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Pricing in the San Diego / LA area for installation


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Hoping that you guys can help. We are relocating to the west coast from Texas and are looking at install rates and pricing in the San Diego / LA county area.

We had another sign company (fast signs / non C45 Licensed) call us today for a bid and after he fell over when we gave him our pricing, his reply was:

Basic Job:

Install (32) 24" channel letters on 2 walls (tilt wall) 16 letters on each wall. He told me his budget was $1000.00 retail to the customer.

I don't want to offend anyone, but in Texas by the time we pay for insurance, workman's comp, the truck, the installers etc... I would have lost a $1000.00 just showing up.

We handle national accounts all day long in Texas, and the project managers we work with often complain about not having very good luck working with San Diego / LA installers.

Is the west coast that cheap or am I missing something?

Thanks!

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I used to live in San Diego, There are some Great Companies there and there are some not so great companies. The good ones you are going to have to pay a premium for. The others well let's just say that the illegal immigration issue is a real problem in Southern California. More than the national media will ever tell you about. Then there is NAFTA and how that plays out in San Diego specifically. When I left 15 years ago I had competition selling against me that their selling price was about what my material costs were? How can that be well they can build it in Tiajuana and bring it across and the very same national material companies sell to them in Mexico the very same product for $.25- $.35 on the dollar. Again that was 15 years ago so things certainly could have changed.

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I don't think Trump will be the solution short or long term, when " You the sign companies" keep dropping your pants and saying yes and accepting low bid jobs, there's always someone that will do it for less. I have tried sourcing from here to China and if you happen to find a good reliable source at a good price why not. I think many people have said it here before - Quality and service comes with a price...Going back to your question I think your Fast signs guy was a few bucks short on his quote thinking he would find someone to do it at that price try $2800 next time.

Henry Z

Superior Signs

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Damn Henry you've been in California too long, you are getting used to it. I thought California was expensive to live in, but not according to your quote. ( Which I thought we don't discuss here ). I hope that doesn't include permitting otherwise you are being "one of those" sign companies.

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I as a one man show with little to no overhead might be around $1,500 to $2,000 depending on access, wall, etc etc.

The problem with San Diego is, most shops here it's a race to the bottom. Everyone is looking for cheap cheap, looking for the 50¢ LED modules, collecting a check for the job and walking away. As said above, their are a few good shops and then theirs the rest. The problem with Fast Signs is, not many are even C45 and their involving themselves in a lot of illegal contracting. Also, there is a chance Fast Signs may even be the 3rd or 4th company in the totem pole. I've seen this in some national national sign installs, like Farmers ins.

You have some unlicensed vinyl sticky company landing a large account. They subcontract Fast Signs, who in turn Calls Wholesale Direct, Fast Signs is also looking for licensed installers for them, the sticky vinyl shop as well as the end user. A lot of hands in the pot. So their looking for cheap cheap to install. Meanwhile most of the time the whole contract is illegal and all need to be prosecuted because if any of those wheels don't keep turning the consumer is screwed and they won't have any avenues to recoup losses.

Probably not answering your questions, but labor rates here are usually around $85 to $125 + equipment/permits/permit time/ tools etc.

I think things improve the more north you go, Henry would know more than I.

But make no mistake, we have awesome beaches and plenty of eye candy, just don't get distracted with all the bikini's, you might find yourself working less! :sprt (41)::fnd (9)::sml (29):

Good luck in your new venture and Welcome to SoCal!

*EDITED - Steve, you're having a problem with your email address you've used for the site here. Every-time someone replies it's coming back in error, so you might not even be receiving notifications of replies.

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You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life. - Winston Churchill

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Thanks very much everyone. We pride ourselves in quality work and have a great background of 20 plus years working in Texas. One of our greatest forms of success in our area is to actually work WITH other sign companies in the area. I don't have a single retail customer and really haven't in 15 years or so. Its great when my "competitors" call me to discuss national bids etc. and can openly talk about which ones owe them / us money so neither of us get screwed. (I know, hardly ever happens...wink wink).

as my motto goes "I don't need practice, I need to eat!"

