Estimating framing and matting costs

<p>I recently added framing to my photography business. I'm wondering how to estimate charges for matting and framing based on the cost of the frame, matting, glass and labor. How do these charges all break down?</p>

<p>I know frame shops have quite a markup for their work but I want to be fair to my clients as well as myself. I'm operating from my home. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.</p>

<p>This depends a lot of what you are doing regarding framing. Are you going to offer a wide range of frames? Are you going to do the woodwork yourself? Cutting glass? Matting? Double mats?</p>

<p>It's probably a lot easier to get a kit from a site like AmericanFrame.com and then just assemble it, which is about fifteen minutes of work once you get the mat flipping down. Their kits only have acrylic, which you can skip and buy cut frame glass from a local shop if you don't want to cut it yourself.</p>

<p>While it's not that hard to cut glass, it can leave a lot of little glass shards around that you have to really be careful about cleaning up. And then you have all the glass end pieces to deal with. It's quite a mess, in my experience.</p>

<p>Estimate charges for this just like any other product.</p>

<p>Do enough practice runs so you know how material you use and how much time it takes. If you know your cost of doing business (i.e., overhead, depreciation, etc) it's easy to calculate your selling price based on costs and markups.</p>

<p>Haven't practiced? Hmmm, maybe you should before offering the service to paying customers...</p>

<p><Chas></p>

<p>Thanks for the quick reply.</p>

<p>I cut the mats myself but buy the frames wholesale from various companies. I offer whatever frame anyone wants. I don't cut the glass myself but get it from a local glass cutter. I buy the mounting hardware since I don't like what the wholesale framers have to offer in most cases.</p>

<p>As an example I ordered a custom frame in 17x27 for $42.00. I cut the mat myself it's a single mat and the glass was $12.50. I assembled it all myself This particular customer left it up to me to choose the frame and matting. I had seen the wall she was planning to mount it on before I started this process.</p>

<p>I guess what I'm looking for is how it's all estimated. In this case would I charge for my design experience since I picked out the frame? What are the markups on frames and other materials and how is labor estimated? Or....perhaps people don't charge for labor and just go with the markup on the materials. I run a home based business and don't have any other employees. I have sold most of my work already framed but am now venturing into framing other people's work.</p>

<p>I don't think it matters much whether you calculate based on an hourly rate or apply a standard markup to materials, so long as all your costs are covered and you are making a reasonable ROI.</p>

<p>Remember you aren't itemizing for the customer, it's just "Custom Matting and Framing...... $xxx"</p>

<p>But, I seldom sell a print without framing unless the print is too big for me to handle, in which case I send it out and apply a standard markup to the charges from the framing shop.</p>

<p><Chas></p>

<p>Thanks for the reply Chuck,</p>

<p>I guess what I'm asking here is what would a standard markup % be? If I've put a package together that has cost $100 dollars in supplies and put in two hours of labor, what is appropriate? For example, I don't think an ROI of $20 on such a project is worth the time.</p>

<p>The problem is that you are in a situation where standard markup isn't the right way to look at it. If people can go to local framers and get an equivalent product, the price of that product is what matters. If you are offering less service than the framer - for example, most framers have a huge number of samples on frames and mats and can show a a customer options you may not - then you will have to price somewhat below that framer. If the customers have to drive a long distance to take the photographs to the framer, then that gives you some advantage.</p>

<p>Markup determines your profit, not your price. The market and your place in the market determine your price.</p>

<p>Sigh.....<br>

So far, this part of my business is word of mouth. I'm not generating loads of business, at least yet As I've said, this is a business run out of my home, I don't have a shop. I do have samples from a few different companies that people can choose from. I'm just offering to frame photographs mostly. I'm not framing collectors items such as football jerseys or encasing anything in acrylic, people know this. The goal is to save people some money instead of going to a large frame shop where they charge $$$$$$. I started framing my own work because it's quite a bit cheaper than taking it to a framing shop. It also enables me to sell my own work at a reasonable price.</p>

<p>Perhaps there is no straight answer to this question or perhaps I'm not asking the right question. I guess I'm just trying to decide what's fair yet, at the same time not sell myself short. I've given an example as to what I've spent on materials and labor for one of the projects. I'm simply asking how much more I should charge to make it worth my while without taking advantage of anyone but perhaps it can't be answered. </p>

<p>When I started selling my work It seemed quite a bit easier to find the answers on how to price my work. This, however, is becoming quite frustrating. Please understand that I do appreciate the help both of you have given me</p>

<p> </p>

<blockquote>

<p> The goal is to save people some money instead of going to a large frame shop where they charge $$$$$$.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Then what you should look at doing is pricing at something like 20% under what a frame shop would charge for an equivalent frame. If you can't make any money at that price, including your labor, then it is probably not worth it. The exception to this would be if it brings customers you wouldn't otherwise get and you make enough on the rest of the services.</p>

<p>IMHO, unless you do some volume, you would be better partnering with a local frame shop, maybe they would give you a professional discount (maybe 10-15%) and you could mark that up a little bit.<br>

Sounds like you are offering this service as a convenience to your customers, and its probably not worth your time and effort for a small profit to do it yourself.<br>

Framing for yourself is another matter, if you get satisfaction from doing that. As in most businesses, stick to what you know, and let the "experts" handle the peripheral stuff, easier in the long run.</p>

<p>Jan,<br>

Why not try offering a better service instead of beating the local frame shop's price? Bring your sample to your customer's home to select what works best there and when it's completed, make an appointment to hang the portrait. You'll be amazed at what a great response you'll get as you're saving everyone time. One more thing is that you can guarantee responsibility of their portrait in the framing process. If the print gets damaged in mounting, etc., you will replace it at N/C. If the local frame shop damages it, someone else will have to pay for the replacement.<br>

As a rule, I would mark up your materials 3 times if you're offering this level of service...-TED :-)</p>