HOW MUCH I MADE on my 1st STAINED GLASS COMMISSION
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- Опубліковано 12 лип 2021
- I'm sharing the full details of my most recent stained glass commission including all the items I purchased for this project, the costs of these items, and the amount of time it took me to get this project completed, how much I got paid, and how much I actually made from this commission. Maybe it'll surprise you. Cause it sure surprised me.
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I work at a professional staind glass studio I make 20$ an hour but the company charges 55$ an hour. There is so much that goes into staind glass. Especially in a one off piece. You shouldn't sell yourself so short, you did a really good job. You also have to account for the time it takes for you to go shopping, the time it takes to go get the prints. The gas ⛽ it takes to drive around, the lights the electricity. The tools and equipment wear and tear.
Thanks for the info! It's super helpful and there's certainly a lot that goes into stained glass making. I'm gathering lots of tips and advices and I'm sure it'll be better priced next time! 😄
Joy, just for fun, since you work at a studio, what would you have charged for this piece? I figured over 1000 at the beginning of this video but I honestly have no clue.
@@ingesexton811 I would quote it at $2,500- $3000. I always charge double for materials so $230 would be $460. I don't think it would take over 35 hours so $55 an hour. There's also a designe fee. It's a one of a kind piece, we are artist and we have to stop selling ourselves short.
@@sum1saveme420 awesome!! Thanks for the reply, I was honestly really interested. I'm terrible at pricing my own things so this was helpful.
@@sum1saveme420 WOW
Working it all out, with that level of skill and time it took you, that should have been at least $2500 for that piece. Totally get it's for a friend though, and as an artist myself it is really hard to price your time, labour and materials right without driving customers away.
As my old mentor used to say though "The right customers will appreciate your worth. If they don't, tell them to try making it themselves or try somewhere else. See how fast they come back and agree on that quote."
I realize I can do a lot myself but for things I can’t it’s absolutely worth paying for quality work
We have been working with one of America's longest continuing stained glass studios and they quote: $250-$350 per square foot for simple clear leaded glass and $450-$550 square foot for colored and some specialty glass. If a lot of hand painting is required or you want laminated colored glass or hand-blown German glass that price can go up into several thousand per square foot.
Thanks for the insight!
When I was starting out doing this in the 1970s, $50/sf was the going rate, and that was as a hobbyist. These days I'd say $500/sf would be rock-bottom for professional quality work. (I sometimes do work "at cost" now, and that amounts to around $65/sf on average.)
Very interesting! I'd like to see more videos like this. I've always had a problem with charging the appropriate amount for commissions. My last client gave me a 100$ tip because she thought I wasn't charging enough whereas at markets people will offer 5$ for a piece with 80$ in materials alone. Thank you for addressing pricing.
Some do know the value of stained glass but I'd say most are hanging around those markets unfortunately 😂😂
I started stained glass over 50 years ago and pricing was always a delicate issue in the early years. I made lamps only for myself and family. I used to give suncatchers or terrariums away as gifts and did the local craft fairs once or twice a year. I often took about 100+ suncatchers with me, had a light table to show off the colors, and occasionally got use of a window to display them. It was fun and it always went well. I had a reality check at one time and realized I was not really charging enough although I did a few duplicates with different colors to speed things up. Next fair I had some larger suncatchers with more expensive glass and charged double thinking they would never sell. First things to go! I think some people really have that 'I deserve it' way of thinking so charging more was not a problem.
For the panels, there was a good pricing guide formula so you did not have to calculate your exact materials each time and you could quickly give an estimate to someone or come up with a fair price. At the time (a long time ago), it was so much for the approx. size 12" X 12" = $100.00 plus so much for each cut piece of glass, for instance, $3.00 for each smaller piece you had to foil. I preferred foil but did some leaded work also. So if you had a 1 foot by 1 foot piece with 20 individual foiled pieces to it, it would come to $160.00 (long long ago).
So to update those charges - do one project about that size and do a real calculation of what it actually cost you to make including your hours and how much you want to charge for your time per hour and you can then come up with that fast formula of how much per foot and how much for each piece you wrapped, soldered, or leaded to match that actual price as your new guide. You can always add an additional amount separately if you designed a unique piece yourself instead of a premade pattern and also an extra amount if you are using premium glass that costs a fortune.
Now I can use a combination of techniques to really make the projects unique - painting, some small details from kiln work, individual beads from my lampwork for something like eyes for some animals, etching on portions, or added features like stringing tiny shells on some wire (dollar stores) as a waistband for a mermaid for example. A lot of natural extras are either made, found, or can be bought at craft sections in dollar or thrift stores that have costume jewelry to separate and use. You are only limited by your imagination.
