Sandblasted redwood signs

[Roderick Treece]

It's been a long time scents I've made a Sandblasted redwood sign. I have to bid one but I don't know what there going for these days. I anyone knows a sqft price that would be great.Using 2x12 s I'm guessing at about 3 x 8 single sided. Two colors.

Thanks
Roderick

[Kent Smith]

I detest using any type of sq ft pricing because it really does not relate to the time it takes to produce, materials cost and actual sign value. Price this type of sign the way you would any other sign, based upon the effort it takes to produce and the value the customer will receive from the use of the signs. Every project is unique and has some intrinsic value as well.

[Raymond Chapman]

While I agree with Kent about the intrinsic value of this type sign, they do have a tendency to fall within a price range that is acceptable to us and our client. We do a lot of this type dimensional work so a square foot price is not a bad beginning - just to get in the ball park, because we know what our design and production procedures look like.

We rarely do any redwood signs anymore because the material is almost impossible to find in our area - or anywhere for that matter. I think you would be hard pressed to find clear heart vertical grain redwood that is 12" wide anymore.

If we were doing it in HDU I would think a price of about $2800 to $3000 would be our selling price. With redwood, I have no idea.

Like Kent said, there are a lot of factors to figure into the equation other than just time and materials. Some folks are just better designers than others and are able to produce more bells and whistles that some. "Nice" is always different, depending on whose mind it is found in.

[Mark Summers]

I agree with the above posts of Kent and Raymond. But maybe this
discussion would be of help if you gave us an idea of what the design
was about. Just verbiage, $125./sf or $3000. on HDU is a good bet.
I would use 2" - 18# with a grainframe. Add for raised letters and
other various features. Is a pictorial in the plan?
When you say 3'x8' and redwood or any wood I would be concerned
about warping. I would double up the perimeter for 3" thick. Doesn't
matter if it is clear hear vertical grain kiln dried either. It still can warp.
I would go with HDU for those reasons. No concerns of warping
How prepared are you for glueing up 36"?
There is another product that is already glued up for you. It is
wester red cedar. The product is call 'Allwood'. Just recently bought
a blank from Midwest Sign but I'm sure you can find many other distributors.

Mark

[Kent Smith]

I agree with Ray and Mark about using HDU instead and should have said so before. I have developed my own method of creating wood grain effects and have many customers thinking I gave them wood instead of HDU. My comment about intrinsic value was to steer the thinking away from strictly time and materials pricing which many sq ft formulas have been rooted in. When we were working with Jack on the QuikPrice software, we had a lot of input from many shops and finding a sq ft formula that met all the variables was impossible. I think we sometimes get hung up on different types of signs and forget that we are offering a design and fabrication service that has a lot of different applications that must be included in the pricing not matter what material base we are using for a sign.

[Raymond Chapman]

At some point we must get away from the idea that we are selling a commodity (letters by the pound) and advance to selling an image that will enhance the clients business. Of course, in the process the idea is to make money also.

[Danny Baronian]

I never provide a sf price unless pressed by a client with an imment meeting. It's made clear I never honor a quick, verbal quote. In those cases it's usually in the $ 200 - 275 range. FYI, last time a redwood sign was requested (years ago), 2 x 12, VG, clear heart redwood was going for $ 20 Lf, more expensive than ebony at the time.

Roderdick didn't indicate why redwood was requested. Many cities in California will not allow any type of sign except wood. Not wood composites, solid wood. I've done several to clients specs, only to have them re order wood signs - at additional cost, when the city rejected the original signs because they were HDU.

If the sign required a sandblasted look, it could easily be done on a CNC.

Barring city requirements, when a customer is informed that wood is not only more expensive, but has a shorter life span, a better material can be used.

Danny

[Roderick Treece]

Thanks everybody,
The client asked for a price on a sandblasted sign. It's been years since I've done one so I naturelly thought of Redwood. The 2 x 12s are available here at 14.26 LF and I have a cabinet shop that can do the glue up next to me. I did think about doing it in HDU but the client wants to move out to it's location everyday and bring it back in at night. So I think it might get beat up in HDU. They would be mounting it to metal poles so there wouldn't be a warping issue. The design is very simple so I bid it at 2800.00.

Thanks
Roderick