What's a fair price for a custom rod if you're not all that good?

[JasonGotaProblem]

So far I've built/rebuilt a few rods for friends on a "just buy the parts" basis because I want the practice but don't need and can't afford to build 100 for myself. But now friends of friends are asking. I'm hearing more suggestions lately that I should start doing this as a side hustle, but I have no clue what's fair to charge when theres a practical limit to how nice/fancy of a rod I can reliably build. I have been primarily focusing on performance via guide choice and placement, etc. And my wraps are getting cleaner on every successive build. but I've never done anything all that decorative beyond some banding. But I'm not sure that's ever gonna be where I wanna focus my attention. Nothing wrong with form, but function is #1 in my book.

And the obvious answer is practice a lot more before i start selling anything. And that is in fact the plan. I'm just kinda thinking ahead for the next time someone I'm not close to asks me for a price.

Random recent guide wrap pic for reference to current skill level (still a noob but getting better)

[Swami805]

$10-20 a guide depending on how fancy it is. Usually charge by the inch for butt wraps once again on how complex. $25-40 for installing the handle.  Seems like a lot but I'd bet you'd still make more working at 7-11 if you add up the time you spend

[steelfish]

$25-40 for installing the handle.  Seems like a lot but I'd bet you'd still make more working at 7-11 if you add up the time you spend

LOL you're so F*** right, some jobs might take hours to having it done or even days, well at least for me LOL, I still considering my prices way below average (USA average prices at least) but its because I need to considering local economy, but what Sheridan just said is a good starting point.

dont charge for all you time spent on building a fishing rod or you will never sell one, also dont expect to get any big profit for it or you will be sad everytime because you spend 17hrs - 35hrs to built a rod and only got $45 dlls of real net profit, be sure to charge enough and consider all the direct cost and side costs you might have (like have to use energy, AC, heating, etc of another room just to build a rod), you dont want to be losing money either, check local prices of the competition, make calls to check what the competition in other states is doing and charging for the same job you are willing to offer and start a bit bellow the average prices because you "still might" need more experience than your competition to be at the same level of quality and the average joe fisheman which is not your close friend will be always comparing prices and job quality, you might rise your prices once you feel confidence with your quality.

single foot guides, double foot guide, double wrap, triple wrap all of them should have different prices, same with the tons of different grips, reelseats, so, it hard to find a list with the prices for all the different scenarios and options of building a fishing rod, building a fresh water rod might be maybe priced cheaper than building a saltwater rod, but at the end, the price is set by the builder and accepted or not by the customer, some rodbuilder can offer good prices because they work on tons of rods every week, thread, epoxy, energy, etc is cheaper when buying in gallons or bulks or big rolls than in small quantities.

[Cor]

I have never charged anyone to build or repair a rod, only for the actual cost of components or materials.

I do jobs only for friends when it suits me, less complaints that way and even less if they don't have to pay.   Don't forget I also enjoy doing this, when I feel like it and the friends go and source the components they want and bring them to me.   I am well aware that if I drive 10 miles to source something that costs me!!

Here it is just not possible to get a fair price for the time you spend on it.   A acceptable quality imported rod costs as little as $72-00  The components for a rod costs me more then that.

This is a fairly poor country, so can't blame anyone for not wanting to spend on a custom rod.

[philaroman]

tell all the freeloaders & favor-seekers to "pick a month"...  one w/ bad fishing 
that way you can plan better; bargain-hunt components; maybe, find bulk deals; reduce S/H costs
then, save time w/ mini production line for several rods during "the building month"