Thank you so much for the post! I'm getting a better idea now so will have to keep getting more work to test it out. ✌️
Underrated comment
I'm sure you realise you undercharged for your time, but it is difficult to work out how long it will take to make something you haven't done before. What I do is count how many pieces it has and depending on the complexity of the cuts assign an amount of time per piece for drawing, cutting, grinding, washing and foiling. In the case of your commission I think I would have said 10 minutes per piece (about 70 pieces I think) so that's about 12 hours work. Then there's the soldering or leadwork which I'd estimate would take 4 to 6 hours. I keep track of materials used by keeping the backing of the foil and the ends of the solder sticks and when I buy glass I work out it's cost per square centimeter and write it on the sheet so I can keep an eye on how much the glass is costing as I use it. As for how much to charge per hour firstly you have to be realistic in counting ALL the hours you put in, including designing, consulting with the client, purchasing supplies, paperwork, and probably more things I've forgotten. I'm in Scotland so obviously my hourly rate is in pounds £s, I charge £20 per hour for commissions and work I make for craft fairs, Etsy etc and £10 per hour for work I sell wholesale. Obviously everyone has different circumstances but I hope that's a helpful insight to someone :-)
Super helpful thank you for sharing your pricing process!! Lots of useful tips for sure! Will get there one day! ❤️
Your professionalism and the quality of your finished product is highly motivating. Somehow, I don’t think a stained glass artist is ever destined to make what they are worth. The satisfaction and joy in the finished product is partly its own reward.
I agree. Stained glass is often worth way more than what they are sold for.
Oh man... as a fellow artist I feel your pain. A big part of pricing involves acknowledging the value in yourself, your experience, your craft. You're aging like a fine wine, sir. Don't sell yourself short.
Appreciate you 🙏
Loved the video! I have friends in CA who paid $10,000 for a custom full sized front door panel! It is BEAUTIFUL and I can't even begin to imagine how long it took and the glass that went into it. My hubby and I do it as a hobby and give most of our pieces as gifts. We do panels or boxes for new babies, panels for weddings, birthdays, whatever. We enjoy doing it and it is something that we can do together.
It turned out amazing! Definitely worth more than $600!
Thank you very much!! ❤️🤩
One of the hardest things to think about is how to price your time and hours to make something. Making one-off items is super hard to price since all of the time is dedicated to one item, vs. being able to batch out items and cutting down on working time. Even if you don't think of yourself as a professional but as a hobbyist $10 IMO is way too cheap for hourly pay since minimum wage is about $7 in the US right now. Know that your time is valuable and I would suggest next time going to $20-$25 an hour and as you get better looking at increasing that, this is something that I have to look at a lot as a hobbyist woodworker and what I should be charging vs what I do charge.
Also, I don't know if you counted this in your hourly count but also include any prep work such as getting the template ready for use. That is included in the project as you wouldn't be able to complete it without it.
Yep it's going up next time. Thanks for the advice!
I agree with Jordan’s assessment. As a construction manager, I would expect to pay around $20-25/ hour for a skilled tradesman with their own tools. You mentioned that you hadn’t factored those costs in, which is very hard to do as the initial start up costs are steep. However, they are still a cost one can attribute to a project, and I often see “small tools” costs carried as a dollar value per man hour. This way you can reasonably recoup a portion of these costs through each project. Consumables are typically also included as a portion of this small tools allowance per hour. Something to consider. Also…even the pro’s make mistakes, so don’t discount or devalue your skill set to the classification of a “hobbyist”. You are providing a custom, one-off specialized product; that makes you a pro. However, I completely understand your reasoning, and would chalk it up as an experience improving your new skill set and getting reimbursed (albeit cheaply) to learn, and provide a unique and special piece of art for a friend. You also gained some good experience and insights in assessing these costs, which I would encourage you to put to work ahead of the job next time when estimating any work. Take it from a “seasoned” estimator….you never want to wait until the job is over to find out if you made - or lost - money.
Thanks for sharing! I now know that everything counts and everything adds up. I'm actually really glad I didn't lose money on this one 😖 Lots more to factor in next time!
Minimum way in California is $15/hour.
This was really helpful! I inherited all my granddad’s stained glass (so much glass!) and tools. I’ve made a single piece but I’d like to start making smaller pieces to sell. I wasn’t really sure what to charge or how other people charged for their work. I haven’t seen all the glass but I know there are some expensive sheets, so I’ll have to do some research to find the value of the glass for costing.
