on choice of design & product quality & ask them why they would go this far only to mess it up with a sub standard install. Decide a bottom line price, before you go, shake & walk away if they are too low, then you at least have your dignity if you don't get the job, also keep the list for yourself to remind you why you walked away later. or you may just get the job, after they realize what you have to go through & they have already seen the results of their first bad choice,
good luck
good luck
S
SignTech
Guest
Hey mainframe ..... excellent feedback and advice. As much as I hate to admit this was my mistake in part. I know better, in the past when owning my shop, from a business aspect I would have gone in high on this gig intentionally. I have done many vans 1 maybe 5 at a time the most ... like a local bug company in PA once.
But being independent now ... freelancing of sorts, I didn't think like I still owned a company and reduced my abilities .......... and saw a large venture that even at lesser amounts seem profitable for the winter months. But something felt wrong ... hence why I reached out to the s101 pro community. So lessons learned. One being no or minimum volume reduction on labor.
I did exactly what you suggested, wrote down all details, abilities etc ...... spoke with the rep, and stated the minimum most pros nationwide would do this gig for. Then stated $60 per unit was way out of the ball park. I made a counter offer with a helper to increase speed ... and this offer was much higher than double their offer.
I just talked with him via phone ....... we'll see what Monday brings. I am not sweating it ........ but I am not going to way underbid my worth and the industry as a whole ... they already screamed about how many vehicles looked horrible and where even damaged by cheap kids throwing rolled up app tape at each other while installing on these vehicles, hitting one of the owners in the head by accident, in addition to the shotty work.
I explained to him that if Frontier wants to get serious, I am ready to be serious as I always am on gigs.
Great feed back .......... thanks again. Mike
Mainframe
New Member
Good deal Mike,
I am glad I helped a little, bidding quantity low always is tempting especially if things are slow, I think some jobs, I am just not meant to get. I had to use my "list idea" on a producer for Lionsgate Films for a movie I was working on, I was shocked how quickly he turned around after he heard what went into the job. I had already finished the job & he faxed me back the invoice with (not so cool) remarks on it, so I thought I was never going to get paid for that one, but it turned out ok.
good luck ,
Bill
I am glad I helped a little, bidding quantity low always is tempting especially if things are slow, I think some jobs, I am just not meant to get. I had to use my "list idea" on a producer for Lionsgate Films for a movie I was working on, I was shocked how quickly he turned around after he heard what went into the job. I had already finished the job & he faxed me back the invoice with (not so cool) remarks on it, so I thought I was never going to get paid for that one, but it turned out ok.
good luck ,
Bill
schramm
New Member
To me the work looks great, so honestly if you are doing figuring this on labor alone, I would think a fair charge would be $65 per hour and if most say 4 hours and it took you 6, well then maybe split the difference and call it 5 as maybe you could of done it faster but then again there may have been situations where the ones saying 4 hours may not know. IMO however if you are going to be a freelance installer then you need to have a formula for pricing or you will not be getting much work from shops for long as there is nothing that people hate then never knowing what to charge there customer based on you not having set pricing.
Nice work though....
Nice work though....
S
SignTech
Guest
Thanks ........... I do have a splash page http://michaelalphonsephotography.com/signtech.htm with some set fees/variables ........ but I am learning to get more specific. Thanks for the compliments ... I do enjoy working on vehicles most ........... it's relaxing .......
fmg
New Member
You got some very nice looking work on there Sir! And it shows that you take your time and make a perfect job.
Kudos to you!!!
Just a thought.
You display your hourly rates on the splash page.
You may want to lose those or alter them in case the potential clients see this page and start bidding you way lower than what you are coming in at!
Also in my opinion they are very very low rates for the expertise service you are offering!
Kudos to you!!!
Just a thought.
You display your hourly rates on the splash page.
You may want to lose those or alter them in case the potential clients see this page and start bidding you way lower than what you are coming in at!
Also in my opinion they are very very low rates for the expertise service you are offering!