Opinions on repair pricing
01-06-2013, 03:11 PM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Kansas
Posts: 102
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?
01-06-2013, 03:29 PM
#2
Banned
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Sturbridge, Ma
Posts: 3,992
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?
01-06-2013, 03:47 PM
#4
Power Poster
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Lake Elsinore, CA
Posts: 15,141
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.
01-06-2013, 03:58 PM
#5
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Canadian in Minnesota
Posts: 3,078
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.
01-15-2013, 07:08 AM
#9
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: The beautiful Texas hill country.
Posts: 1,265
I've done alterations for the general public for over 40 years!
(yikes.. that's a looooooong time)
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!
(yikes.. that's a looooooong time)
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!
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