Posted by Roderick on January 27, 2004
Larry WhiteWhat is the going price for glue chipping per sq.ft.
Roderick
Mike JacksonI did the equation of Time + Materials + Mark-up and got $24.54 per square foot up to about 40 Sq.Ft. Orders over 40 Sq. Ft., I'll go 15-20% less. This is my price I quote for strictly glue chip fields. Etched or clear borders are extra. Lettering, ornamentation, or anything fancy is per individual quote.
Robin SharrardRoderick,
I don't have a square foot price to give you. I seldom figure jobs by the square foot.
I think you might be able to come up with a set of ranges to help you. Such as:
Simple: $x sq/ft based on 4ft minimum
Medium: $x sq/ft based on 4ft minimum
Complex: $x sq/ft based on 4ft minimum
Throw the works at it: $x sq.ft on 4ft minimum
I usually figure the design time as a unit. There might not be much design time using some of our ornamental clip art, but then you have some investment in the purchases. I then try to figure how much it will cost me in raw costs and add in the overhead and mark-up. Square foot pricing can get you into trouble if you end up having to all the same work on a 2 square foot panel as you would doing 4 square foot panel. The difference might be only $15 in materials but a huge difference in price.
Personally, I don't think you should figure in the actual chipping time because you can work on other projects instead of sitting there watching it chip. In the end, it is Time, plus Materials, plus Mark Up.
Mike Jackson
Pricing seems to be a touchy subject on just about any BB you go to, because there are so many varibles that differ in regions and businesses. Very few people put prices on their web sites, and few folks will discuss the issue over the phone, or even at meets. If you do a search at Letterville or even SignCraft magazine, you will find several articles and discusions about this topic, although not specifically related to chipping. If you already know what your operating costs are, the next step would be to document how long it takes to process a simple piece of glass with some basic chipping, gulding, and blending, being precise about each step. Then you will have a good idea how long it will take to process a proposed job.
You've got to have a good idea of how much product is used to produce a certain area of work as well and mark up you product accordingly.
Another factor that seems to get left out of the equation is the value of the body of work to your customer. This is the most difficult part to figure and will take time to develope a good talent for. You don't want to scare your customer away but you do need to sell them on the fact that this is not your ordinary sign and should have much more value to them. Not everyone has the skill or knowledge to produce this kind of work either, and that has to have some value as well.
If you take a look at Mike Jackson's collection and study the pieces there. You should see that there is a lot of meticulous work that went into them and they are priced accordingly and targeted, I assume, toward collecters who may be willing to pay a higher price for that quality and their future value.
It is all related to time, product consumption, and what the market will bear, and of course I've just hung a big target around my neck so if anyone has something to add or dispute...now were is that darn spell checker. Robin
Ron Percell
Whatever the price will bare.
Labor, Materials, & Profit.
How much does it cost you to do a square foot.
How much time do you spend selling it, picking up the glass, prep, mask & cut, blast, glue prep, & clean up of the glass?
How much do you mark up for profit, 10%, 20%, 50%?
What might an architectural glass company charge in your area? Their price my not reflect lettering.
Most Glass work I charge between 200-1200 a square foot as Rick Glawson and John Studden suggested to me several years ago. How much do you mark up for profit, 10%, 20%, 50%?
Denver Chapter of the Letterheads