Quoting… Is there a rule of thumb?

[David Hammond]

Everyone’s running costs will vary.

We’re geared up for digital print and vehicle graphics. We’re not competitive on Full Wraps, or on some sign work.

We can make more profit staying in the unit doing vehicle graphics, quoting, answering the phone, than out on site fitting.

We subcontract moat fitting to another company who do it day in, day out, and charge either a full or half day rate.

When I work a cost out we usually go along the lines of:

Production time – x hours @ £xx
Travel time – x hours, or miles @£xx
Material – + markup

After doing some boring maths the other month, I know off the top of my head how much it costs to keep the lights turned on, van on the road, rent, assuming we can only bill for 75% of our time in work, which we use to work out our hourly rates.

The jobs worth what’s it’s worth to you, there will always be someone doing it cheaper, and often someone more expensive.

I’d be much more concerned if we won every quote we submitted.

[Unknown Member]

Dave has answered this very well.

You need to know your hourly working cost so you can establish how much to charge.

If you hourly running costs is say for example £50.00 before you have made a penny then you know its going to cost you £400.00 a day before you have made a penny.

If you have 7 job in that day at £100.00 each your at £700.00 minus the £400 running cost your left with a pre tax profit of £300.00, material etc etc….

If for example you’ve only got 4 jobs in that day you might want to adjust your pricing to ensure your covering your costs etc etc….

Or you could look at it as a whole the month will be costing you £8800.00 based on the £50.00 p/h example….If you’ve turned over £15k that month you know your in the right direction…again minus cost of materials etc etc…

I hope this helps.

Just my take on things

[Daniel Taylor]

Cheers guys I do understand that … I mean at the moment I have my cutter set up at home so no unit bills etc.. The etch fitted job I quoted is 7 miles away so I worked it out like this:-
14 miles – £10
2m etch £5
Fitting – 15 mins £15
Artwork – rectangle length X width £10

But then again if I get let’s say I get 30 X same size Windows @ £40 each total £1200
– 2 days work £25ph – £400
– £150 materials
-£20 fuel
Total £630 left over once paid for hours worked and materials … So could still work?

[David Hammond]

15 mins to fit frosting…. no chance. An hour minimum to clean the window and apply.

£40.00 p/h

Artwork may only take 15 mins, but what about the £600+ software you need, and the knowledge to know how to operate it?

£20.00 minimum for artwork alterations

14 miles in your van, that requires fuel, tax, insurance, tyres, driver…. It can take us an hour to get 1/2 way round the M60!

£40

That’s not including the Graphtec plotter you own (not Chinese shite).

Oh and the fact you can do it this week because you’re not booked up all week with £99 van signs!

Might sound harsh but…

1) i’ve had a few beers
2) it’s how we run our business (and I think James does) (I know I can bit banner for £8 sq/m but I doubt it’ll be here Monday when the client doesn’t ft let sign off till 3pm Wednesday!)

Someone will be cheaper, the vinyl will be shite, they can’t do it for a fortnight, and the design looks like something a school kid does during wet play.

There’s plenty of good money to be made out there.

[Daniel Taylor]

So in reality your saying it’s really a £100-130 job … Well I’ll definitely take these things into consideration next time … Thanks

[David Hammond]

Only you know what a job is worth to you. 😉

[Daniel Taylor]

I’ve got another etch fitting job to do this week for a friend 3 X 720×600 and 2 720×250 and I’ve gone on at 160 for those 5 panels and he’s still pulling his face but I’m not going any lower that’s my rock bottom… Otherwise there’s nothing left in it.

[Iain Pearson]

quote Daniel Taylor:

Cheers guys I do understand that … I mean at the moment I have my cutter set up at home so no unit bills etc.. The etch fitted job I quoted is 7 miles away so I worked it out like this:-
14 miles – £10
2m etch £5
Fitting – 15 mins £15
Artwork – rectangle length X width £10

But then again if I get let’s say I get 30 X same size Windows @ £40 each total £1200
– 2 days work £25ph – £400
– £150 materials
-£20 fuel
Total £630 left over once paid for hours worked and materials … So could still work?