Sounds like you're ready to go! Glass could be really expensive so hold on to those expensive ones!
I'm sorry for your loss, Brooke, but your grandad has given you a wonderful new hobby, and possibly a new source of income if you choose to sell things.
FWIW ... I'd recommend learning to cut glass using the cheapest and easiest to cut stuff first. Try asking local glass merchants for some scrap window glass - some may even give you some for free. If you can't get window glass or other cheap clear glass, use the smoothest, plainest, colored pieces from your wonderful new stash first. FYI 'cool' colors are usually cheaper - blues, greens, blacks, etc. 'Warm' colors are made of more expensive ingredients. Enjoy!
I appreciate your honesty and transparency!
I love your panel!
my tip: I take my original cartoons, either as a hard copy or digital, to a local blueprint company to get 2 copies printed on vellum. It's a semi-translucent paper that holds up better to humidity and is great for cutting glass over a light table. I only knew to ask for vellum from my days as a draftsman in one of my previous lives.
I'll have to look for that, thank you! 🙏
Great video and I’d love to see more like this along with any changes you make in your pricing policy. When I make items using pieces of glass I already have I typically charge by the pound. 1 sheet of glass weighs about a pound but this can vary a lot depending on the glass used. I pull out pieces I know I’ll need and before I cut individual pieces I weigh it. I do allow the scrap I know I’ll need but I try to be very fair in this aspect because I wouldn’t want to screw anyone. Like you I enjoy creating stained glass pieces and also I wouldn’t want to be screwed. You did your pricing in a fair manner but I hadn’t thought of taking into consideration some of the other supplies and expenses you mentioned. So glad you did this. Thank you.
I love watching your videos I'm new to stained glass this past year or two and I feel like I'm learning with you. I haven't done my first commission yet but plan to very soon and this was super helpful! I love that you keep things real when explaining and showing your process in all of your vids.
Hi Sook! Thank you! I'm learning right along with you and will keep sharing what ever comes up. Good luck with your first commission! ✌️
I just started doing stained glass and just started following you. Thank you! Your videos are clear and easy to follow. And I really appreciated you being so candid in this pricing episode. Thank you
Just an idea I thought i'd pass to you as i've managed multiple glass companies and am a project manager for a stained glass company currently. If I were doing this as an individual as it seems you are trying to get more into (which is awesome btw) I would try to start getting better at estimating your time spent (all time doing anything for the project) in the beginning (letting the client / customer know it is JUST an estimate) but combine your hourly (what you are going to charge per hour worked) with the materials etc; whatever the total amount comes to have them pay 1/2 up front and the other half on delivery or pick up (or installation if you are feeling yourself). It minimizes people screwing you over and just seems more professional. I always just tell clients its policy to charge 1/2 up front and thats more so to cover materials and shipping etc for custom jobs and usually they are more than happy to pay the 1/2 right then. Then just try your best to get the window/panel/unit (wtfever you want to call it) to them in the projected time frame originally discussed. If you are early on finishing maybe ask for a good review etc. Not trying to tell you what to do just speaking from someone who has over a decade of experience in this industry. Hope the tips help you up that hourly to more than $30 per hour (which should be the floor you aim for imo)
Excellent advice, thank you! I believe I can do a better estimate next time around and I really like charging half upfront for good faith. Thank you for the tip!! 🙏
@@StainedGlassDIY it also gives you a chance to adjust the 2nd and final payment if things don't go as originally estimated.
@@StainedGlassDIY this is going to make me sound old af but if you know how to message me so I can reply with a few pics of the big job I just finished in OKC. I think you'd geek out a bit.
I loved this so much. I literally completelly get you charging less but still learning. such a big heart! wishing you well
You did the honest thing as well as enjoying the job in time you will know what is fair for you also I always make a tool or supplies for every job I do enjoy watching your videos thank you Tom
Great video showcasing the cost/time. I mostly do smaller panels as gifts and it always seems to be around $100 not counting time, tools, and glass from my scrap bin.
It's super cool of you to share this information with us. Thank you very much!
You're welcome! I'm learning a lot myself and hope it helps others as well! ✌️
I've been doing stained glass for about 5 years and pricing is tricky. Customers really don't understand the cost of this craft. When i have booths I explain the process and costs to people. I'd love to talk about this shared hobby with ya :D
Good info. I was thinking about approaching a friend's brewery with a project. I agree. It's so fun to create beauty.
