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I'm quoting vinyl graphics on a 16' and a 24' box truck - 2 sides, rear door, and logo above cab. I can figure out what to charge per truck if I produce and apply the graphics, but the customer wants a "kit" price too, as he has a guy who can apply graphics. Does anyone have a good formula for figuring "kit" price on large vehicles? There may be as many as 30 trucks, but only 1-2 will be available for lettering at a time. Do I figure the cost of materials and double it, or figure an up charge percentage? I figure my materials cost just for vinyl graphics at $320 for a 16' box truck.
-------------------- Kathy Weeks Weeks-End Signs & Graphics Lake Elmo, Minnesota Posts: 249 | From: Lake Elmo, Minnesota | Registered: Mar 2009
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most of us call this RTA VINYL. READY TO APPLY. we do the design, layout, cut, weed and apply transfer tape.. HAND IT TO THE BUYER......AND COLLECT OUR MONEY. did i say i like doing this??? my physical health has got me to where this is mostly what i do now. and van/truck big sign..........requires the buyer to help me apply it. its most him doing the applyinh it, i "supervise" and make sure its level and straight. depending who it is iam working for and if iam doing a trade out or CASH...... i still perfer to use a SQUARE FOOT pricing. do that for most baord/wall signs. easy to figure, 4 X 8 is 32 sq ft. single side. ok? going price for 1 is 10 sq ft if i finish it. more if there artwork but no more then $15 a SQUARE FOOT. so @ $10 sf X 32= $320.00 half of that is $160, add it back to the $320 + 160= $480.00 or $15 a sqft. you following me??? NOW A BOX TRUCK is 2 big boards....and 1 smaller one if you do the back doors. ok? now instead of being a 4 x 8 sheet you can have up to a 7 ft tall X 10, 12,14, 16,all the way up to 24 FEET. lets take on the 16 footer. dont know wht lettering your puting on or how big they want it......let work with available space. 7 X 16= 112 sf X 2 =224 sf. rear doors say 6 X 5=30 +224= 254 sq ft. plus whatever the size is above the cab. 254 sf will be the max your gona cover. if you only going to do say 5 ft tall X 12ft then use those figures to calculate price. but back to numbers. $10 is easy to figure, add a ZERO TO 254 sf =$2540.00 now this would be for calendered vinyl, HP would be $15 sq ft or $1270(1/2 of $2540)added on to $2540=#3810.00 NOW THIS YOUR INSTALLD PRICE. RTA..........eliminate you labor..... and your getting paid for materials and cutting/weeding/ tape. so i do this.....calendered vinyl RTA...can be as little as $4 sq ft or as much as $7.50 sq ft...... HP $7.50 12.00 SQ FT......... so let take the 156 ft truck as RTA. 254 SQ FT @ $5(half the $2540)$1270.....or if its HP half again the 1270,=635, add to the $1270= $1905.00......OR $7.50 A SQ FT....
[ June 10, 2016, 11:16 PM: Message edited by: old paint ]
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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RUSTY yesterday was another day in my 71 YEARS......... THAT I DIDNT USE ALGEBRA)))))))
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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Wait...what? Actually, thank you Old Paint! I was trying to use square footage to figure price, but I got confused about price per square foot to figure RTA and still make a profit. I think I'm actually slightly low on my applied price now, so will recalculate that. Now, I'm hungry for pie - thanks guys!
-------------------- Kathy Weeks Weeks-End Signs & Graphics Lake Elmo, Minnesota Posts: 249 | From: Lake Elmo, Minnesota | Registered: Mar 2009
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If the client really has up to thirty vehicles to letter, then you might offer a price based on 5, 10, 20, and 30 units.
I would also propose that you include a "road map" (instructions with dimensions)print out with each kit as to where each decal is to be placed.
You might look into custom squeegees that include your shop info printed on it, as well.
-------------------- Bruce Bowers
DrCAS Custom Lettering and Design Saint Cloud, Minnesota
"Things work out best for the people who make the best of the way things work out." - Art Linkletter Posts: 6451 | From: Saint Cloud, Minnesota | Registered: Jun 1999
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goood points bruce, i like the squeegee with your name on em. after all the years in this business.......i have heard the 5, 10 20 more truck line i cant tell how many times. after a while i just ignored most of them. then one day somebody came up with a brilliant idea. when they start this.....give me a good price cause i need 10,20 tucks done......come back with this, this is my price for the 1st truck. additional trucks will get a 10% for the 2nd 20% 30% 3rd......and than we will stay with that THEN WHEN YOU BRING ME # 20 I WILL DO IT FOR FREE)))
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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Materials are materials. Whatever the layout for cut vinyl I use, 15", 24" or 30", I charge by the foot. Cost of 15" vinyl plus transfer paper times the length times markup. The same with 24" and 30". Additional colors for shades or shadows simply adds to the liner footage. That accounts for my materials and the waste. When I quote a square foot price, my customers start measuring everything thinking I can squeeze everything into that square foot. When I quote liner foot they seem to accept it. The next line on my estimate is "layout, production, application tape, and installation layout,(vertical and horizontal centering marks) and a scale drawing of their tuck/body for self installation. The last line on my estimate is "professional installation". Doing it this way the customer is paying sales tax only on materials. I recently won a job because the other quote was a square foot price installed for one price. My sales tax was $78, his was $200, a great advantage for me.