2 Metres of etch for a Fiver !!!! are you serious ?
point me in the direction of the supplier lol

[David Rogers]

quote Daniel Taylor:

Cheers guys I do understand that … I mean at the moment I have my cutter set up at home so no unit bills etc.. The etch fitted job I quoted is 7 miles away so I worked it out like this:-
14 miles – £10
2m etch £5
Fitting – 15 mins £15
Artwork – rectangle length X width £10

But then again if I get let’s say I get 30 X same size Windows @ £40 each total £1200
– 2 days work £25ph – £400
– £150 materials
-£20 fuel
Total £630 left over once paid for hours worked and materials … So could still work?

As you know nothing ever take "15 minutes" or goes entirely to plan. Below is a scenario that I’ve have several times.

Take enquiry, prepare quotes, email / call…call back & confirm…OK, we have an order. Make phone call, buy etch, cut it using hardware & software you paid for, load up car/van with a glass cleaning & fitting kit as the glass will need prepared. Spend time in traffic as well as burning fuel, do the obligatory chat to client or go through endless H&S forms / briefings that you then have to bring printouts of insurance & method statements for that nobody bothered to mention when quoting for the job.
Find out somebody measured it a bit short…abort the job. Back to office, start again…this time with a bit more exasperation. Back to job, can’t get parked nearby…cart all your stuff to the site. Set up and do the job.
In the back of your mind you think double billing them will jeopardise future work so take the first balls-up on the chin and just bill them for the completed work.
You get the call to do more work but they want it done far, far cheaper or they’ll got to "x company"…

Choices – stick to your guns, work for pennies or get nothing.

All too often the promise of more work is used as a carrot to get better prices…don’t fall for it. Use it to your advantage – offer to give better rates on bulk work instead of discounting the first job.

your sums work pretty well for you as one worker from home looking for a reasonable wage return – they don’t work for people with workshops, vans & staff. Therein lies the industry issue that the priceit guides tries to bridge…get everybody on a similar footing.

Dave

[Iain Pearson]

quote DavidRogers:

quote Daniel Taylor:

Cheers guys I do understand that … I mean at the moment I have my cutter set up at home so no unit bills etc.. The etch fitted job I quoted is 7 miles away so I worked it out like this:-
14 miles – £10
2m etch £5
Fitting – 15 mins £15
Artwork – rectangle length X width £10

But then again if I get let’s say I get 30 X same size Windows @ £40 each total £1200
– 2 days work £25ph – £400
– £150 materials
-£20 fuel
Total £630 left over once paid for hours worked and materials … So could still work?

As you know nothing ever take “15 minutes” or goes entirely to plan. Below is a scenario that I’ve have several times.

Take enquiry, prepare quotes, email / call…call back & confirm…OK, we have an order. Make phone call, buy etch, cut it using hardware & software you paid for, load up car/van with a glass cleaning & fitting kit as the glass will need prepared. Spend time in traffic as well as burning fuel, do the obligatory chat to client or go through endless H&S forms / briefings that you then have to bring printouts of insurance & method statements for that nobody bothered to mention when quoting for the job.
Find out somebody measured it a bit short…abort the job. Back to office, start again…this time with a bit more exasperation. Back to job, can’t get parked nearby…cart all your stuff to the site. Set up and do the job.
In the back of your mind you think double billing them will jeopardise future work so take the first balls-up on the chin and just bill them for the completed work.
You get the call to do more work but they want it done far, far cheaper or they’ll got to “x company”…

Choices – stick to your guns, work for pennies or get nothing.

All too often the promise of more work is used as a carrot to get better prices…don’t fall for it. Use it to your advantage – offer to give better rates on bulk work instead of discounting the first job.

your sums work pretty well for you as one worker from home looking for a reasonable wage return – they don’t work for people with workshops, vans & staff. Therein lies the industry issue that the priceit guides tries to bridge…get everybody on a similar footing.

Dave

Well said Dave – pretty well sums up the day in the life of a graphics installer :appl: :appl:

[Daniel Taylor]

Think you hit the nail on the head there lain! As for my etch I usually use hexis … But sometimes use LG Hausy’s air release etch which is 90micron, I like the stuff.

[Daniel Taylor]

Here’s the window completed 🙂

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