I learned the basics of stained glass by watching your videos last year and am now deciding to commit to it as my full time job. I have done a few commissions and figuring out what to charge is always a struggle. I'm fortunate enough to have people encourage me to charge as much as I think is fit, and even some have tipped me extra, but I'm still not past that feeling like I'm being greedy. Looking at the other comments, I can see that I am not charging enough at all lol. Anyway, that panel is gorgeous and I agree, the experience you gained is invaluable. Keep up the good work!
That's awesome congrats on going full time! I agree the invaluable experience you gain can sometimes set you up for a tremendous outcome down the line. ✌️
I'm very glad you made this video! I'm still learning the craft of copper foil stained glass and look forward to trying my hands at leaded pieces. I've only made gifts for people, but everyone says I should start selling them on the marketplace. But even that's a scary prospect. I admire your courage to take on commissions, and I hope you gain more through this piece! You should show this video to prospective clients so they have a better understanding of your price structure.
Thanks Dawn, I think starting out selling on Etsy or at a local fair would be a great way to showcase your work and get instant feedback and how the market reacts to your work. I've got to admit the commission was intimidating to take on for many reasons but I can say I'm glad I took it on and have gotten much insight from it so the next one could hopefully be a little less intimidating. 🤞
Looks awesome!!!
Would I work for $15/hr? No way. I make $43/hr at my day job, not doing anything painstaking. When I weld in the shop out back, my side gig, I don't turn on my machine for less than $50 an hour. Project pricing starts at 3X material cost plus hourly wage.
That's time spent away from my family, not doing other things around the house like gardening or smoking a cigar. If someone doesn't value that time, they can go somewhere else. But I do understand cutting your friends a deal on labor if you have a circular community economy where everyone's craft labors work around within your group.
Thanks for these videos. I'm going to be building a library in my home, and you're helping me brainstorm. I'll be doing a little stained glass insert for a window in my library, and maybe some soldered light fixtures as well.
Thank you for sharing this! I make 3 custom panels and totally undercharged. But I wanted the experience and I learned so much it was worth it. I saw a shop on the east coast that sells installs for thousands. To compete with production shops you have to be competitive, but charging an hourly rate is hard when you’re new, with few past customers, and you make mistakes etc .
Thank you do much!!!!!!!! Such beautiful pieces of Art and great skill !!
Thanks so much for sharing these details! It's amazing how quickly those material costs add up. I have Googled this topic a lot and it seems everyone has their own formula/system for estimating prices. One that I like is: price per square foot + price per piece. Something like $125 per square foot + $2/piece = selling price. Then see if that gives you an hourly rate that's more acceptable. If not, maybe increase price per piece.... I think you could easily have priced this at $850-$1000. Anyway, as usual, your videos are so helpful!
You have been VERY informative!!
Hey great video. My whole working life is glass. Mosaics and Tiffany lampshades so I know what you just went through. Valuable lessons learned so ya don't repeat this for the next decade. But for friends is ok. Great window too !
I would do it for the fun of it and instead of working in retail. I am dreaming, the beautiful project and my music!Thanks for sharing!
This was really interesting
You made everything very clear
I have found unless you do stain glass people have no idea how expensive or how much labour goes into the project and won’t pay what it’s worth.
Also, most places in Toronto Canada are closing up. I think that the expense is the reason.
But I sure enjoyed your video
Thank you
Patricia
If that's your first piece it came out amazing! I do stained glass myself..and have done a few commission pieces.. it's really really hard to price and more likely you will put in more time then you feel comfortable charging. I tried just figuring a per piece $$ then multiplying how many pieces by that number.. it's not perfect but it was easier for me to come up with a cost.. It's an art.. like painting, sculpture et al, so we have to factor that in too.. good luck with your creations!
It’s beautiful. Thank you for sharing. I haven’t done any work for 3-4 yrs. Will resume very soon.
Looks so good!!!
Thank you!!
I think you did exactly the right thing for an 'early commission' I have been in this dilemma, but I know the piece I made for someone (not stained glass) took me a lot longer as it was my first time doing it (and wanting it perfect).... I reckoned like you that with practice I could really cut the time down, so realistically wanted to charge that projected cost to the people who put their faith in me, rather than paying for my 'inexperience'.
So agree with you. I think we all have to make our own calls about how we feel about charging someone and where we are in our work. Everyone is on a different timeline but hopefully not get stuck with a lower pay forever. Thanks for the chat! 🤙
@@StainedGlassDIY Yes indeed, and at least the early pieces can be used to showcase work.
Gotta build that portfolio!
Beautiful work, and I think you will be very successful! More people should share their pricing because it helps customers understand the amount of time and work that goes into the projects. Simply brilliant work!
I appreciate that. Thank you for the kind words!
Hope you get free beer from that brewery! I know I constantly undercut myself of pricing, the owner of my local glass shop has told me I need to re-evaluate how much I charge (meaning I am charging less than I should)
I better get beer for life from my buddy 😆
Once you have 10,000 hours doing stained glass you are an expert. I know some who charge $75.00 an hour for big jobs. Don’t under value stained glass work. It’s time, money most importantly a skill. Beautiful work
My first pieces when I was studying were sun catchers. I do the hand foiling not the channels or caming.
Largest piece I did so far was an art deco mirror. It was 10x12, charged $75.00.
This being your first big commercial project understand your pricing. I think it depends where you are will also guide pricing. If people haven't worked stained glass they don't know the time involved.
One of the reasons I enjoy your videos. They really show the work that goes into a piece. Whether by hand or with electric tools, I was taught both.
Thank you. Keep up the good work.🤗🎉
Thanks Lynda. Yes they do take a lot of time and it's so rewarding in the making aspect. Pricing will get there eventually.
Great learning lesson
I follow you and as a semi beginner you are a wonderful teacher. A kind talented young man. Enjoy and don’t be too concerned about the money.
❤️🙏
Your piece looks really nice. I live near Track 7 and I will have to stop by and see it. Thanks for sharing your experiences. I have tons of stained glass and need to get busy making stuff.
Oh I hope you can get out there to see it!! 🥰
Thank you! Beautiful work! Im sure you’ll receive future business from that project considering it’s in the window of a high traffic location. 👍👌
At the beginning I had a problem charging the right amount but after I built my confidence I charge for the materials and $15 an hour.
Your work is worth more than that . People do not understand what it takes to create a lead window. But your integrity and workmanship says a lot about who you are. In Australia our glass is a lot dearer as it comes from America.
Very good job man :)
I used to bartend for Track 7, they're lucky to have your work! Great people!
Oh wow that's awesome!
Keep going!!!
Very cool piece! Love the final product. As unestablished artists, people tend to sell themselves short in the beginning, which is total natural. You don't want to confidently throw out a price like $1000+ when you don't yet have a portfolio built up. As a musician, I totally felt this way about my first album. BARELY broke out even after selling most of the LPs, but that really isn't what it's all about. My grandpa was a welder and eventually retired doing stained glass. I've wanted to get into it for 15+ years and finally bit the bullet and signed up for an 8 week class starting in a week. Not looking forward to the first time I have to buy my own equipment and materials. I have soldering experience and a little soldering station, but I'm not sure exactly what kind of tools will be used for stained glass particularly. I'm curious to know if there's much of a market for used stained glass tools and materials out there. Will have to keep an eye on Craigslist, sell some music equipment I don't use anymore, and start getting a little shop put together so when the class is over, I can get to work. Thanks for the video and your honesty and transparency about the process. Was talking to my mom about my grandpa and she said it is NOT an inexpensive trade to get into, but once you establish yourself, there is certainly enough money to be made to get by if you stay busy!
I struggle to come up with prices on things I make so I just end up giving them to my friends for free. One day I'll start charging people. I'll use this info as a starting point to come up with a number. Great video, thanks.
Ha that's what I've been doing this whole time too because I hated thinking about charging someone or what they would think of my work! Although that panel turned out pretty damn good if I can say so myself! 😜
It also puts your name out there.. beautiful work
Thanks so much!
I'm not in this industry. However in my industry I've been doing it for 15+ years and have gone through so much extra education for my profession over the years. How is this relevant?
When I first started I short changed myself in the industry for experience. The more practice I got I understood I was making an investment in my future. I was happy to do so.
As I started getting confident in my trade I started to charge more along avg market rates. Once I saw how valuable my education and experience made me to be sought out and had a waiting list I upped my prices again for my private clients. They were happy to do so.
Long story short.. charge whatever you feel comfortable charging and weigh the benefits of getting jobs/practice/experience in the beginning for a lesser cost and then charge more as you gain knowledge experience and education.
Know your worth and charge what you feel you're worth. You'll find people who love your work and what you do and will be happy to pay what you charge no matter what.
