Hello all,
I’m a hobbyist woodworker. A friend asked me to do a cherry wall unit with fireplace mantle, stained and finished. Now i priced it out with materials (+15% waste) and labor, based on how long it takes me to work. I would like to get some ballpark estimates to compare my figure to.
The only difference from the unit in the photo is that the last 2′ at either ends of the unit i’m building, do a 90 degree turn and extend out perpendicular from the back wall. Or another way to explain it is, the wall that the unit is going against is 12′ long and the two end sections actually lie against the adjoining side walls. The ceiling is 8′.
Thanks,
dperfe
Edited 3/1/2006 7:36 pm ET by dperfe
Replies
This is an apples to oranges comparison.
Not knowing where you're working, it's impossible to give a quote with any validity due to regional variations in labor, material and other costs.
a price in Hawaii will be much different than one in Iowa.
I also don't know how fast or slow you work. Since you're a hobbyist but now will be professional, it's probably best to read up on business books, such as the The Journal of Light Construction's Running a Home Improvement Business, and other books. You could lose your shirt and maybe a friendship on this one, but maybe not. Not trying to sound dire but it's important to understand the difference between professional and hobbyist work.
at least 25k!
I build these types of wall units/built-ins quite frequently. I'm working on 2 presently. Jackplane brought up some very important issues. I would also add the question of whether or not you will be finishing it yourself. LOTS of work involved. Most efficient cabinet makers are going to be in the range of between $800 and $1200 per linear foot of work, depending on species of wood, as well as finishing technique involved. Lots of variables can cause the labor time to increase by double. We need more info. What were you hoping to charge . If I understand you correctly, you'll have 12 ft + 2 ft + 2 ft = 16 feet of cabinetry and mantel. Is this correct?
Jeff
an additional question, what percentage of the work would you all say is the finish?I'm in the middle of a project where the client originally wanted to finish it herself, but I decided to do it since she's pregnant (she knows there will be an additional charge).
I just haven't kept accurate track of finishing time. 25-35% would be my guess.
That's about right, for me anyway.
Jeff
Yes it is a lot of work and I am aware as Jack stated, it can put a strain on a friendship. In that regard, i have discussed with him all that is involved and what to expect. And I will be putting together an exact spec sheet so that he and i can go through everything to make sure it's what he and his wife want. My friend was under the impression that dimensioning rough sawn lumber is simply a matter of a couple quick passes through the planner. I think i've adaquately educated him on all that's involved. Oddly enough, we met 20 yrs ago in woodshop class. Anyway, yes i will be staining and finishing.
"If I understand you correctly, you'll have 12 ft + 2 ft + 2 ft = 16 feet of cabinetry and mantel. Is this correct?"Yes, that's pretty much it. To be more exact, the fireplace is 5' and will be trimmed out, as in the picture, about 5" more on both sides to accomodate the fluting trim. This leaves about 3' on either side, but because of the 12" depth of the cabinets on the side walls, the useable space is actually 2'. So that would be 14 ft in total. That $800 - $1200 you quoted is for what area? I'm in a suburb in western ny. thanks,
dperfe
Edited 3/3/2006 8:08 am ET by dperfe
I'm in the Chicago area. New York is going to be in the high end spectrum of pricing, if I had to guess. I've never been there, but I know pricing is high there.
The job I'm working on now is 17 feet long, and is just under $20K. Here's a pic of a job I finished and installed a couple months ago. They are challenging projects, when you are new to them. You never stated whether you had done a project this size before or not.
Good luck.
Jeff
Jeff, that looks great. Is that cherry? Regarding the price, I would think my area near Buffalo NY, is probably a bit lower. Even so my buddy is getting a real good deal, not even going to tell you how much. I've got another question for you if you don't mind. My friend wants it real dark, I was planing on creating a toner out of oil/urethane blend (Arm R Seal) and just spraying it on. Or another option i was considering, is to seal it with Zinser and then either brush or spray on a pigment stain and finish with the oil/urethane blend. Do you have any suggestions? I'd like to keep the color and finish process less complicated. Also, I havn't been to fond of gel stains on cherry so i'm leaning away from that. What about spray dying it with an alcohol dye?thanks
dperfe Edited 3/3/2006 12:05 pm ET by dperfe
Edited 3/3/2006 12:06 pm ET by dperfe
The work I generally do involves finishing the wood in it's natural color. I'm not a big fan of tints, stains, and dyes, as I believe it takes away from the natural beauty of the wood. It's a point I stress to my customers. So, I would not be the guy to ask about finishing the wood to a dark red color, although my guess would be that a tint would work fine. You could post that question in the finishing section over in Skills and Techniques.
The project I sent you a picture of isn't cherry, it's maple.
Good luck.
Jeff
Like others have said, the price will vary with location. If I were estimating this for a customer here in CA, my ballpark would be $20k - $25k.
There's a LOT of work there. Once you have a final design, you're probably looking at 4-6 weeks to build it, a week to stain & finish, and 2-3 days to deliver and install. Hopefully, your shop is big enough to store the sections as you build them - and clean enough to do your finish work.
Have you ever done a project this large before? It's gonna be a real challenge - lol.
I'll not comment on the overall cost as there are too many variables at stake. But, the 15% for waste that you are figuring is way too low. I routinely add 50% and sometimes I double my estimate for materials. The wood is cheap compared to my time, but the extra wood cost that I don't figure, comes straight out of my pocket. Quality work demands the right material. Not all of the board is going to be usable.
Thanks for the help people. I think i have a pretty good handle on what to charge. dperfe
The pieces are beautiful,both in design and execution. Congratulation!!
Since It appears that you keep track of the time it takes to create such a masterpiece, could you let us know how many hundred hours have spent on it.
Thank you
John Cabot
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