xpfguy 39 Posted August 9, 2010 first noob here I have been searching the different post to find an idea of how to price like most noobies I'm guessing. My experience is very little but I am a jack of all trade type that is willing to "try" anything that I would rather not pay another human being for. enough about me, that's not the point. I have the opportunity to bid putting vinyl letting on a 6x12 enclosed trailer. 2 sides approximately 3 lines of text about 6-7' long and 3-4' tall overall and the back door about 5'x3' area same 3 text. I know enough that the larger the decal the more difficult they are to install. The rivits are also going to be a first time for me. So down to the nitty gritty, what to charge and how? Is .08 cent a good place to start for one color per sq inch? or 11.50 per sq ft? Should this pricing method cover materials and labor? Another thought I had was possibly all material plus 40% mark up and then add enough for labor that I don't price myself out of the job. For me this might be safe because while learning my materials are covered and I make something for my time which I am gaining experience. Jason Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pyrophire 0 Posted August 9, 2010 Charge by the square foot because you will have waste, and why loose money on vinyl which could technically be a decal? Prices should cover vinyl, weeding and install, along with any materials you might need. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
deth502 39 Posted August 9, 2010 ive been doing .15 and inch, and i thought that was pretty cheap. and thats NOT installed. nothing that big though, up to about 12"x12" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
xpfguy 39 Posted August 9, 2010 I agree about the sq ft, but what is fair? if you sale someone 18" tall graphic that is 4' long and since the roll is 24" wide would you sale the 8 sq ft.? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rrc1962 0 Posted August 9, 2010 On RTA graphics, I've been charging $1.30 per linear inch with a $20 minimum. A 12x12 would be $15.60. A 12x20 would be the same because it's still using 12" off the roll. A 12x25 would be $32.50 because now it has to be turned 90 degrees and will use 25" of vinyl. I don't advertise that's how I do it, but it makes it easier for me to quote jobs from the hip. I find that most of the time what ever is not cut in the 24" width of the roll is pretty much wasted. If I'm cutting a single line of text say 3" tall and 36" long, I might adjust the price because the waste is large enough to be useful for another job. If I'm doing a custom install quote, I'll figure the graphics at $1.30/inch then figure travel time and labor separately at $35/hr. I try to make 30% on the substrate. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
xpfguy 39 Posted August 10, 2010 Is there a noob dictionary? Does RTA mean Ready-to-apply? And does that mean weeded with transfer tape installed? Is substrate any form of media that the vinyl is applied to like glass, sheet metal, car door.. not sure about the meaning, although I will probably google it. 1.30 seams cheap to me, but what do I know. If a roll is 24" wide that's only 5.5 cents per inch but at a cost of less than .01 per inch that seems to be a good markup. Thanks for you very valuable information. Jason Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rrc1962 0 Posted August 10, 2010 RTA = Ready to apply and substrate would be the sign blank. On RTA I weed and mask, but I don't lay up multiple colors on the bench. I ship them separately. I really don't like doing RTA. Customers are usually just trying to pinch pennies by doing it that way, then when they mess up the install, it is somehow always your fault. The PITA factor is pretty high. On Oracal 651, 24" wide, cost is about .60 per foot or .05 per inch. $1.30 per inch is a pretty good profit as long as you don't get into doing these little nickel and dime decals. I don't do those. I do RTA for people who want to do their own install on a storefront, vehicle or even a banner and we have a $20 minimum. I have a regular who buys RTA for 8' banners all the time. Not bad considering I'm into the vinyl for $9.60 and it takes about 20 minutes to cut and weed on average. I don't know why he does it that way. He's into a single banner for $124.80 and he does the install. The big sign shop downtown will print the same thing for $128 and he knows it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
xpfguy 39 Posted August 10, 2010 rrc, thanks so much for the information. It's nice to know how great people in this industry are when it comes to sharing knowledge and experience. Jason Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