I loved the design and color choices. You are quite the pro now! I’ve been watching you since you first started and it’s impressive how much you’ve grown in your craft. I wonder if the price could be greatly increased if it was framed out as a window. It seems like it would demand a higher price. At $10-$15 an hour for labor you’d have to be in it for the fun and love of it but if someone developed a signature “look” maybe it could be more lucrative. Either way you go, bravo!!! Your videos are very inspiring. :)
Thanks Roben! The design was theirs and I adapted it for stained glass but I do love the way it looks. This was definitely a first starter piece for me but will have to pay more attention to the cost and time involved next time!
Your area has an impact on what you can actually charge. I normally charge is $5 per piece if there are not many complex cuts, $7 if I have complex cuts and a lot of small pieces (I hate small pieces) plus the cost of materials, and then a flat design fee. The cost per piece takes in the time you spend on the project. There are many ways to price your work, you just have to find what works best for you and what is fair to you and your customer for your particular area. For that piece, I think you could have gone higher, but it was your first one. I totally underbid my 1st couple of commissions. Great information!
I like the price per piece charging style. Makes things simple and quick to figure out. Now what to charge for my price per piece 🤔
I think you made a phenomenal job on that stained glass project. I am just starting to learn stained glass. Where I am from $14 an hour is a very good money, but it seems not enough in U.S.People are charging a lot more than $600 for a project like that in U.S.
Dude that's good money for your first project in stain glass..be happy..it will get easier and faster each time
Your work is amazing and you should definitely increase your prices.
But I know how hard it is to pay yourself fairly as an artist. I am currently charging $10/hour, but the minimum wage where I live in Canada is $14.35. Hopefully I can increase my pay without driving away potential customers!
Thanks Colleen, it's a work in progress with the pricing. Hope you can get your numbers up too! 📈
I do appreciate your honesty but remember, an art is not only based on the materials and hours spent working on it. What's priceless is your beautiful work that sparks joy for everyone to see for years to come. My advice is, WITHOUT quoting your price, I wish u'd let the owners to come up with the price they think it's worth...supposing they're willing to pay u $950, why not just accept it as part of the exchange process? They're happy paying for a fair price, and u shud be encouraged too with the unexpected $350 bonus for a well job done! Lovely piece!
First, I'd like to say what a beautiful job you did. And 2nd, I don't think I'll be picking this up as a new hobby. But I luv your work! ... gt
Hey G S thank you so much!
Beautiful job! You must charge for the glass you had on hand. $230 minimum for materials.$370 is the difference the amount left over. This is your labor pay / 50 hours. It figures to exactly $7.40 per hour. That's okay for your first piece of work!! The fact you made a profit is fantastic. You're getting your work out there that is free advertisement. With experience comes speed and you will not waste near as much if any at all. What took you 50 hours will take you 25 hours and you've just doubled your pay. Brilliant work!
but it came out beautiful - a good feeling!
Nice work! You didn’t mention where the creative idea came from - there is a cost for that. If you purchased it, that’s an expense you pass on to the customer. If it’s your own creation, you should arrive at a reasonable value for your intellectual property, and add that to the charge. Also as your experience increases, you can legitimately increase your labour rate. Conceptualizing has a value more than labour. Don’t sell yourself short! I’m just getting into stained glass, and I want to thank you very much for sharing your journey. I’ve learned a lot from you.
Hey thanks! That design was theirs from the brewery so I didn't have to come up with a design. But yes that would have added a whole nother cost!
In my line of work, those extras that you have and use for other projects, tools, rent, wax, solder, flux, etc. are called expendables. Once you figure out that cost or % you can (should) also charge that.
Great work yonder Sir! Looks like you're on a great path. I just wanted to say hello. B-)
Dude thanks! Will get something together soon for a meetup. I'll reach out.
Hi sir , found your work finishing is very nice , What glass thickness and lead channels you use in this work
Ultimately brother, something is worth what someone is willing to pay for it.
That was great to know! (I subscribed) I would definitely pay more than $650 for that custom piece. And OMG, My last job working for someone else was in 2013, and I made $20 per hour, minimum, so...
Thank you for posting this. I would be interested in. followup video on how you price today? I am looking into a business for glass soon and looking for any tips I can get.
On Handcrafted America they had 2 episodes that included stained glass. The lady charged $400/ sq. Ft.. the guy charged $300 to $1,000/ sq foot. Depending on the job and complexity. His family has been doing stained glass since 1760. Yup over 300 years.
