How to charge for drawing?

[tapwelder]

Got a client, i have been working with for a few years. She has a product and patent she is trying to market. I have built a few working models for her. However, the product would be too time consuming for me on a larger scale though she offered to purchase machinery needed if i were willing to build her product. So, I decided to do some CAD drawing for her, so she could easily communicate her idea to an appropriate fabricator. I showed them to her today, she is very interested in having them, however I told her I wasn't sure what to charge.

Any idea how to put a value on CAD drawings/ file. hundreds or thousand? Not trying to be abusive on pricing, however not trying to self persecute.
I feel it is not just a drawing but a file for future fabricators to work directly from?

[frieed]

Shop rate? any time spent on the drawings was time not spent on other paying jobs.

[walker]

Just charge your normal rate.

[tapwelder]

Thanks.

No disrespect intended. However, there must be a drawing rate. Seems like being good and fast would negate profit.

I think the drawing is a more of a tool and has a lot of value? I have don't drawings in the past for perspectives clients and seen my drawing handed to other contractors, likewise i have received other contractor sketch for work. Also have done drawing, that have been handed to the concrete guy for his layout. She will be able to send it to a vendor for fabrication.

So, any rationale as to why charge shop rate or another scale?

[pepi]

Contact an engineering firm or architect. Inquire about the cost of having a project drawn up. I would think they can offer some kind of ball park figure, you could work from.

Other sources, blue printing, signage or any advertising, let them know you have the idea, just need to get it on paper/file.

Check copy right, intellectual property could offer protection. CAD files have value. creator should be payed each time used.

No different then royalties paid to authors of the garbage written in books.

my .02

[shortfuse]

I don't know cr*p about intellectual property, but there have been song writers who have sold their music for a few hundred $$, only to have it make gold and platinum records....don't sell yourself short. Software developers get theirs by each copy of software they sell (except for the pirated copies....)

[Broccoli1]

What Do Mechanical Design CAD Services Cost?

Mechanical design services tend to have a lot of crossover with product design. The same general CAD services are heavily utilized here, such as 3D modeling, 2D drafting, and a bit of 3D rendering at times. However, mechanical design often requires a higher degree of precision than basic product design.

This tends to show itself in the slightly higher rates for this type of project. For drafting and 3D modeling, the price can be anywhere from $50 to $100 per hour. If 3D rendering is required, you can expect it to be in the neighborhood of $90 to $200 per hour.

https://www.cadcrowd.com/blog/what-a...ervices-firms/

[Broccoli1]

She owns all of the intellectual property though:you are just labor- CAD drawing to manufacturing the product.

"She has a product and patent "

[shortfuse]

Ooops...I glossed over the part where the client owns the intellectual property. My bad. That's what speed reading will get ya.

[tapwelder]

Thanks. Looks like about $250(my min for most things) or a barter.

[smithdoor]

I never changed for drawing.
But all my was Quoted so it part of QUOTE.

Dave

Got a client, i have been working with for a few years. She has a product and patent she is trying to market. I have built a few working models for her. However, the product would be too time consuming for me on a larger scale though she offered to purchase machinery needed if i were willing to build her product. So, I decided to do some CAD drawing for her, so she could easily communicate her idea to an appropriate fabricator. I showed them to her today, she is very interested in having them, however I told her I wasn't sure what to charge.

Any idea how to put a value on CAD drawings/ file. hundreds or thousand? Not trying to be abusive on pricing, however not trying to self persecute.
I feel it is not just a drawing but a file for future fabricators to work directly from?

[Munkul]

I usually draw stuff that I'm making for a client and think of it around half my shop rate since it's clean work with low overhead that speeds up the job on the shop floor - I'd charge above my normal rate if that's all they wanted. Shop rate for me varies from £35/hr to £20/hr depending on customer and work type, but I'd charge drawing time at £40/hr as long as i knew i was being efficient with the time.

[TJS]

This is good stuff. I am running into this currently in regards to CNC plasma cutting. I have someone that wants me to reverse engineer a part and cut another one out. It is a part for an engine. Reverse engineering and creating a cut file will cost more than cutting the part itself. I charge my normal shop rate to create cut files. When it gets complicated and going to take a lot of time I let them know up front in my estimates. I OWN the files.

[Dave66]

Thanks. Looks like about $250(my min for most things) or a barter.

So, what did you end up charging for your CAD modeling and drawings? And did you provide the detailed models, or shrink wrap of the final part(s)? Same for drawings; did you provide final drawing files or PDFs of them?

Each approach has an up side or down side.
- If you provide a limited set (e.g., shrikwrap/PDF), then the cost will be lower but if there are changes, your customer would have to come back to you (or pay someone else such as the person doing the final manufacturing to re-create the parts/drawings to have the ability to change/modify).
- If you provide the full digital files, she can have the end manufacturer use that to modify - and should be charged more because you will likely not have any future work for this item/design.

Where I work, we deal with both types of contracts. It is not unusual for vendors to only provide a limited set of parts/drawings, as the added cost for full drawings & models is driven by their desire to protect themselves from having the parts, components, etc from being bid out to someone else.

[smithdoor]

You find most put it in the work (aka hide in labor charges). The maximum is 10% of labor charges.

The biggest problem is schools are turning out to many Draftmen (Today they call engineers).
Upto to 1970's the design and engineering was in three parts
1) Architects/Designer. Need to every part of work. May on a day to day would go the engineer to check if design was would hole up. They give basic design to draftsman and over see they work

2) Drafting would basically make the finish drawings.

3) engineering basically dies all mathematics.

Today they all are call engineers.

When was in {1970's} High school and College my was design and engineering of metal building. Note start out in electronics and change later.
I learn more about welding by reading the books on subject. Be for I was in high school I was welding and machine work

Dave

So, what did you end up charging for your CAD modeling and drawings? And did you provide the detailed models, or shrink wrap of the final part(s)? Same for drawings; did you provide final drawing files or PDFs of them?

Each approach has an up side or down side.
- If you provide a limited set (e.g., shrikwrap/PDF), then the cost will be lower but if there are changes, your customer would have to come back to you (or pay someone else such as the person doing the final manufacturing to re-create the parts/drawings to have the ability to change/modify).
- If you provide the full digital files, she can have the end manufacturer use that to modify - and should be charged more because you will likely not have any future work for this item/design.

Where I work, we deal with both types of contracts. It is not unusual for vendors to only provide a limited set of parts/drawings, as the added cost for full drawings & models is driven by their desire to protect themselves from having the parts, components, etc from being bid out to someone else.