A closer look at the results of our hourly shop rate survey

Digging a little deeper into the results of our recent reader survey on hourly shop rates provides some interesting insights into how shops price their work. The average hourly rates they charge varies considerably by the shop size and the market size. Take a look to see where your shop rate fits in.

But first, how did they determine their hourly rate? Over half of the shop owners who responded had calculated their hourly rate based on their overhead and projected earnings. Another quarter said they had “guesstimated” their hourly rate based on what they felt the market would bear and adjusted it from there.

The remaining 20 percent commented that they used SignCraft‘s “Hourly Rate Worksheet” to determine their rate, then used our online “Sign Pricing Guide” for estimating. Others said that they double or triple the rate that they pay their employees and possibly add for overhead. A few said they use sign estimating software and had developed their hourly rate through that, and a few others said they don’t use an hourly rate in their pricing.