Opinions on repair pricing
 

I have repaired a few old quilts for people, these are not heirloom quality, but do mean a lot to the individuals. Usually a quilt used and abused and then they realize they can't get another just like it. Anyway, I have set my price at $8 per hour plus materials. I just finished repairing a queen sized quilt that had some diamonds totally gone, which I replaced, and quilted, then I applied a new binding by hand (front and back), leaving the original intact to maintain original workmanship. This quilt was originally hand made throughout. Anyway, I have more than 16 hours of work in this quilt which will amount to $120 for labor. This seems really high to me. What is everyone's opinion on this?

If it took you that long to do the repair and you have an houry rate then that is the price for the repair. I would not advice you looking at the situation from the buyer's viewpoint but rather you as the repairman. How much would you pay if the plumber or electrician came to fix the light switch?

why are questioning yourself. you did what you set out to do and I'm sure you did a great job. She would pay the plumber wouldn't she.

To me it sounds very reasonable. You have a special skill, and your price is set. The only question I would have would be whether the customer was given an estimate up front of how long it might take. If she was expecting it to take only 2 hours, then she will be shocked to get the repair bill. That's true of any type of repair, even plumbing, LOL. Just keep the customer in the loop.

Eight dollars an hour plus materials is more than fair. Like Dunster says, if you are able to give an up-front estimate of how long it would take then the customer should not be surprised at the final price. Having done a repair myself, I know that it is painstaking work with a lot of concentration and skill involved.

NO! it is not even close to being too high! Receive the advice of the others here and believe in your own work's value. :):thumbup:

Jan in VA

Jan's right. I charge $10/hr.

Jan is right!

I've done alterations for the general public for over 40 years!
(yikes.. that's a looooooong time) :eek:
And figure if I can't earn at least $10 per hour, I'm in the wrong business. In this part of the world, people that clean houses earn that much. Honestly, that doesn't require as much skill as repairing an heirloom quilt.

Believe it's important to give the customer an estimate and while doing that inform them it's not "written in stone", as you never know what you're going to run into.

Know the value of your work! :thumbup:

Your customer is getting a steal to have an heirloom quilt repaired for that little!