[Woodworkingkid]

I have a customer wanting me to do custom built in book cases I did a rough drawing in sketch up. I am thinking the materials will run around 500 or 600 and my total price will be between 1500 and 2000 installed. Is that to much to charge? I am thinking that this project will get me a combination jointer planer most likely a 12 inch from grizzly or a 12 inch jet. I was thinking about getting a festool track saw but I think it would be better to replace my current jointer and planer with a combo unit to save space.

Sorry the sketch up drawing is such a pain to open I don't know how to embed the image in my post.

 

[Woodworkingkid]

any suggestions

 

[Masterjer]

I've never sold any of my projects, but posts on other threads here suggest 3-4 times the material cost. So it look like you're in the ballpark. If you figure your labor hours, you may be surprised at how little your time is worth.

 

[Woodworkingkid]

Ok thats good to know

 

[darins]

You have asked the $64 dollar question. What I can sell things for where I am, unfortunately, has no bearing on what you can sell things for where you are. Some people tell you X times materials. That may work, or you may lose money. Others will tell you to figure how long it will take you, and do a shop rate. Same type of thing. It may work, it may not. I'm not saying this to be mean spirited, difficult, or whatever words or phrases you wish to use.

I think you need to take a hard look at material costs (which you may have already done) and try to figure out how long it will take you to do the project. Don't forget to add in things like the costs of finishes, sand paper, wear and tear on equipment, new blades, electrical costs, and a whole host of other things. Once you have these figured and added up, how much do you want to make on the project? Add that in. THEN you can come up with a price. It could very well be a LOT higher than what you currently think.

Like I said, I'm not trying to be mean spirited, just trying to throw a little reality into this.

 

[nbo10]

I remember the first project I did. I told my wife the wood only costs $110, and will take a weekend. Almost $700 and 3 months later the rocking horse was finished. I now add in an overage factor of 2.5 into the cost and 2 for labor.

 

[CNYWOODS]

So many factors. What are the dimension?

Other things to look at are what type of finish.( different finishes = different amts.)

Type of wood... And that woods desirability.

Custom product or could someone go to box store and do themselves.

Are you the only quote.

And lots more .

 

[Dodger52]

I have a customer wanting me to do custom built in book cases I did a rough drawing in sketch up. I am thinking the materials will run around 500 or 600 and my total price will be between 1500 and 2000 installed. Is that to much to charge? I am thinking that this project will get me a combination jointer planer most likely a 12 inch from grizzly or a 12 inch jet. I was thinking about getting a festool track saw but I think it would be better to replace my current jointer and planer with a combo unit to save space.

Sorry the sketch up drawing is such a pain to open I don't know how to embed the image in my post.

Like others have said there are so many factors... You might check with a custom cabinet shop in your area and see if they can give you an estimate of a per foot price, just to see if your in the ballpark.

The local furniture store that has a few of my tables is currently doubling the price of my tables for custom work estimates. That said they haven't given me any custom work so I couldn't be sure if that is too expensive.

I recently had a customer bring me a table design, that I thought it would be profitable at $2,000. As I was trying to lay it out I decided it would be a pain to build so I quoted $3,500 because I really didn't want the job. They should be delivering that material deposit this weekend. My point is, for custom work I think its hard to overprice it. I am pretty new at this selling work thing so the others opinions may be more accurate.

 

[Steve M.]

"Sorry the sketch up drawing is such a pain to open I don't know how to embed the image in my post."

Here are the images as jpegs. I took a couple more views to show all sides.

 

[Woodworkingkid]

Thanks for all the suggestions so far. This is my first payed fine woodworking job so I am really new to pricing. I am planning on using 3/4 birch plywood 1/2 inch birch plywood for the backs and 1X3 popular for the rails and stiles all from home depot because they have the best price and will deliver for 20$. The over all dimensions are 31" for the left wall 135" 1/4 for the long wall and 59" for the right wall. Each cabinet will have six shelf's in it ( I just didn't think I needed to draw them all out for the picture) I am really thinking more like 1000$ just in materials with the cost of paint and other stuff I will need. I am really thinking I need to price it more like 2800 but I don't want to lose the job.

 

[nbo10]

In my area home depot and lowes price on poplar is over 4 times the lumber yard. You might want to look around.

 

[CNYWOODS]

For me painting box store ply can be tragic. Be sure you do some samples with that ply. Good primer preferably a tinted one.
For your first job you might be right and not want to loose it. You have to start somewhere and word of mouth is your best marketing tool. Do it right, make them happy and last but not least pay yourself. Best of luck.

 

[Woodworkingkid]

I didnt even think about it not taking the paint well

 

[CNYWOODS]

It just tends to have some voids and uneven sanding marks that can seem non visible till you start painting. I learned the hard way. But not saying that all is like that. Just my 2 cents

 

[CNYWOODS]

Another thought -If you need to use box store ply you can use a wash coat of drywall mud over the entire sheet, sand that to 220( that will fill the voids) then continue with your primer. It can be a lot of work. But much better results. MDF is a possibility as well.

 

[Woodworkingkid]

Another thought -If you need to use box store ply you can use a wash coat of drywall mud over the entire sheet, sand that to 220( that will fill the voids) then continue with your primer. It can be a lot of work. But much better results. MDF is a possibility as well.

I was thinking about using ply with a nice birch venere like I used on my tv cabinet and that looks good. I can get birch venere 3/4 at the lumber yard for 62 a sheet

 

[Woodworkingkid]

one more question. I have never done any spray finishing before but I am thinking about getting a sprayer to paint the cabinets. From people who have done this befor how long do you think I am looking at to paint all the cabinets with 1 coat of primer and 2 coats of paint?

 

[CNYWOODS]

What type of paint? What type of sprayer system?

 

[Steve M.]

I am just now finishing up some bookcases built of birch plywood and poplar trim, all from the big box store, similar to what you are proposing. The only difference between my bookcases and the ones you're proposing is that mine are free standing. I am just now finishing up the staining and I did find a few surprise voids in the 3/4" material that almost sank me...I got lucky they just missed being a problem.
Since buying those materials from the big box store I looked around and found a specialty lumber yard that I now use exclusively for my plywood and rough lumber because their material is better at the same or lower cost. That lumber yard then connected me with a trim supplier just up the road from them that carries much better material than the box store. I picked up some beautiful crown and detail trim that really set my work off from the average. Neither of the big box stores had anything like it.
I am in the Atlanta area and can share my sources if you're close by, or maybe someone else here is closer to you.

 

[Steve M.]

one more question. I have never done any spray finishing before but I am thinking about getting a sprayer to paint the cabinets. From people who have done this befor how long do you think I am looking at to paint all the cabinets with 1 coat of primer and 2 coats of paint?

I just sprayed stain on both of my free standing bookcases yesterday afternoon. I used the Earlex 5500 spray system. About $300.

Took me about 1 hour to spray and touch up each bookcase, per coat, then again mine have backs and tops that you don't have to deal with...and my shelves were attached which made it harder to get at everything. Then I took about another hour or so to set up and then clean afterwards. This does not count any of the hours I spent trying to find the right stain or thinking it all through.

Remember to allow for drying time in between each coat per the directions on the paint/primer can. I'll have to scuff the surface between my coats of poly because I am using stain and then poly. If you're using paint I don't think you have that added effort. I have a few more hours ahead of me to get all that poly on...