The most common cause of poor margins in sign making is not material costs — it is incorrectly quoted installation time. Materials can be read from delivery notes. Installation time is knowledge that appears in no catalogue.

Why installation time is so often underestimated

  1. Ideal time vs. real time: you quote the time when everything runs perfectly — preparation, finding materials, unexpected obstacles are missing
  2. Travel and setup time: 30-45 minutes from loading the van to first fixing — never quoted
  3. Surface quality: old render takes three times as long as smooth aluminium
  4. Two-person jobs quoted for one person

Benchmarks: signs and lettering

Cut vinyl lettering one door: 20-35 min., 1 person. Digitally printed film 1m2: 30-45 min., 1-2 people. Sign on wall up to 60x40cm: 30-60 min., 1 person. Sign up to 120x80cm: 60-90 min., 1-2 people. Sign over 120x80cm: 90-180 min., 2 people.

Benchmarks: window film

Interior film 1m2: 20-35 min. Exterior film 1m2: 25-45 min. Full privacy film 5 windows approx. 10m2: 3-5h, 1-2 people.

Benchmarks: light boxes

LED light box wall mount up to 70x50cm: 1.5-2.5h, 1-2 people. Up to 150x70cm: 2.5-4h, 2 people. Over 150x70cm: 4-7h, 2 people. Channel letters 5 characters 20cm height: 3-5h. Channel letters 10 characters: 5-8h.

Benchmarks: vehicle graphics

Car both doors: 1.5-2.5h. Van partial graphics both sides: 3-5h, 1-2 people. Van full wrap: 8-14h, 2 people. Truck tarpaulin complete: 8-14h, 2-3 people.

Correction factors

Surface: glass or aluminium factor 1.0 — rough render 1.5-2.0 — textured plaster 2.0-3.0. Environment: ground level 1.0 — ladder to 3m 1.2-1.4 — elevated platform 3-8m 1.3-1.5 — cold below 5 degrees C 1.3-1.8.

Often forgotten time costs

  • Vehicle prep (cleaning, degreasing): 15-30 min.
  • Wall surface prep: 20-45 min.
  • Loading and unloading tools per site: 10-20 min.
  • Parking in town centre: 10-30 min.
  • Final check and documentation photo: 15 min.

The calculation formula

Total installation time = (core time x surface factor x environment factor) + setup time + travel time. Example: LED light box 150x70cm on rough render, ladder work: 3.5h x 1.7 x 1.3 + 1h = approx. 9h — not the often-quoted 3h.

PlotonIQ knows these benchmarks and applies surface descriptions automatically. AI quoting | Post-calculation and margin | Try free