So how much should I charge?

[Myturn]

Hi all…

So how much should we charge for commission of a 6” standard turned oak bowl.
Let’s not include the wood as the customer brought a length of 8x4” oak beam 

Thanks…Colin.

[Wood spinner]

Factor in your time and consumables

Hourly rate, sand paper , sanding sealer , Finnish etc

[Myturn]

Factor in your time and consumables

Hourly rate, sand paper , sanding sealer , Finnish etc

Thanks Wood spinner…
I was thinking £20 per hour, consumables included.

[Paul Hannaby]

How many experienced professional services would be £20 per hour? For example, could you get a plumber or a car mechanic for that?

[Myturn]

Thanks Paul

Yes that makes my £20 an hour sound more than reasonable, although I’m not a complete professional but I’m told my work is of high standard and that’s why I was commissioned. I just find myself feeling awkward that the bowl I turned took 3 hours from start to finish and £60 sounds a lot. Maybe I just undervalue myself and I’m a little bit behind the times. We forget how much we paid for our lathe and tools, bandsaw or chainsaw, consumables, even the electric for good lighting, heating and equipment, it all makes up the costs. Maybe I should just charge even more.

[bodrighywood]

If you try amd charge the same rates as a plumber etc you won't get many sales. £20 an hour is reasonable for basic work, you also need to think of percieved value which can make a lot of difference to cost. A 6" bowl on oak won't seem of less value to a buyer than the same bowl in an exotic material for example.  For the sized bowl that you are doing with wood provided then charge for the time it takes say an hour plus around 50% for consumables and cost of electricity etc. Don't go either the route of those that just charge for cost of materials or those who ask for silly money.

I am speaking as somone who earns their living doing this by the way

Pete

[Redwill]

In reality most of us make things for the pleasure of it and rarely sell for the true cost of making the item.  Your  potential  customer/s  have a limit on what they are prepared to pay and that is what you have to find and decide if it meets your expectations.
The experts / professionals can finish an item in less than a quarter of the time most of us can and have to charge a figure that I would walk away from to make it viable.   I have listened to the publics comments and mutterings  in the tents at fairs where there are some exceptional turnings on show/for sale  and many seem to fail to appreciate what it takes to put the item on the table.  To be honest that has put me off going down the craft fair route. 
Here's hoping you get a fair price for your efforts and skills and it will bring you repeat sales in the future         

[bodrighywood]

This is an ongoing argument tht i gave up trying to win years ago. I even wrote an article about it and got some oretty nasty emails telling me to butt out and they would charge whatever they want. I agree that someone who perhaps hasn't ben turning for long would take much longer and it would be unrealistic to charge for all the time but bottom libe my problem has always been that the public percieve something that sells cheap as cheap. I do a lot of higher end craft fairs and wood turning is all too oftenb seen as the poor re;lative. Ceramics, glass, metalwork sell for 3 or 4 figures no problem. As lng as people keep selling wood at rock bottom proces that is hpw the public will percieve the craft, a cheap option. There has to be a happy medium but lso a sense of pride in our craft that values it coerrectly.

Pete

[michaelb]

This is always a problem for hobby turner or semi professional or full time professional. To me a hobby turner might do the odd commission and not include any income. The semi profisional keeps records income and expenditure and would include any profit on tax return . The full time professional records all income expenditure have set charges knowing how long each commission etc would take, if artistice input is required than that would be discussed with client.   Paul thinks £20 per hour is not right which I agree, you think it would take you 3 hours so £60.00 but Paul may be able to turn an 8in bowl in an hour so £60 an hour is realistic .

I have a rule if any I am asked to do some turning. I have a minimum charge of £40.00 and then tell them If you want me to proceed the cost would be £xxx  if you want finish that take extra time the cost would be £xxx plus .  Agree a price before you accept the commission. Accepting commission before telling the client the price is not a road we should not go down either party can be upset.

[Myturn]

Thank you all…

The cost wasn’t mentioned by either of us, I think my customer assumes it will be cheap as he supplied the wood, but cheap isn’t right, so I feel I should put the ball in his court and ask him how much he thinks it’s worth. I now realise that the price should of been discussed and agreed prior, I will just call it a tlurning curve…again! 

Colin 

[Twisted Trees]

I have to agree with Pete, selling for cost or worse below cost devalues the trade for everyone.

Breaking down your £60 in real terms as selling a piece you made through a shop,  you would get £30, the shop £18 and the tax man £12.

From your £30 you have a blank which would cost you £10 (not just the blank price, you either fetch it or pay delivery). You may be able to shave that a little but not a lot.

So for £20 you have to pay for your tools and consumables and your time.

[Wood spinner]

Also this would be a bespoke 1 off turning , You can ask if he has any design ideas making it a custom piece

Don't de value , Go in at a worthwhile cost

[Myturn]

Let’s not get lost in the thread as I am charging £60 to turn and finish an oak bowl and the customer supplied the wood. It took me 3 hours and a professional would take say one hour, so I don’t think I’m undercharging, I’m just a lot slower than the pro and that’s my fault and not the customers, also I will be more than happy with this amount.

[bodrighywood]

Let’s not get lost in the thread as I am charging £60 to turn and finish an oak bowl and the customer supplied the wood. It took me 3 hours and a professional would take say one hour, so I don’t think I’m undercharging, I’m just a lot slower than the pro and that’s my fault and not the customers, also I will be more than happy with this amount.

Sounds fair to me. In fact to be honest more than I would charge but if you can get that good for you. Defiitely not undercharging LO.

Pete

[The Bowler Hatted Turner]

Just to confuse things a bit, one way of costing your work is to have a formula. It does not work all of the time but as a rule of thumb it gives you a ball park figure. So a 6" x3" bowl would work like this. 6X3 =18 and then double it =36. Do it with a 2" bowl say 10" in diameter and it looks like this 10X2= 20 (X2) =40.the same diameter but 3" deep would come out at 60. so a rule of thumb here.
   I echo the comments made about this. and would add do not undervalue your skills.
Of course everything revolves around quality.