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Its been a very long time since I have done antique repair however I have a customer that would like me to repair 6 antique dinning room chairs. They are about 100 yrs old and made out of mahogany and are a frame type chair. Basically all the glue has dried up and if it wasn't for the seat frame they would be in a heap on the floor.
The question is how much should I charge per chair or for the 6 of them? I'm also doing some other new work for this customer and there is a good chance for more work later this year.
Thanks
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I do a fair bit of that kind of work. I tell people my shop time is $45.00 per hour and figure at least an hour per chair. More if they're full of nails or if they have broken spindles or stretchers.
Steve K
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never base a price to a customer just because of the possibility of more work later. I get 25 to 35 per chair depending on style of chair. This is for a simple reglue only. Now if someone already has tried to repair/glue the cost is higher. Repairs or refinish is extra. I never give a lower price and have been known to hike the price once I hear the words . Give me a good deal I have more work coming up later. More work never shows up or I get called because the cheaper person screwed things up.
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I know it may be different across the country, but I wouldn't touch them without seeing them first hand. So, if you've seen them you have information we would only have to guess at. My guess...... $60-80 each without any refinishing. Extra if I need to make replacement parts and they are only found after disassembly. One thing to think about. If you are not in this as a business and feel you don't need to charge much because it is your hobby, you are no better than a company that moves it's manufacturing to china.  me for the mini rant
Woodwork... It's what I do for a living.
(well, such as it may be, It's my job)
((cept my boss is a @#!*&))
I think I'm gonna fire myself for that
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DonJuvet said:
I know it may be different across the country, but I wouldn't touch them without seeing them first hand.
So, if you've seen them you have information we would only have to guess at.
My guess...... $60-80 each without any refinishing. Extra if I need to make replacement parts and they are only found after disassembly.
One thing to think about. If you are not in this as a business and feel you don't need to charge much because it is your hobby, you are no better than a company that moves it's manufacturing to china.
me for the mini rant
Agree 100% don't even give a price until you look them over CLOSELY . it is a rare event to see old chairs that have not had nails and globs of glue added, That will easily double your time. good luck
Life is what you make of it, change your thinking, change your life!
Don's woodshop
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DonJuvet said:
I know it may be different across the country, but I wouldn't touch them without seeing them first hand.
So, if you've seen them you have information we would only have to guess at.
My guess...... $60-80 each without any refinishing. Extra if I need to make replacement parts and they are only found after disassembly.
One thing to think about. If you are not in this as a business and feel you don't need to charge much because it is your hobby, you are no better than a company that moves it's manufacturing to china.
me for the mini rant
Don, Thanks. I have seen and inspected each of these chairs. With the exception of the glue drying up/out at 90% of the joints, they would be in excellent condition. I was thinking about $50.00/chair for disable and re-glue. Also it has been noted that if I find additional damage/problems that the cost would be more. Thanks,
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As Restorer has noted, whether or not you get future work is irrelevant. charge according to the prevailing rates in your area, which i would think would be around $65/hr.
You wouldn't want to create a bad precedent that you are cheap labor unless you do crappy work.
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I would charge no less than $100 an hour. Look at what mechanics charge in your area. Woodworkers, as a whole, undervalue our work.
Also, those chairs will take probably at least 2 hrs each. Because, you don't know how many parts are broken, that you can't see until close exam and some may break upon disassembly. Value your time, do a good job and charge appropriately for it.
I've been doing this stuff since 1973, and back then I charged $25-$50 a chair.
Earl
Furniture...The Art of a Furnituremaker
Earl Kelly
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Earl Kelly said:
I would charge no less than $100 an hour. Look at what mechanics charge in your area. Woodworkers, as a whole, undervalue our work.
Also, those chairs will take probably at least 2 hrs each. Because, you don't know how many parts are broken, that you can't see until close exam and some may break upon disassembly. Value your time, do a good job and charge appropriately for it.
I've been doing this stuff since 1973, and back then I charged $25-$50 a chair.
Earl
Having done this work in the past in Southern California, it makes a big difference whether or not these are true valuable antiques or just old chairs. I can tell you one thing. If they are just old chairs, which I suspect they are, you will not get the job if you bill out at $100/hour! If they are just old, basically valueless chairs, you might get $30-35 each for simple re-glue. Very few people will put more money than that in old chairs with no real value. Its just a fact of life! As woodworkers we do tend to under sell ourselves, but we have to face the fact that most of society just does not value what we do versus plumbers or mechanics!
Joseph Connors
The new Golden Rule .....
Those with the Gold make the rules!
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Ahhh, but at that point do you even want the work?
I agree that if they are not 'valuable' chairs, then $100.00 per hour or even $65.00 per hour may not be 'justified.
BUT, the value of the TIME spent is the issue, not the value of the chairs.
As an example, I can make at least $300.00 in a full day's work in my shop. So to take on 6 chairs, even if I could do them all in one day's work, I MUST charge $300.00 Otherwise, why bother? The time I take for the chairs must be at least equal to the time I would otherwise use making money.
Also, $100.00 per chair or $25.00 per chair, you STILL will need to stand behind the work and re-repair anything that fails. This MUST be priced in. And typically, the folks wanting to spend $25.00 will be more of a pain in the future than those who value their chairs and your time.
Ralph
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