A customer asked me if I do it, I said no. They asked me if i’d like to try, and they would be my test subject! So, I took home 15 screens, bought a roll of basic fiberglass, re-used their spline, and got it done in about 3 hours. Everything came out 100% perfect and I Ended up charging them 400 for labor and they paid for the roll of screen.
Upon delivery of the completed screens the husband said “that must have been a pain in the ass”, I told him “somewhat, so what I will do in the future is charge a whole lot more to other customers haha”.
I’m now charging 40-50 per screen and getting a lot of calls about them. I live in a gated community and am surrounded by similar neighborhoods, so the majority of customers don’t bat an eye when i give prices. Been doing windows a long time and consider my services high end (screens, tracks, glass, sills, and frames all included in my bids). Also at the top of google in my area.
My question is, what is your experience with long term re-screening? Does it burn you out? I feel like it’s very boring compared to finishing a 500 dollar residential in a day. Standing outside at a table staring at screens.
Hmmm, seems your re-screen prices are a might high, considering that you did not even use new spline or replace the frame or corners, and charged premium price.
At those prices you could have bought a can of spray paint and package of sandpaper to actually refurbish the look of the existing frames to make them look WOW.
Consider $100 per hour, divided by 60 minutes, times minutes spent on labor:
$100/60 min=$1.67 minute; Screen 1 screen 5 minutes X $1.67 = $8.35 labor + $7(?) material for 1 screen = $15.35; 15 screens times $15.35 = $230.25 (just for mesh and spline on existing frames).
Sometimes entire frames will need to be replaced, new corners, and of course screen and spline. Obviously price goes up for that job. Figure an additional $6 or $7 material cost per to frame and corner a new screen, times 2.5 (profit/hourly) = $15-$17.50 ea. frame/corners + $15.35 mesh/spline = $30.35-$32.50, times 15 screens = $455.25-$487.50. (low figures as each market cost is different, but you get the gist).
Charge for your work and material costs at a reasonable rate to make a profit. Once people discover they paid too much, then you end up with days off.
I started doing screens with a previous business and ended up selling it. Rescreening is easy, new screens are tough. There’s a lot to know when doing new screens and it requires more tools and parts than most are ready for, if you’re going to do it right. There’s different frame sizes, colors, parts, pieces, etc. You have to know how to really manage inventory.
I think about adding it now and then I remember all of that and hard pass.
Miter saw, screen, spline, spline tool, razor knife, folding table or built table set up. Leave the proprietary screens to the manufacturers - most windows use Home Depot material or aluminum supply business has material in stock. No need to “stock up”, just pick up what you need when you need it. Just like the grocery store stocks everything, you purchase as needed.
