Advice on pricing on frame approx. 40.5”x50.5"

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dominoguru2

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I have a client that has a large oversize poster size approx. 40.5”x50.5”. The profile I am using on the poster with no mat is 2 1/2" Satin Black moulding that cost approximately 2.50 box priced.
The frame will have acrylic. I gave him a price quote of $425.00 including Free Shipping. He is 40 minutes away so I will deliver it myself. I think the price is reasonable. Do you think the price is too cheap or too expensive. He wants to negotiate.

I don't have any pricing yet however I will probably get one in the future. Thanks
 
Yeah, I am happy with the price. I don't want to overcharge or undercharge. I believe it is a reasonable price due to the fact that I will offer free shipping and it is a very large frame. I think this is a competitive price in the Los Angeles area.

The client can look for another framing store elsewhere but I don't think they will offer free delivery. Perhaps they will. I am not sure though.
 
delivery 40 minutes each way........... that sounds a bit beyond my free delivery policy (5 miles). My price was about what you propose charging on the assumption that no mounting (hinging etc) is included.

If you deduct the cost of delivery @ just $.50 a mile plus about an hour and a half @ $60 an hour. That delivery will deduct well over $100 from your base price for that framing job.
 
Just did a similar 40x60 Sopranos poster in a large Studio moulding, extra corner plates, plexi, drymount. It was huge and heavy. Your price in right-on I think. I would let them hang it however. My client attached (an Italian restaurant)the thing to the wall with 4" wood screws into the framing behind the drywall. Not my choice (lol), but I've got paid, and a nice dinner w. awesome cannolis.
 
Leave the poster.

Take the cannoli.

smileyshot22.gif


(I registered just to post this.)
 
confused slightly: are you telling us you bought this moulding at a box price? Bought the entire box? Paid #2.50 per foot? If yes, then pricing looks OK Don't know if I'd make free delivery to this long-distance customer a habit, though
 
Oversize poster = not enough money, no matter what.
The customer is looking for a better deal. If you are hungry enough, you can come down. However, in our out-of-the-way place, that is a lowish price, especially with that kind of delivery. Can't be cheaper to be in business where you are...
 
I have begun doing delivery/installs at $6/hr w/1hr min & the time begins when I start loading the truck.......so far the worst one was 12' up a ladder(theirs & yes! it was a good one). I just got a 2005 looong v-8 van and gas is now peaking(this week) at @ 2.80+/gal....I'm not driving very far w/o getting recompense.I do not include the delivery/install in the framing pricing......this is a totally seperate event that I try to NOT discuss until framing is complete giving customer time to find some other means of getting it done(I do it-I try to be, after all, a 1-stop shop--, but I'm not too thrilled about it! & I only do it AFTER store hours. That being said, I agree with Ellen "Oversize poster = not enough money"...sounds like you're slicing thin.
 
This thread has raised a couple of questions for me.

1. I don't know anything about your area. How many shops are you competing against for your work?

2. "Boxes" of moulding can be as little as 25' and as much as 700' for very small moulding. How much footage did you have to buy to get your Box price?

3. Los Angeles is a high density area. Why would he drive 40 minutes away to get this work done? There must be at least 5 or 6 shops that he drove past to get to your shop.

4. 40 minutes drive time can mean 9 or 10 miles down here depending on traffic, how many miles are you actually driving to deliver this framing?

It sounds like he has already gone to other shops and gotten estimates and you are the cheapest one. I would imagine that he probably didn't get any other offers to deliver either and most certainly no free offers. He already knows that, unless he has a big van, he isn't going to get that piece home unless he can squeeze it into the back of his SUV so your delivery offer was VERY generous for him.

How many other shops in your area are willing or capable of building that large a frame package and delivering it? I would not negotiate but rather defend my already very reasonable price and offer of free ONE TIME delivery and reinforce the fact that he will not get that kind of SERVICE from any other shop!

Convince him that YOU are the only one he should consider for this type of framing and for ALL his future framing. I would not make a big deal about the free delivery. That could eat up your profits if gas goes to 3 bucks a gallon or higher.

Good luck and happy framing to ya.

Framerguy
 
Very funny first post, Janette. (I was thinking the same thing, especially after the arrest of the major godfather in Corleone, Sicily yesterday.)
Welcome to the Grumble.
:cool: Rick
 
Assuming you're charging $6.50 - 7.50 per ft (you bought the whole box at $2.50 / ft), plus plexi, plus mounting, plus labor, plus delivery, I think the price is a good deal for this customer.

Don't charge less (tell him you're not charging for delivery - delivery charge alone should be around $100!).

Maybe you can offer the customer a discount on the next job, if he thinks this one is too expensive.
 
Originally posted by Paul N:
Assuming you're charging $6.50 - 7.50 per ft (you bought the whole box at $2.50 / ft), ... I think the price is a good deal for this customer.
Click to expand...
I have not run any kind of calculations on the original numbers given in the first post.

Hopefully no one in our business is only charging 3 times box price or less for a retail sale price.
 
Without doing any calculations, I would say your price is more than reasonable. There is no way that I would go less. That thing is going to take two people to fit..............nope, no negotiations..............unless he wants to pick it up for free! :D
 
Jerry:

I wouldn't charge that low a price either, I was trying to reach a number to meet his price point.

The cheapest frame I have starts at $10 (even if the box price is ($2.50).
 
I'm still trying to wrap my head around dealing with a 40x50 piece of acrylite.... nightmare... I think the price is fine... considering you are also delivering it. DOn't forget that things that are that big always take more time to assemble, and I assume you don't work for free?

If he has a problem with the price, tell them that you will do it for $350, but delivery will cost $100.
 
Originally posted by BILL WARD:
I have begun doing delivery/installs at 6/hr w/1hr min & the time begins when I start loading the truck........
Click to expand...
Please tell me that $6/hr was a typo????
 
Thanks all. I didn't budge and he bought the huge frame. It was tough mounting the poster though. Glad I didn't go any less. I would post a picture up on this site but don't know how to.
 
Jobs like this are a little harder. You must do more planning in advance. If you don't not it can be a nightmare. Just think it out in advance and you can do it! Have fun with the big check coming in!!!

PL
 
:eek: Really...Bill Ward...your delivery and install price CAN NOT be $6/hr! If it is, I'll pay you to do deliveries and installs for my company -- and so will any other company that offers delivery. My employee grosses more than 3X that per hour! How can you charge a customer so little? Now I HAVE delivered for free, but my customer knows that's worth $60/hr and they appreciate it alot when the service is worth so much.
 
I have a pack and ship place I do alot of business with. I'd have him write up a quote for shipping that piece, and include it with the invoice with a big NO CHARGE on it.

Thats a very reasonable price you charged.
 
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