Replies

1. 
   JohnWW | Jul 09, 2006 03:48pm | #1

   There is no standard or even suggested guidelines for charging shop time for cabinetmaking.  Basic economics says that you have to make enough money to stay in business, but if you charge too much you won't have any customers. 

   You might be able to survive on $15.00 an hour and your customers might still think your work is reasonably priced at $60.00 an hour.  Don't forget that anyone hiring an interior decorator who then hires a cabinetmaker is a client who is making a very healthy income and shouldn't be surprised at furniture costing thousands of dollars.  If they wanted cheap they could have gone to a discount furniture store. 

   I would have to guess that if you want to make a career out of woodworking you are going to have to charge something on the order of $40.00 an hour minimum for your services, which might put $800.00 cash in you pocket per week if you work efficiently and have a backlog of jobs to keep you working full time. 

   Don't forget that as a self employed person you will have a lot of expenses to cover before there is any money left for your pay.  If you include health insurance, taxes, social security, a truck, shop heat and power, and tool purchases in your costs, you will probably find that you have to make $20.00 an hour just to break even, and that's if you can find 2,000 billable hours a year, which means you will be working considerably more than 40 hours most weeks.

   Hope this helps, please ask more questions if you want, and good luck.

   John

1. 
   jswis | Jul 10, 2006 01:57am | #2

   Thanks for your help. I'm a retired pastor starting a new career so, even though I'm not planning to work full time at this, who knows what will happen. Again, thanks for the direction.