Costing

[Rick Palechuk]

I think it would be nice in future builds to cost out the finishing by the sq. ft. as well as by the hour.

[Rolf Bergstrom]

Agreed. Estimating finishing time can be tricky with multistep finishes especially when environmental factors come into play. Most of the cabinet guys I know estimate their finishing cost by square or lineal foot.
And have it set up like sheet goods are set up where you can specify finish one or two sides.
I wonder what would be the best way to calculate things like face frames, by total material size or overall frame size? I am thinking more on the furniture side where the \"cabinet\" might be just a small part of the overall piece.

[Mark Taylor]

I agree, sq. ft. is how we figure finishing now.

What about machining and assembly - what method do you use now to figure these items? I would think machining would make more sense by the sheet than by the hour.

Mark

[Rick Palechuk]

That depends on the type of cabinet or millwork Mark. A standard base BOD is more than a sink cab and so on. Width doesn't really matter, it's complexity that determines the price. An 18\" BOD is the same price as a 21\".