# HELP HOW MUCH TO CHARGE



## kp327up (Jul 29, 2014)

Fellow Lumber Jocks,

I built this shadow box end table for a fellow military member and to be quite honest I have zero clue on how much to charge. I need some feedback and advice on this if any one would care to venture word.

It is approximately 24 inches from front to back, 20 inches from side to side and 27 inches tall. It is made of pine with a lid that opens the shadowbox part and a drawer underneath, Thanks in advance!

Kevin P


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## CharlesA (Jun 24, 2013)

Is it, "how much would this be on the market?" or "how much do I charge a friend?" What is the reason to charge more than what you have in it? (you may have very good reasons to do that, but it helps to clarify what you're asking.)


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## Dal300 (Aug 4, 2011)

Good luck! Here is my criteria: All the traffic will bear in your area. After that is is this a friend? friend of a friend, acquaintance, or just someone whom was referred to you? Again it's whatever you feel confidence in for your quality of work.

If it is a very good friend or a person I was in a combat situation with, there would be no charge.


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## kp327up (Jul 29, 2014)

Couldn't agree more on all counts! To clarify it is "what would this be on the market?" I will then apply a generous discount lol. Thanks so much for the speedy replies!


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## Dal300 (Aug 4, 2011)

The photo is too small to get any details. Maybe host it elsewhere and send a link? From where I sit it looks good, even with a bit of blotch.

Otherwise, for clients I am doing business for only, I charge $35/hr plus costs plus 20% overhead. 
That means if it is one of my top quality pieces I charge the actual hours I worked on it in the shop. Not thinking about it or designing it or whatever.

Costs are power, tool replacement and depreciation, space, cost of rough lumber, etc.
The 20% is fudgeable. If I get 47 phone calls a day, the price goes up. If I get 14 emails longer than one paragraph and wondering how the work is going, the price goes up! If I hear from the customer once a week? the price goes down. If the customer comes over with a case of beer and stays, the price may or may not go up. If the customer brings a case of beer over, leaves and asks no stupid questions, the price goes down drastically.

Does that help?


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## Mahdeew (Jul 24, 2013)

This is my criterion:
Hours spent on the project + cost of lumber + innovation an research + cost of depreciated tools (sand paper, saw, joiner, finish, etc.. My estimate would be $340.


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## jmartel (Jul 6, 2012)

For future reference, come up with a cost and get them to agree to it before building.


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

My advice is for next time. Price should set before the project begins and both parties know what the price is. Just makes life easier for everyone involved.


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## MikeGager (Jun 15, 2009)

price = cost of materials + how much profit you can live with. if its a good friend the cost of materials might be all thats needed. if you are looking to sell for a profit figure out how much time you have in it and figure what your time is worth but be realistic


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

I agree with setting price before the build. 
If I made this I would charge around $275 and give a 10% military discount.


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

It's worth a couple bucks more if its turned 90 degrees.


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## JAAune (Jan 22, 2012)

Labor+materials+overhead+taxes are what I'd charge. I'm looking at the $500-$600 range for a project like that. With that price however, comes a level of customer service that most shops don't offer. Clients get a detailed proposal, stain samples and drawings along with the knowledge that they can call or email me at pretty much anytime 6 days a week with questions.

The result is that we tend to work on larger, higher end projects and not many of the small ones. Plus we get more commercial work than most other shops as that type of client often favors service over cost.


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## joeyinsouthaustin (Sep 22, 2012)

$24,000.00 ... No seriously.. try that first.


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## goochs (Jan 13, 2015)

Since most my work is for friends or relatives and I enjoy doing the work and using my tools I rate each item by the square foot. I just measure all my material come up with the square footage the multiply that by 9.34 for pine or 10.50/per square foot for oak. Seems to pay for my material and leaves a little extra for me. I must mention that this is a hobby for me so I don't really have all the costs of running a full fledged business.

my guess would be around 375.00


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## DMC1903 (Jan 11, 2012)

I'm currently building a entryway bench for a friend,the only charge is for material. Our friendship is worth every minute of labor.
If it was for an off the street client,maybe $125.00
Best of luck


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

> I m currently building a entryway bench for a friend,the only charge is for material. Our friendship is worth every minute of labor.
> If it was for an off the street client,maybe $125.00
> Best of luck
> 
> - DMC1903


Wow, If I were to build that for 125 dollars I'd have to get my material free and complete it in a couple hours.


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## Garbanzolasvegas (Jan 15, 2015)

Never do any work for anyone that tells you "Costs is not an issue"cause they don't plan to pay you


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## Garbanzolasvegas (Jan 15, 2015)

I would say after careful considerations… materials… Import fees, exotic wood terrifs, local state and federal and global taxes, license, carbon taxes and regulations…. Labor, fees and taxes, Social security, fuel costs and their taxes, unemployment taxes, haz mat fees and regulations, local property taxes… small business taxes and fees, You might get away with something in the neighborhood of $250,000. Oh that's before income taxes…..

Good luck with that.

Aint freedom great!


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## jeffswildwood (Dec 26, 2012)

Wow, you did do a very nice job on this project! I would like to see it posted in the projects page!

As for what to charge, every project I have done has been for someone I know except one. 1) I would want my material cost back. wood, glass, hinges and hardware and felt. That's what I see here. Now for labor cost, I don't know what you should charge. That's up to you. I do this as a hobby between working full time and other duties. My time in the shop becomes my fun time, not work time, (even though it is). Basically, I try to come up with a price we both can be comfortable with. (Ahead of time as mentioned). Now if I was to build this, (I know I am about to be kicked for this by fellow wood workers) for a friend, using lowes pine boards, rough estimating material costs,..........$100.00. I get my costs back and some more to buy more wood to support my hobby, not business. I would love to just charge material only for friends but I believe they get a good value for what they order.

By the way, even my wife says I don't charge enough.


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## HornedWoodwork (Jan 28, 2015)

I charge 100% of the materials and then $30/hour "shop time" which is $20.00 for me and $10.00 for my shop (wear and tear, materials, electricity etc.) If I were doing it for a friend, I'd drop my part of that and charge them materials plus $10.00/hour. If it was family or my best friends I'd do it for free.

Pine, glass and hardware, I'm estimating $85.00 with taxes and shippping. I'd say that would be about 16/20 hours to make, so a friend price would be about $275-300 and maybe double that for a client.


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