If you need help in the SD area, we also have certified welders & inspectors on staff. We look forward to meeting and working with you guys in the future!

www.signtekonline.com - link to our Texas site

Edited by steve0we
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You can say that, been here my whole life and not planning to change that. Only people who like to complaint say that California is too expensive. I bet if they were making an extra 100k a yr. they would still be saying the same, and yeah permits and field survey extra sorry not one of those companies...

Henry Z

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While I am North of the 49th parallel, the pricing you mention for the project is just silly, even in Canadian dollars. I would have expected each elevation to take the better part of a day factoring in load / unload, travel to site, set-up, hazard assessments, installation, wiring, etc........especially on tilt up (not like going through EIFS). In Canada, I would expect that contract would be worth, at a minimum, $2400.00. The most profitable word we can ever use is "NO".

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I am with the group - I would not leave my yard to install 2 sets of channel described for $1,000!! Never. That's a joke. If I am going to lose money, hell I'm not going to use my truck(s) to do it. At least I don't have the wear and tear on the truck(s) added to the insult. I would be at a minimum of $2,400 as well - depending on what I found when I did the site survey. If anything out of the norm, likely a tad higher! I just don't understand Fast Signs putting themselves into the position of having to try to find someone to install for such a ridiculous amount. Wonder if they ever found anybody to do it for that?? It would be interesting to find out.

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They don't expect to actually find anybody for $1000. That's just where they want to start negotiating. If you start at $2400 or $2800, you'll meet around $2000 and they'll be happy because you're doing work without being adequately compensated for it.

If you give them your $2400 or $2800 price, stick to it. Tell them you're sorry you can't hit their number but you know your price is a good one and you're not going to do the work for less. They'll get it, you'll get it, and everybody will be happy.

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Surely that was $1000 per set. I would typically quote 30 minutes per letter, 8 hours per set at $110 per hour, $880 per set. Am I missing something?

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Surely that was $1000 per set. I would typically quote 30 minutes per letter, 8 hours per set at $110 per hour, $880 per set. Am I missing something?

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He swore it was for both sets. Steve didn't mention it was 3 hrs out town too! I know how their getting it done, bootleggers!

EXACTLY!! No insurance, no permits, no license, no overhead ........ Giving the rest of us a bad name. Pisses me off every time I hear it!! LOL

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Sounds typical. Local franchise vinyl slappers see money in electric signs since customers are mostly clueless on who to buy these type of signs from. They peel backing from vinyl so it makes sense to them to slide over to LED's because you can peel backing on LED's also. Shit they got experience. Installation/permits are given to whoever wants it for the money available in the tip jar. Sign customers.drive past a "franchise storefront" and assume this is where ALL signs are born.

Hey sign companies, it is your job to enforce the rules for bitches who break and go around them, I know you are not waiting on limited city budgets or sign cops to do it for you.

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  • 5 weeks later...
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I think we received the same info from a national co to do work for a teeny tiny budget. We bid on work for our local store, at our price (not their stated budgeted amount) and refused work on the other locations they wanted. We haven't heard back from them.

In Washington State, you have to be a licensed crane operator; rigger & signalman licensed; licensed electrician with 24 hours of continuing education every three years, CDL driver for your crane truck, 1st aid card and a few more I can't recall. To install signs in most of the municipalities here, the signs have to be national testing lab certified (UL, Met, etc) shop. Our crane has to be certified every year.... not to mention that our labor & industry (workers comp) rates for our install crew is about $3 / hour.... add all the needed insurances, pay scales and benefits and there is no way we could work with some of these little budgets. Oh, and the shop has to have an electrical administrator (who oversees the rules and makes sure they are followed), electrical contractors license, construction contractor license, state business license, license for every incorporated city and county,and pay taxes for everything and everyone.......

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