Charging for habitats

Ive been in taxidermy for 3 years. The first 2 years I charged 30% of the cost of the mount for habitat. I felt bad telling guys it would be $400 plus $120 for the haitat. So this year I changed my price chart to read the price of the mount with the habiata included. So now instead of see $400 and thinkin oh thats not bad then I say plus 30% for rocks dirt leaves moss. It just says $520 for the animals with habitat. And if they want extras they cost extra. Just makes me feel better about how I treat my customers.

 

My prices include a simple base. If they want something more elaborate, it's extra. I figure materials + time =habitat/base cost.

 

My price like Becky, includes what I call a standard base. If the customer request an oak base with habitat that has it's own price according to size and style. The fist thing you have to do is figure
out all of your costs. The more soil oak bases you do you will know simply by measuring the base.

Hope this helped, Jim

 

I don't do a lifesize animal without habitat,so it seems silly to not include it in the price.Doing a decent base with the mount only enhances the overall look of the mount and that helps me.The habitat is a selling point and they pay for it.This grizzly has a typical base.The habitat was done to match the terrain in the hunter's kill photos.The stump is artificial,made with chicken wire,burlap,plaster and mache.I do charge extra for the oak woodwork.

 

I used to include the habitat (basic habitat) in my lifesize price, but I had so many customers who don't even want that, that I now have this as an extra charge. The majority of my lifesize mounts they want are either sitting or laying down without a habitat of any kind. That is fine with us, saves us time and material. I start my habitats from $25 on up. $25 is basically the basic habitat it would have come with is they had chosen a form with a habitat. I may change it up again if the trend changes on the habitat, but for now it seems to work pretty good.

 

Jim, thought that may have been one of Glen Conleys new stumps. ( http://www.qualitytaxidermysupply.com/WildTurkeyTaxidermyHabitat.html )

I like it!

 

all my full body mounts include a habitat. just how elaborate the habitat is depends on the specimen, pose, and customer preference. In my price list all full and Half body mounts are prices $XXXX.XX and up How much the and up is depends on the habitat.

 

I used to charge a base price for the LS mount then have available added costs for open mouth, habitat, alterations etc. That was a real hassle telling the client $2500 for the bear, $250 for the open mouth, $500 for the base and so on. Now I have revised my prices to include a very nice habitat on every piece. The only thing I charge extra for is open mouth. It works much better, the client gets a good mount with very nice habitat which really adds to the mount and the client satisfaction, and I get a very good price for my work.
Including that habitat and doing good habitat for every mount works better for me.

 

My prices reflect on the animal to be mounted and a very simple base. Any extensive base, habitat work is time and material. I double the cost of materials and $50.00 an hour. Ü

 

my price includes a very basic base and anything beyond that is cost + 60 per hour, most people are fine with the basic and a few want all out