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Wow, Check out this estimate

jman

New Member
Hey everybody! I just had to share this low ball estimate from another local shop I got a call about today.

Customer was super nice and said "So I got another estimate and it's half of what you quoted me. I wanted to make sure there wasn't a mistake on your end" I told him to forward me the estimate and I'll compare it to mine to see if I was in fact wrong because it happens sometimes.

I'll let you guys see it for yourself. I'm literally sick feeling after seeing this. I just cannot understand this at all. Just under $7.00 PSF it comes out to and this is a 2 color cut vinyl on 6mm ACM...

I called my customer back and told him to take it and run with it as fast as he can. Apparently they aren't interested in hanging the signs but I told him I would help him out and do that for him once he gets them because these are about 30' up in the air on a V nose steel frame off a pole.
 

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Texas_Signmaker

Very Active Signmaker
That's pretty low... I mean, you can STILL make $$ on it if you had the time and it wasn't a PITA layout... But yea, kinda on the low end.


I just looked up and my price is $695 for ONE. $100 off for two.
 
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Johnny Best

Active Member
They just had a sale on MaxMetal at Grimco and probably using calendered vinyl. The old "hacks up the street" people as Jillbeans use to call them. Get use to it, won't be the last time, knock off $10 just to have them lower their prices even more.
And the first rule you learn in the Army, don't volunteer.
 

Texas_Signmaker

Very Active Signmaker
They just had a sale on MaxMetal at Grimco and probably using calendered vinyl. The old "hacks up the street" people as Jillbeans use to call them. Get use to it, won't be the last time, knock off $10 just to have them lower their prices even more.
And the first rule you learn in the Army, don't volunteer.

The second is...dont decline your first job offer...Lol
 

bannertime

Active Member
Wow, I couldn't even find 6mm 5x10 for a minute. At first I was thinking that I could do them for less at like $550 a sheet if I really needed to. Then I realized it was $715 for both and not each, before the discount! :banghead: Yikes. Looks like they are selling the panel at 20% and material at about 5.5 sqft. Are they making some money? Yeah. Are they making profit? No way.
 

BALLPARK

New Member
If it was for one unit it would not have been to hard to see their final price. It hurts having to compete with offers like that for sure. But those type of companies do not last long. I hope they quickly see that they are going to limit their chances for success in a large way having pricing points like that going forward. They may have needed money in a bad way and was worried about not getting it. Either way... their future does not look good and you may have to deal with estimates like that for a bit, sorry.

We would have been around $750 for each unit. So, that would have been an odd convo for us to have with the client for sure.

But I would have tried to switch them to full color prints to help make it easier in terms of production. We charge more if we have to use a solid color vinyl that has to be weeded, transfer taped, and then applied.
 
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Billct2

Active Member
Wow...I did the same as some others...I thought "That's not bad"....til I realized it was for both.
I'm not so sure I'd be anxious to help the client out by installing them though. I guess if you get you usual rate it's worth it.
But it's also kinda cutting you own throat. One of the reasons we get work is because we install 99% of what we make.
 

eahicks

Magna Cum Laude - School of Hard Knocks
HOLY COW. We just did a 5'x20' (2 5'x10' in 3mm) and that was $2030 before installation.
 
That's just stupid. We'd be at about double that price for sure, give or take depending on how much detail is involved, etc. We also do a 10% second sign discount, but that's only on the second sign, not both signs. And let me guess, I'll bet they're not charging a design fee on that sign either.
 

LarryB

New Member
Why would you install it for them if you did not make the signs? I would never do that.

Also I have never found 6mm ACM in 5' x 10' sheets. Only thing close is 10mm alumalite.
 

CanuckSigns

Active Member
I would have the client verify the total at the bottom is for 2 signs, the way it's worded on the estimate is fishy, I wouldn't put it past them to claim the client read the estimate wrong and the price was per sign, with a discount applied if 2 were ordered.
 

bannertime

Active Member
Why would you install it for them if you did not make the signs? I would never do that.
Also I have never found 6mm ACM in 5' x 10' sheets. Only thing close is 10mm alumalite.

It's free money. Just make sure to note that you can't warranty anything about the job. Also, Nglantz brand has 5x10 ACM 6mm. It was the only one I could find.
 

TimToad

Active Member
got say, that is low, that will be my price for 1 3mm 4'x8'

$22.00 per square foot for a sign on a substrate that costs you less than $2.00 per square foot?

What kind of media are you using on this stuff? Even IJ180 is less than $3 per square even with laminate included. A 4x+ markup is pretty high.
 
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