New Construcion Prices

Ron Adams

I know this question may seem a little vague, but what do you guys figure for painting on new construction houses, not tract but semi-custom. What I mean is like per sq ft if you have a 2000 sq ft house do you figure the painting out at 1.80 per sq ft 1.80x2000=3,600.00 for the interior then add a little more for garages. I also have brought this up in other forms and it almost started a war. LOL
Thanks Ron Adams

Paulsan

What other forums? This one has a few guys who like to help but is also chockerblock full of sphincters and guys who are stuck on themselves .

donb1959

$1.80 FOR A CUSTOM HOME ISN'T MUCH MONEY.In my neck of the woods the $ per sq. (floor space) includes the outside. Look at how much work goes into new construction...prime interior/exterior, caulk everything, sand everything, putty everything, final coat(s). The "hispanic" painters here get $1.50 for a "semi-custom" home. A custom home builder should be willing to pay $3.75-$4.00 per sq (floor space) to get a "custom" job. $4.00 a sq @ 3000 sq=$12,000 that includes matierials, up to 3 colors, any stain work.

And even at $4.00 per you had better find a good production formula, or your'e going to find yourself in the hole quickly. "Hispanics" and Joe Staionwagon have just about flooded the new home market here. There are still some custom builders willing to pay for a custom job, but their a dying breed. This is just one more reason why I'm not interested in new work.

We as paint contractors are in the business of making money, just like all other contractors. You can't make up for a profit making job by resorting to the quanity "Wal-Mart" mentality, it just will not work. Figure a price where you can pay your cost, overhead, and still turn a nice profit, or work for someone and leave the headaches to someone else.

__________________
I fish therefore I am
http://www.shimmerz.biz

Grumpy

If I were a painter, which I am not, I would figure partially by the square foot... and NOT the square foot of the house, but the actual square footage of surface area to be painted.

For example a 2000 square foot house with 8' ceilings would have less square footage of wall area than the exact same 2000 square foot house with 10' ceilings.

I'd also add for difficulty, like working on stilts or setting up scaffolding.

As far as new construction goes it's usually bottom dollar contracts even when you get the guy willing to pay a little extra for quality he still wants to pay the least ammount possible for that quality. I use new work just to fill in the gaps and I do it on my terms, not theirs.

Ron Adams

Thanks for the input, I just went through a house and did a take off the house itself not prints. The ceilings were only 8ft, which is great for me, as I do not need a ladder. The house itself is 1500 sq ft. For the interior, only I came up with a price of 3,300.00 not including the garage. That would be 3300/1500= 2.20 per foot. That is just for labor, including materials it will be close to 4,000.00 = 2.66 per ft. using Sher-williams eggshell for walls ceiling and semi- for kitchen baths etc. Therefore, to get to the point here Don was right on the money. If I did not have to pay the workman’s comp, liability and office overhead yea I might be able to make a buck at 1.80 but when you have to charge at least 60 bucks just to walk out the door there is no way 1.80 would cut it unless you have this type of work down to a science and have a tract with 20 or more homes.
P.S. am still working on the exterior bid, mdf wood siding.

747

PROWALLGUY IN THE PAINTERS FORUM ON THIS WEBSITE. THERE ARE ALSO OTHER PAINTING CONTRACTORS IN THAT FORUM I JUST CAN'T THINK OF THERE NAMES AT THIS MOMENT. POST THIS IN THE PAINTERS FORUM ON THIS WEBSITE. IT WON'T START A WAR. :Thumbs: