*HOW Do I PRICE Paintjobs*

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PostPosted: Tue Mar 01, 2022 9:03 pm
Hello All, 24 and fairly new to the industry. Currently working in a shop and want to begin building personal portfolio outside of work. I would like to turn this into a business in the future. I’m lost on how to price jobs and materials. (dents, spot jobs, overalls, etc.) what’s the best methods for pricing? I was think like a flat rate of maybe 800-1000 for spraying paint only between cars and trucks because I’m just starting out. Then of course adding more for cut in’s and body work. All help is appreciated.
Last edited by bigrondae on Tue Mar 01, 2022 10:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Tue Mar 01, 2022 9:20 pm
I moved your post here because this is more of a business question than a "how to" question.

When you go into business for yourself, are you planning to do insurance repairs and quick fix items or full blown restorations?
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 01, 2022 9:46 pm
'68 Coronet R/T wrote:I moved your post here because this is more of a business question than a "how to" question.

When you go into business for yourself, are you planning to do insurance repairs and quick fix items or full blown restorations?


I plan to focus on older model cars. With a few quick repairs

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PostPosted: Wed Mar 02, 2022 8:37 am
bigrondae wrote: I’m lost on how to price jobs and materials. (dents, spot jobs, overalls, etc.) what’s the best methods for pricing? I


The absolute first thing is to fully understand your costs. That includes everything that you pay out and/or an allowance for things that you don't, but have value. For example, if you're doing this at home you may not pay rent separately for your shop, but it does have value and you should include that. Don't forget ROI (Return On Investment) in what you expect to make, plus the value of the wage that you expect to take out of the business.

I'm sure there are others but here is a link to a really handy online calculator which will help you figure out your "shop rate". It may even be worth your while to actually join the site at https://crashzone.com.au/index.html.

The site is Australian and the listing of vehicles is what is available here but you can choose something similar if you have one that's not on the list. Most importantly it allows you to do quotes by selecting from drop-down lists that help you to not forget things.

And......it's free! I use it all the time - if you want some tips or guidance using it, let me know.
Chris

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PostPosted: Wed Mar 02, 2022 12:30 pm
Like Chris stated, there are lot's of things to consider. The Calculator was extremely detailed and I found it overwhelming. :whoops:

I work out of my garage at home but I live in a rural area on 7 acres so no neighbors to worry about.

Even working from home, there is the matter of electricity, heat, tooling, ventilation, personal protection, etc.

Since I do not do this for a living, I can charge time and materials for all the jobs that come my way.

I keep accurate records of the date, time in, time out, work being done and materials used during each month using a spreadsheet.

Also have a separate "Total Costs" spreadsheet for each project with all the details above plus separate pages for Parts & Materials purchased, including tax and shipping costs, labor and a Payments page. The Payments page includes Invoices, Dates, Payments Received and a running total for all the project's costs.

I bill monthly for materials, parts and labor but in my case that can be as little as 40 hours up to 100 hours.
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 02, 2022 5:28 pm
Exactly what I plan to do. But I do plan on it become a second income. I’m wondering can I just estimate the hrs as a shop would do but at a lower rate because of fewer overhead cost?

'68 Coronet R/T wrote:Like Chris stated, there are lot's of things to consider. The Calculator was extremely detailed and I found it overwhelming. :whoops:

I work out of my garage at home but I live in a rural area on 7 acres so no neighbors to worry about.

Even working from home, there is the matter of electricity, heat, tooling, ventilation, personal protection, etc.

Since I do not do this for a living, I can charge time and materials for all the jobs that come my way.

I keep accurate records of the date, time in, time out, work being done and materials used during each month using a spreadsheet.

Also have a separate "Total Costs" spreadsheet for each project with all the details above plus separate pages for Parts & Materials purchased, including tax and shipping costs, labor and a Payments page. The Payments page includes Invoices, Dates, Payments Received and a running total for all the project's costs.

I bill monthly for materials, parts and labor but in my case that can be as little as 40 hours up to 100 hours.

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PostPosted: Wed Mar 02, 2022 7:17 pm
The problem with throwing estimates out there, is that customers expect you to stick to them.

Older vehicles is what I restore most of the time and they have lots of secret issues the eye cannot see.

Example:
The left rear quarter panel on this '65 Buick Convertible.
QuarterLeft.jpg


The bondo on this thing was almost 2" deep.
DeepBondo.jpg


It turned out they had scabbed the back half on from another quarter panel, used sheet metal screws to secure it, then beat it in with a hammer and sculpted the quarter with bondo.

Unless you quote the job and have the customer sign a contract that states something like "quote does not include, metal repair, fabrication, welding, or mechanical issues" you are leaving yourself wide open losing money.
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 02, 2022 7:20 pm
bigrondae wrote:I’m wondering can I just estimate the hrs as a shop would do but at a lower rate because of fewer overhead cost?


Sure. When I sold my shop and moved operations to home my overheads reduced dramatically but I still went through that exercise to work out exactly what they were so that I could know what my "shop rate" should be. If you don't then you run the risk of underestimating your costs an you won't make any money out of what you do. The only winner then will be the customer. Conversely, if you overestimate, you may not be competitive.

In my case I was able to reduce my "shop rate" by about $30/hour.

And....watch out for what Coronet has detailed - it's a huge trap.
Chris



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PostPosted: Wed Mar 02, 2022 9:57 pm
Bingo. But what are the estimated labor hrs for an overall? Cars and trucks

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PostPosted: Thu Mar 03, 2022 12:47 am
bigrondae wrote:But what are the estimated labor hrs for an overall?


If you join the site then you can work up a quote for painting by doing panel by panel. You can also include your estimates for R&R and Repair. Note also that there are automatic calculations of materials, depending on how you calculate, plus provision for Parts and Sublets.

Hours to do each task vary according to the way the quote is calculated but are generally based on insurance company approved times so they will give you a good starting point. Obviously you may need to adjust according to each vehicle. Rates are customisable and you can add your logo and business details as well as comments for a professional result to give to your customer.

Following is one that I did recently, that I now have and about to start.

Screenshot_20220303_163034.jpg


Screenshot_20220303_163341.jpg


Screenshot_20220303_163450.jpg
Chris
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