What would you charge

[A.Wise]

What would you charge to remove the glass from small frames (5X7 or smaller) clean the glass and put backing back on frames that are cheap frames but old? No mounting required. :confused:

[Ron Eggers]

Insufficient information.

Are these photo frames with slide-out backs, metal frames or wood frames? If the latter, are there dust seals to be replaced?

Is the glass a little dusty or severely scuzzy?

Are these really old frames that are going to be depositing all sorts of #### under the glass requiring package-sealing or multiple refits?

My charge could be as little as a straight fit charge (unlikely) or as much as ten times that.

[A.Wise]

One is a metal frame with a slide out back that needs replaced. The others are wooden which need dust covers. All are free standing frames (the ones that have their own stands and they swing) the glass just needs cleaned before replacing the backs no scrubbing.

[B. Newman]

Because I do an awful lot of work that can't have a "preset" price, I have learned to "guess-timate" prices. Sometimes I lose, but I've done this long enough that most times it works (for me.)

This is what I do. I have a "shop rate." I've worked hard and spent a lot of time to determine just what I have to make per day and per hour to meet my goals. (Overhead, costs, profits.) Then I determine how long any given job would take (especially if there isn't a "set" charge for it, such as mats, moulding, etc.) That helps me take any oddball job that comes along and still make a profit.

That meets my customer's needs, meets my needs, and just plain makes me look good to my customer.

It would be extremely difficult for anyone to give you a "price" not knowing everything about your situation. If you take this method, you can make it work for any job any time.

For what it's worth...

Betty

[ 10-30-2003, 08:03 AM: Message edited by: B. Newman ]

[Ron Eggers]

That's kinda what I do, Betty. But in all these years, I've never gotten very good at estimating how long a "non-standard" job is going to take. (I told my wife I thought it would take a couple of long weekends to build a screen house on our 12'x20' deck - three years ago.)

So my special fitting charges are based on multiples of my standard fitting charges - which are maybe a little high to begin with.

Without seeing them, it sounds like these would be double my standard fitting charge.

BTW, I'm lousy at estimating the size of things, too. I think that comes from working in a room full of convenient tape measures (including a talking one) and rulers.

[smitten]

we have a set "un-fitting" charge for standard pieces (fitting X 0.5) and an "antique un-fitting" charge (fitting x 1.5).
assuming 10$ is our standard fit w/o backing:
to un-fit and re-fit a standard piece 10$ + 5$
to un-fit and re-fit an antique piece 10$ + 15$

[Less]

$15

I often do these jobs as no charge for good clients. I think they appreciate the gesture, and I believe that ultimately the money will come back to me many times over.

If a new client brings it in, I may charge them $15, even if I eat a little time. I feel it lets them know that they can be comfortable bring in the small jobs. As you know, they often turn into bigger jobs.

If it appears that this is the type of client that will abuse my generosity, they will be charged a minimum 8 x 10 rate: fitting x2, plus time to clean up frame, new glass charge if the old is to difficult to clean, extra materials, etc.

Heck, in all likelihood they just took up 15 minutes of your time at the design counter.

[DTWDSM]

5 x 7 Fitting charge time how many frames there are. If you refuse to do it or charge an unfair price they will not come back to you for the big framing job. Why give them an excuse to go to the competition?

[Pat Kotnour]

I have a $35 per hour rate I use for labor intensive jobs that take a lot of extra time to complete. When doing cleaning and restoration work, that requires nothing but labor, that is the figure I use to determine the charge. A half hour would be $17.50. Because of the time it takes to even write a workorder on these types of jobs I do set a minimum of $10 total. Or, in some cases for a good customer, I will do it for nothing.

[ 10-30-2003, 10:03 AM: Message edited by: P. Kotnour ]

[Bill Henry-]

Our standard fitting charge for 8 x 10's or under is $6.60 (unfitting = $3.40 which we usually waive).

You're not going to be able to retire with this piddlin' work order, anyway, so why not make a big show of cutting them a "deal" by saying, "we'll do both for $7.00!" – big flourish, with hands waving? That'll make 'em feel special and make you out to be a good guy.

[tjay]

Pretty much what Less said... for a customer with a nicely priced custom order on the table, I'd do the "cleaning" job at no charge. For someone off the street wielding a competitors' coupon... a lotta bucks.

[FramerRandy]

I find that sometimes new customers will come in with something to be fixed before they will bring in more substantial work. I try to cover any materials and some of shop time.

Get quite a bit of new business that way. smile.gif