Pricing Help?

[Spunky.Fresh.Designs 11]

Hello Everyone! I hope all of you are well and happy in the new year!  So I have had a job land in my lap and I have no idea where to start with pricing. I hope someone can help.

 

I'm going to be changing out the light up directory sign board for a shopping plaza.  Just for one company.  It's two sides @ about 74" x 10"  give or take, I don't have the dimensions on hand. I figured out how to disassemble the structure in order to slide the acrylic in and out and have found that the acrylic isn't repairable. So I need to have acrylic custom cut.  The sign is going to have a two color vinyl application on the new material with installation.

 

So what do I charge? I would love love love love the advice.

 

Thanks 

[OWJones 1,981]

 

And then negotiate from there...

[Spunky.Fresh.Designs 11]

That doesn't help! Haha. I quoted 425. Is that too high?

[OWJones 1,981]

That doesn't help! Haha. I quoted 425. Is that too high?

 

I don't do that type of sign work, so I don't know how much a piece of acrylic costs to know if that is good, but it sounds fair.

[Wildgoose 4,200]

You know you need translucent vinyl right? Other than black is generally still just black, I figure you know that but thought I'd bring it up. It's about twice the price of regular cast but you don't have much so that's minimal in the big picture. The acrylic is no big deal and not super expensive depending on how thick you need. 1/8" stuff around here is well under $100 for a full sheet. You should make good money at $425. Pretty sure they make acrylic in colored sheets too if that helps at all. 

[Spunky.Fresh.Designs 11]

I didn't know about the translucent vinyl. Well shyt! I'm glad I asked! The acrylic is 60 bucks a piece custom cut. I think I'm going to just have a guy I know from a sign shop do it thought it was a good job to take to pay my bills. Sad face!

[Spunky.Fresh.Designs 11]

It's 1/4 inch acrylic

[bigmax 166]

My main supplier would cut the acrylic as needed for a small  charge (when buying a full sheet). Use the remainder on another job later. Translucent vinyl can be ordered by the ft so this should be a nice profitable job for you. Good reference for future jobs also. I'd give it a shot if I were you. Learn by doing. Just my $.02. 

[Wildgoose 4,200]

I agree with bigmax. Translucent isn't any different than regular vinyl except for letting light through it. You do have to be careful when overlapping it because the colors mix and if you try tiling it you can see the overlap for the same reason. No biggie other than that. I'd do it without hesitation if I were you. $60 pre-cut isn't horrible. You can get a whole sheet of 1/4" for like $160 or so here in my area. I bid on a job similar to yours last year but didn't get it. 

[Spunky.Fresh.Designs 11]

How much was your bid if you don't mind me asking? It's a learning curve here. To by a whole sheet would be my whole profit pretty much. Might as well not do it. At least the custom cut pieces are easy to explain. Can I get the translucent vinyl by the foot here? I looked quickly but only saw by the yard.

[Wildgoose 4,200]

I just re-read your original post and caught the two sides that I missed. So really it's two signs. SO now you are actually on the low end. You'd have $120 in the two acrylic pieces and probably another $150 for the translucent so $180 to build and go slip in should still work. 

 

The ones I bid were single sided on white acrylic and sized 1@ 24x96 and 3@ 12x72. I was about $1200 and one was up pretty high but had roof access. I was going to buy two sheets of acrylic and the design was simple with mostly green and a touch of red so I was planning on 10yds of the green and just a yard of red. I didn't get the bid so someone was cheaper than me. 

[jaybyrd 3,770]

On basic designs where it basically 1 color on white panels I get $12 a s.f. out the door. Install is extra and if I were in an economically better area I might shoot for $15-$18 a s.f.