I was thinking about your calculations for how much you spent in materials. The project looked less than 2 sq. ft. IF each pane of glass you bought was 1 sq. ft and you used a total of 2 sq. ft in the project, allowing for breakage and waste from cutting out pieces, and allow another 50% for that, you used a total of 3 sq. ft of glass. At $25.00 / sq. ft, that's a total of $75.00 for glass. IF you only used half of the glass you bought, Then you charge them for the full amount of glass, and the other pieces of glass were from previous projects where you charged the same way, then you've already been paid for the other glass. So, if you charge them for it, it goes in the profit column not the expense column because you've already been totally reimbursed for the glass..
I am interested in this process! I make jewelry but need other things to do!
I travel t/o country and live in RV!
I've often wondered about charging for a piece. I do foil rather than came and it takes more time, I think. I'd like to see more videos like this.
I think foiling takes more time too until I start leading and all my pieces are off. Then I wanna go back to foiling 😂
Great work and good video 👏 Your an artist and anything people see as art they don't seem to want or think it warrants paying top dollar for but if the next day they need a plasterer or an electrician they would pay the bill however high no questions asked. It's a strange world.
💯!!
Always love the content you put out. Appreciate you sharing this experience with us.
For someone who doesn’t have a job (me) this would be a huge impact on my life. I can make the money worth a lot more so I’m thinking about making it my job. I’m only a year in but I am supposedly a great student and my tutor says I’m better then most people who have been doing it for years! I hope I can improve and keep getting the occasional request
I've been doing stained glass as a hobby and it baffles me that people do this professionally. The cost of material alone is crazy and it takes a ton of time.
I think art work so often turns into low pay work if it is based on selling one piece and that's all you get from it.
The opportunity to increase your income can come from a few other avenues...
1) Do live show where you do the work in the bar/brewery with music as an event. Have auction for the piece or just get paid as a performer
2) Sell the art with a video where you are building the stained glass while talking about it and about the person you're creating the piece for... Kind of like this video. Have a written story of the piece, signed by you to go with it
3) License certain pieces to generate more sales from the same work.
4) Teach classes.
Love how you have progressed in your work. Great job!
Hey Mike! Excellent income ideas, thank you! I'm glad you're here, it's been a minute!!!
@@StainedGlassDIY yes it has. Hope all is well.
Hi, I am a beginner and I love your videos, probable someone already asked this question but I just started so would you mind sharing which program do you use to make the templates? thank you and good luck!
I'm using/learning inkscape and it's a great program for vector drawings
Great video. Starting a business are going to be bumps and bruises at the start. As long as you profited some passed even then the experience you have gained is your payment at first. The next time around you will speed up and your quality will improve. If you align your work with safety first, quality then production you will be successful if you are willing to put in the work. Advertisement and a steady supply of materials is key. Good luck
Wow! You definitely deserved to charge more for that, but I completely relate to the learning part of it
Thanks! Gotta start somewhere!
I've been doing glass -- leaded and foiled -- for nearly 50 years now. I understand your willingness to practically give your work away, like you did here: you value yourself only as an novice-level craftsman, and the customer you're dealing with, apparently, is something like friends. But if you're going to do this sort of work on your own, and for a living, you need to assign a much higher cost to your time (even the time "wasted" on mistakes!). I wouldn't think $60/hr is too much once you get to a journeyman level (if you're covering all the fixed costs yourself) or $20-25/hr if you're working for a studio.
Man commissioned pieces give me so much anxiety! and it doesn’t help when everyone weighs in their opinion lol, thanks for the video it was really informative. i always say i’m going to dial in the supplies and my hours but i always just ball park it, meh
😂😂 gonna be a ballpark guess for a while for me
Did they send over the design or did u create the pattern? Love the t shirt!
That was their pattern but I had to modify for stained glass work
Here in the UK professional stainglass people charge between £30 to£50 per/hour
!!! I'm a Brit living in Canada, and that seems high to me. But if that's what it takes, so be it. 👍
Is that labor costs in addition to materials?
@@lesliecas2695 I'm not sure as I have only been stainglassing for a year and I asked my supplier what they charged for a project and that's what they told me they charge
I learned stained glass probably 15 years ago, I've since moved on to glass fusing. I tried selling stuff at the beginning but realized people only want to pay Walmart prices for glass that can be very expensive, not to mention the hours that are put in to putting it all together. Also, red, orange, and pink glass are more expensive than clear, blues, and greens. Now I'm more of a hobbyist.
That's the same story most glass artisans will tell you. The rain-making in the biz is a real struggle for most people. If you really love doing the work, try to get on at a studio; if you have good technique and an artistic eye, the good studios will give you the leeway to to the type of work you love, and other people who have the knack for drumming up business will take care of that time-consuming effort. (And that's why they will pay you $X/hr while quoting your labour to customers at $5X/hr.)
