Need some repair prices

[niftytack]

Hi I am just starting out and was wondering if anyone here has a good guide for pricing repair work?

Thanks

[LindaF]

Add the cost of all supplies you use, cost of your building/store, your advertising. Add what you think your hourly time is worth. If it is a hard piece or the customer is a problem, add in a inconvenience factor.

As you do this, you will get a feel for what repairs cost you. You can make your own price list to keep from refiguring each time.

With experience, you will get faster - the time you take goes down, but your experience should produce better work. It should even out.

[mulefool]

Be sure to figure in your overhead when figuring your shop rate. for example if you want to make say $15.00 an hour, you will have to charge more to cove your expenses, otherwise you're losing money. Chris

[niftytack]

Well I don't have a store front to worry about, I fix a few things here and there didn't know if anyone here had a list on there websites or something for me to compare to. (I have not had to purchase leather yet or to much hardware it all came together when purchased) but I will soon and then I will need to make sure I charge what I paid for it plus my time.

What do you thing would be a fair price? I have a few leather halters to fix and a few leather breast plates that need the girth attachment replaced due to sweat damage from the rusted hardware.

[mulefool]

Some jobs, like relining skirts are uniform enough to make a fairly set price. But if you ask how much to repair a halter, what exactly does that mean? Just some stitching? replace hardware?

here's some resources for you:

Bob Brenner has a book on figuring prices www.pikespeaksaddlery.com

or

ASMA guide to pricing www.saddlemakers.org

Good Luck

[Randy Cornelius]

Doing repairs and charging what it is worth is somethimes a double edged sword. If you do it right and fix it so it don't look coppled up you have more time and materials in it that you should have just made a new one from scratch. I have a minum that I charge a flat rate just to do a simple repair as that repair took me away from something else that would make me more money. If they don't want to pay a flat 10.00 to sew up something they can buy thier own sewing machine or needle and thread and do it thierselves.

I also hate to just slap something together to make a repair as it will look coppled up. They you have people telling everyone you did the repair and that gives you a bad name as it looks coppled up to someone who may be willing to pay the price to fix it the right way.. Just my thoughts.

Randy

[bruce johnson]

Some jobs, like relining skirts are uniform enough to make a fairly set price. But if you ask how much to repair a halter, what exactly does that mean? Just some stitching? replace hardware?

here's some resources for you:

Bob Brenner has a book on figuring prices www.pikespeaksaddlery.com

or

ASMA guide to pricing www.saddlemakers.org

Good Luck

I am with Chris on this. Bob Brenner's book "How to Establish Prices for the Saddle Maker or Leather Worker" is the absolute best $40 I ever spent. Don't get hung up on his prices in the examples, use the principles and make up some worksheets to figure your own.

[mulefool]

In regard to Randys comment on cobbling something together. I'm sure we've all had folks come in wanting a cheap repair and say "I don't care what it looks like (unsaid part; I want it cheap)" I always tell them," well I do care what it looks like and I won't do a bad job for anyone". Or like you say they can get their own needle and thread and fix it up.

The other thing makes me smile is when someone calls and says "I 've got a little project for you. It won't take long" . I can almost guarantee it won't be a "little" job. Chris

[Todd]

I don't have a store-front to boost my overhead but I do have a nice shop on my ranch that has to be heated and maintained. Leatherwork is also not my main source of income and therefore I can have a pretty lax attitude with my pricing. I charge $40.00 an hour plus materials for repair work and have a minumum rate of 1 hour. This keeps the small jobs to a minimum. I have yet to have a customer complain about my repair rate so maybe I'm still undercharging but I have no lack of work.

[$$hobby]

in addition to all of the above.

i use excel to record all of my purchased with regards to hardware, leather and stuff. so when it comes down to how much did pay for the hardware im using i will know. same for the leather and all of the other non leather sewing stuff i have.

i also keep track of my repairs/builds/projects in a notebook. i will include customers name, phone number, date, materials used, color, if the equipment was new or used, and how much time it took to repair or make. i will also note what the customer wanted. i will also sketch what it is that the customer wants so that if there are any questions later, i can refer to the info. i know it maybe more involved then others are willing/want to put into, but i use it for my reference as to how long a particular job took me the first or last time.

Edited August 7, 2009 by $$hobby

[Steve Brewer]

Go get your car fixed and see what they charge.I have a shop rate of 45.00 an hour plus materials.

Steve

[mulefool]

I think comparing our rate to a car mechanic is a pretty good way to go. something I keep wanting to do is have my shop rate posted along with a minimum rate. Maybe more for my self than the customers. Seems like if it's in writing I might do a better job of holding to it.

$$hobby, even though you spend more time writing all that stuff down and taking notes, in the long run you will probably save money in not having to reinvent the wheel when you get a similar job, or are trying to figure a price quote. I keep making a stab at doing that, but don't follow through as often as I should. Chris

[stelmackr]

Add the cost of all supplies you use, cost of your building/store, your advertising. Add what you think your hourly time is worth. If it is a hard piece or the customer is a problem, add in a inconvenience factor...

1. Cost of materials plus shipping costs to me

2. Cost of leather waste (off cuts, approx 30%))

3. Cost of consumables (i.e. thread, needles, glue, dye, wax, finish, etc.)

4. Cost of labor (per hour)

5. Cost of shop (heat, light, space)

6. Cost of accounting and accounting software

7. Cost of filing city, state and federal taxes

8. Costs of shipping (packaging material, container, shipping costs)

9. Costs of transportation to get supplies, leather, and for shipping

10. Cost of storage and inventory

11. Cost of FICA, Social Security, etc.

12. Cost of Health Insurance

13. Cost to comply with government regulatory expenses

14. Cost of advertisement

15. Cost of capital equipment investments

16. Cost of bank interest of business investment

17. Cost of labor

18. Cost to create a new pattern

19. Retirement investments

20. Cost of paper for keeping track of costs.

…and what’s left over from the money the customer gives me is profit… ;-)

Bob Stelmack

[Regis]

Really good list Bob. But, some items are directly related to item and some need grouped as overhead to be divided and added into all work (like a charge added to hourly labor).

I do not agree with the car repair analogy (except saddles for working horses). Cars are primary transportation and have a huge replacement vs repair cost. Person can typically wait a couple weeks for bag or jacket repair. Just try that in auto repair. Leather items being repaired are more for comfort or personal preference items.

Using Bob's list would likely allow for regional or local differences plus an allowance for skill level.

Good topic.

regis

[mrdabeetle]

...

20. Cost of paper for keeping track of costs.

Don't forget the pencils!