-------------------- Bob Moroney The Sign Guy 310 Club Valley Drive Falmouth, MA 02536 508-259-6297 Posts: 216 | From: Falmouth, MA | Registered: Jul 2008
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easily done your way when using 24" material(mostly what i use). instead of a SQ FT price to get LINER FOOT..... DOUBLE THE SQ FT)))))) so instead of $5 sq ft it now becomes $10 A LINER FOOT))))))) the sq ft is easier to include COST OF MATERIALS. I USE A LOT OF SHINE RITE/BRITE LINE 24" x 50 YARD ROLLS...... this translates to 24" X 150(liner) feet or 300 sq ft. roll cost me i think $70. $70 divided by 300 = bout .23 cents a sq foot. + transfer tape puts me at a $1-1.50 COST .......of materials. so the $5 sq ft....is bottom line or $10 liner foot.
[ June 12, 2016, 07:20 PM: Message edited by: old paint ]
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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thank you.......i thought it was wrong....i hadnt had my 1st cup of coffee yet))))) old calculator too))) but makes my point even more so...
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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Thanks so much you guys, this is very helpful - I appreciate it! Dave Sherby - I refer to the SignCraft pricing guide a lot when quoting jobs. I wasn't sure if I was using the RTA pricing guide correctly, but after this line of discussion, I think I get it now. I go through the "self-doubt thing" once in a while when quoting, and I do not want to under price a big job. Custom squeegees - good idea!
-------------------- Kathy Weeks Weeks-End Signs & Graphics Lake Elmo, Minnesota Posts: 249 | From: Lake Elmo, Minnesota | Registered: Mar 2009
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I like the idea Bob has regarding pricing professional Installation separate from materials, so the customer only pays sales tax on the materials. I've often thought of quoting/invoicing similar to that - our sales tax rate in Minnesota is 7.125% - that is high - and services and graphic design are tax exempt items (for now).
-------------------- Kathy Weeks Weeks-End Signs & Graphics Lake Elmo, Minnesota Posts: 249 | From: Lake Elmo, Minnesota | Registered: Mar 2009
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the sales tax thing florida......is a little weird. IF YOU do LABOR their is no sales tax. BUT IF YOU use any materials(screws, nuts bolts, paint, cleaners etc)THEN YOU CHARGE SALES TAX ON TOTAL. i rememeber this when working in the NAPA store. people would bring in rotors/brake drums to have them refinished in the shop. now in most of these sales also included PADS or SHOES..if we put the pads/rotors on the same bill as the refinishing(labor)THEN the total got taxed. so we usually made 1 reciept for the refinishing(labor)no sale tax........and another for the pads/shoes)))))) and in the sign end.......if i painted a window/wall on a vehicle.....NOT TAX, if i bought a MDO/CORO/ALUMICORE sheet to apply a sign to...total got taxed.
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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Michigan is similar. Anything you produce in the shop is taxable, so basically you charge sales tax on the vinyl which includes the labor to produce it, but the labor to install on a customer's building or vehicle are considered tax exempt services. In the case of painting on the customers truck or window, sales tax would be charged on the paint you use.
-------------------- Dave Sherby "Sandman" SherWood Sign & Graphic Design Crystal Falls, MI 49920 906-875-6201 sherwoodsign@sbcglobal.net Posts: 5396 | From: Crystal Falls, MI USA | Registered: Apr 1999
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Minnesota treats signs as a "retail" item, but signs are truly manufactured if you buy material and "make" something out of it. Minnesota does not make a manufacturer of machines or machine parts charge sales tax. MN does not really have a category for signs, so they put it in with printing. I don't want to ask too many questions of our Revenue Dept., because they may decide to charge more taxes on signs - they are greedy. But, I will definitely double check into separating out my applying labor, so I can save my customers money on taxes. Most of my customers are small business owners, and a lot of them young people, just trying to stay in business, do a good job, and feed their families.
-------------------- Kathy Weeks Weeks-End Signs & Graphics Lake Elmo, Minnesota Posts: 249 | From: Lake Elmo, Minnesota | Registered: Mar 2009
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What do you expect when your Senator is a semi-retired comedian? Then there's the former governor that was a retired "pro" wrestler.I mean, you're lucky anything at all works right there.
(I know we're not supposed to talk politics here, but I consider myself talking show biz.)
Posts: 4084 | From: ... | Registered: Nov 1998
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then we can talk about(the other simi retired comic) trump??? THE APPRENTICE))) HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAA
[ June 14, 2016, 08:28 AM: Message edited by: old paint ]
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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Actually, thank you Old Paint! I was trying to use square footage to figure price, but I got confused about price per square foot to figure RTA and still make a profit. I think I'm actually slightly low on my applied price now, so will recalculate that. Now, I'm hungry for pie - thanks guys!
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