Dang. I live in Sacto. Thats awesome.
Its good to ask these questions. Because its what everyone faces when doing work on their own.
Such a good video and the comments are so helpful. It’s difficult to cost things especially if you haven’t done something before. I’m getting a formula together I’m happy with but I’ve seriously undercharged lots of times till now. Thanks for sharing this 👌
I’m really curious how the per hour wage would change if you factored in as revenue and kit sales from this vid on this project (obviously you’d need to factor in your time/costs for video editing and production). Love your work!
Oh we don't wanna factor in the time/cost for my video editing 😭😭😅
Where do you get your glass sheets from? I am having a hard time finding them in Sacramento area. 🙂
There is a decent glass shop in Gridley,Ca. About an hour and a half from u called Stained Glass Junction.
I could make this in a day, so 8 hrs. Practice really shaves the time down, as does batch creation. The designs still take a lot of time though, drawing up to the right size etc. But again one you have it your sorted.
Dragonfly stained glass design software has a feature to calculate your costs.
I need information we're I can get kits to make at home like succulents please help
Probably not bc that’s a lot of time but I’m in a class now to learn this art for fun
I have been working in stained glass for 30 years, as a hobby/business. I am based in Canada. This question has been asked for years !!! I 'explain' to the client that a project is based on , size, complexity, quality of materials !!!, and originality. It's difficult ! I have quoted several commissions over the years, and I have been 'moderate ' in my quote, and had zero response !! ...in some cases !! Fine ! Order it through the websites, and get yourself a Chinese special !
It is difficult! Each piece is unique with the style, size, number of pieces, shapes, etc I think a good customer is one who understands and appreciates custom handmade art or you wouldn't get that sale anyways. Thanks for the convo!
@@StainedGlassDIY you're welcome. It is difficult to set a price for a piece. Based on the criteria I use, and if you're confident, in what you quote, if they are not interested !! Say thx, and move on !!!
@@StainedGlassDIY I've read some people in the business, say $2 to $3 per piece ? Others say estimate materials and labor. Others use square footage ! Others also say, 'price to sell". There is no perfect answer. I quote . . . so accept or decline !!! That's the clients choice. P.S. I am not gonna rip them off ! Cos if you do, you may have less referrals.
How about charge ten times more than materials. Do not be afraid to charge exactly what you want to charge. It’s a rare craft that changes the atmosphere for the better.
I'd think about shaving 50% off the time to delivery and doubling the price...I hope you got some product in exchange! At least you can add Beers/hr to your $$/hr calculation.
BTW, That piece is gorgeous! I love the color scheme, the religious subtext, and the simplicity. Very elegant!
Which program are you using to draw your patterns?
Inkscape
I struggle with that problem as well (not in stained glass section yet, but on other areas of design). And one day my more experienced designer friend told me:" when you're selling yourself short, you're selling all of us short." And that put another perspective on things. I realized that because of my willingness to accept jobs so that I can further deepen my skills and "get the experience", I was dumping down prices for other people whos work I respect. So, no! 10 or even 15 dollars/hour is way to little for your time. This is an artful skill that not many people have or work on. And it requires a lot of patience and practice and passion. And that you have. Not to mention that you work with expencive materials. People that will want peices of your art must know that it comes with a price, and that price is not cheap. And there is a reason behind it. And in the end, from my personal experience; you can always dump your prices down for certain individuals of friends if you want to, but it is way harder to suddenly sell your desings with a higher price tag than people are used to. So, next time don't be so modest. You deserve more for your beautiful work. Greetings from Croatia.
Thanks for the input. I'm planning to charge more next time for sure. You're right, not many people work with stained glass and this is definitely something special and very unique. Plus I know the time it took to make the work and I wouldn't do it again for less.
Just wanted to share this quote I found about homemade. I am not at the stage yet to sell my art as I create stain glass and beaded Windchimes. I enjoy what I do so much Ihave a hard time not looking at it as work instead of play. My last windchime had 35 strands 70 pieces of glass, Czech glass, crystal prisms. I don't foil or solder anything but the frame plus I made beaded links about 3" and connected together with either glass or crystal prisms. I did alot of math to get it to the point everything was perfect. I am glad you were brave enough to even quote a price and you didn't loose any money. I'm interested in what type of inventory glass artist use to keep up with all items it takes to do a project. Like how often you buy flux, foil ect. Then how much you would know to get your price back on them. Keep up the good work. I've enjoyed watching you and your craft grow.