A Personal Question? How much do you charge?

[Dev Emch]

I would like to ask the other pros a personal question if I dare. I apologize as this may be personal or propriatary information. But I am courious what other pro shops charge per hour for doing cabinetwork and fine woodworking? I would like to know if I am charging to much or worse yet, not enough.

Thanks
Regards

[Chris Rosenberger]

Are you going to tell us how much you charge first?
It does not seem right that we should tell you & you not tell us.

[Joe Unni]

Dev,

A fair question...

Materials + 15%
Hourly rate $40. (more typically $320. per day)
Once total time is figured
Add new materials number to total time + 15%

Example:
$1000 materials
+ 15% (covers any goofs or extra materials needed)
$1150.
+$620. (2 days)
$2920.
+ 15% (covers overhead)
$3358. job cost

I get 50% up front (securing a spot in the schedule) and the balance upon delivery.

This has worked very well for me.

I hope you find this helpful.

-joe

[Mike Wenzloff]

Hi Dev,

I usually marked up materials 25%, sometimes much more. For materials I have gotten at rediculously low prices, that 25% is figured off of current stock prices.

I bid based on $65/hr labor. Sometimes a job figured out lower once drawing and meeting time was factored in. Sometimes it worked out higher. Never below $40/hr.

This was for freestanding furniture. Never tried built-ins. You would need to factor in differences in regions into your equations. The hourly I used was based upon deciding how much I wanted to make and working in COG and taxes, typical overhead and taxes.

Now I am making tools. Don't ask how low the hourly works out to <G>...

Take care, Mike

[Chris Dodge]

Joe, I use the exact same formula for cabinet work. However, I charge $60-75/hour for furniture. It almost always requires much more detail work and more careful finishing.

[Tyler Howell]

$100.00/per hour port to port............But never for WW Some other stuff I do.....And they pay me . Parts/materials are retail customer will often get them.
For WW I have to pay them.

[Steve Clardy]

I really don't have a per hour rate on cabinets, or per foot.
Most of my cab jobs work out at around materials times 5.
Staircases, I just bid the jobs high enough to cover my time and material.

[Andy Hoyt]

Surprised no one has mentioned the location factor.

Work done in Palo Alto, CA or Bedford, NY might cost about the same.

But that same work in Benton Falls, ME or Charlo, MT will cost a considerably different amount.

This holds true for materials, labor, and overhead.

And this makes the figures Dev is looking for somewhat misleading.

[Michael Ballent]

I would also mention that it could also depend on which side of the tracks the client is on My parents constantly get much higher quotes for work done at their house because they live on the ritzy side of town.

Surprised no one has mentioned the location factor.

Work done in Palo Alto, CA or Bedford, NY might cost about the same.

But that same work in Benton Falls, ME or Charlo, MT will cost a considerably different amount.

This holds true for materials, labor, and overhead.

And this makes the figures Dev is looking for somewhat misleading.

[Per Swenson]

Hello all,

It all depends on the customer.

I shoot for the , "if you have to ask" type.

Thankfully, I live in one of those locations.

Then there is the price for the repeat, the builder, or neighborly type.

Of course there is the high profile client where getting your stuff

visible is worth giving it away.

Also, I always check a customers shoes and car tires.

Per

Per

[Richard Wolf]

This is difficult but here goes. When installing railings, I always supplies the materials. The price for the job is 3 to 4 times the cost of the materials.
How does this work out; My son and I can install between $500 to $1000 in rail parts in a day. This bills out to $1500 to $3500 a day. $1500 is a pretty easy day, 4 hours at the job site. $3500 is difficult and would take a hard 8 hours at the job site.
Like Andy said, operating a business on Long Island, NY can be very expensive. I have alot of overhead an cost of living is very high.

Richard

[Dan Oliphant]

As others have mentioned location is a factor. Here in the northern high desert, the client base is typically middle class to upper middle class. So high cost free standing furniture is the exception.
With that said, my labor fee is $35/hr, no shop lease or rent to consider, materials are calculated to retail plus 20% handling. (I do not pay retail) When estimating the lumber, an additional 10% loss is included.
The time to generate an estimate and design the unit are not included in the overall cost. I realize a lot of folks charge for these items, but the client base here will typically not support that pricing.

[Walt Pater]

Let's not forget your local State Board of Workman's Compensation. They have their hooks on my payroll to the tune of 18.58 cents on the dollar-- cheap, compared to what roofers and siders get hit for.

[Jack Hogoboom]

Hey Per,

Do I get a discount if I have old shoes? I also wear sweats with holes in them. Drives my wife crazy, which is why I do it....

I need a desk for my office....

Jack

[Rob Will]

I would like to know if I am charging to much or worse yet, not enough.

We have seen your toys. Nobody can charge that much.

Rob