So what is the going rate for professional builders these days?

Depends greatly on what you're wanting built?

H-9 ARF? Composite turbine jet? Top Gun quality scale?

Quality costs ........how big is your cheque book ?

Originally Posted by 2walla

So what is the going rate for professional builders these days?

Hey Mikey,

I don’t know what the going rate is, but whatever it is, it’s probably not enough, more of a love of labor.

Bob

I'm curious to know current price range for building and covering a Carden, JTEC, Dalton, etc.. I've owned several Carden and other kit-built airframes, but have always gotten them 2nd hand. I don't have the skills nor time to take on a build project myself, but have always had a custom kit build as a bucket list item.

If I was doing it? ... nobody would pay.


Think about it, what is your time worth?


Building a Carden/Dalton GS kit takes something like 200-400 hours,minimum, for a good builder doing a quality job. If I charged what my day job pays the bill would make your jaw drop. Even if I paid myself a sad $15 minimum wage you are talking $4-5k + materials

Top gun scale plans build? - 1000-2000 hours and priced accordingly. Note that's almost a years work for somebody punching the clock full time...


A large ARF assembly.. Figure 25-50 hours depending on how much is prefabbed. Even that I cant imagine doing for less than $500, and that would be a gift for a friend.

it depends whether you are doing it to make money or to fill time. If someone were to drop a 35% off and want it a week later I would be fine with $300. Kits or anything requiring true building skills is another matter. A friend of mine just paid $3k assembly of a Comp ARF Mustang.

FWIW, a decade'ish ago when I was heavily into the hobby the going rate for a Carden build was in the neighborhood of 1 - 1.5x 'kit cost'; though I don't believe that included covering. That was based on quotes I had solicited vs. conjecture. After getting back into things earlier this year, seems most of those guys have retired in one form or another. Clearly none of these folks were doing it for the $$...

For a Carden-
$2500.00 to frame up.
$1000.00 + material cost to finish
$700.00 for equipment instal.

Just a note when building for someone else. When your customer picks up his order you have to WOW him, if you don't he will pick it apart for ever and you will live with it for ever. ( Sales 101 )
Remember what the great Benjamin Franklin

said (quote )


The bitterness of poor quality is remembered LONG after the sweetness of the low price is forgotten !


My .02 Cents
Van

You might contact a few of the kit suppliers, as they usually have a few builders they recommend. I've noticed several of them have "building services" listed in their services section on web pages.

There's a few builders right here too of course... maybe they will comment, or contact you, or you can contact them. I would think you could get a quote on whatever project you have in mind.

I doubt there's even any ballpark figure though based on your question. It can and will vary, probably from builder to builder, and project to project. It's probably easiest said, anything will run into the thousands of dollars... that should cover it.

[QUOTE=Marvan Maxwell;3054169]Just a note when building for someone else. When your customer picks up his order you have to WOW him, if you don't he will pick it apart for ever and you will live with it for ever. ( Sales 101 )
Remember what the great Benjamin Franklin

said (quote )


The bitterness of poor quality is remembered LONG after the sweetness of the low price is forgotten !


My .02 Cents
Van[/QUO.


Truer words were never spoken. One of the reasons I quit kit building for people. I do exceptional ARF assembly’s for customers.
Remember the great words of Jimmy Dean
“You Get What You Pay For”
Merry Christmas Van!!

Dave

I started In the hobby by building eleven Carl Goldberg Ultimate for people, $500 for framed and built out of the box. I couldn’t build them fast enough.

Now I let the customer tell me what they will pay and I decide if I want to build. I also assemble ARF’s for free hoping for a tip, food, or friendship.




[QUOTE=planebender;3054271]

Originally Posted by Marvan Maxwell

Just a note when building for someone else. When your customer picks up his order you have to WOW him, if you don't he will pick it apart for ever and you will live with it for ever. ( Sales 101 )
Remember what the great Benjamin Franklin

said (quote )


The bitterness of poor quality is remembered LONG after the sweetness of the low price is forgotten !


My .02 Cents
Van[/QUO.


Truer words were never spoken. One of the reasons I quit kit building for people. I do exceptional ARF assembly’s for customers.
Remember the great words of Jimmy Dean
“You Get What You Pay For”
Merry Christmas Van!!

Dave

When I bought my Carden 12 years ago it was 1.5x’s the kit cost to have it framed up.

ARF assembly for something like an Extreme Flight 120cc plane is cost of the airplane for it ready to go. So you buy all the necessary items to finish and I will put it together and ready to fly for whatever the cost of the ARF was. Anything beyond normal assembly, such as painted control horns, graphix install or a complicated pipe/cannister install etc is going to cost more... for a 120cc no way I would do it for less than 1K. Also look at who is building it for you, check out their work quality and experience. Also how are they to deal with is about the most important, sometimes problems happen no matter what, will they back their work or if it was something that had nothing to do with their work will they help you get it fixed. Right now I cannot accept any work because I have 3 of my own setting there ready for me to complete.