Cost Of Repainting Door Jambs

Faethwur

Hello all! I am new to the forum and I thought maybe it would be good to introduce myself here as well as answer my first question. Sorry if its a bad place to introduce =/.

Well on to what I was going to ask. The job I am currently working on, we had to repaint 32 door jambs, with solid wood doors that are heavy as a cow. About 6 of the door jambs we had to repaint again for a 2nd time. Now we charged the client an extra 6k for this, and this included painting two extra walls about 200 square feet or so. For some reason this client keeps saying that painting door jambs is VERY easy and we charged too much.

The client goes on to use this against our company as we are also taking off a work order which required the removal of an automatic front door. The front door was supposed to be moved around the corner, and a new wall was to be built, and painted. Please note this is a commercial building so all of the materials have to be commercial. The price to be subtracted was about 2k, but the client claims that because the door jambs were "easy" and this job is "hard" as they think, it's too little to take off and the client wants $3800 subtracted.

My main question is, are the prices reasonable, and are we wrong?? The door jambs in my opinion were time consuming as everything must be taped, and removing the doors were not an option due to weight.

Anyway look forward to some answers!

dayspring

I'll chime in. No one except you can determine your price. Never allow a client to dictate your cost, it will always be in their favor, always. Question for you.... Do you feel you were too high? Can you afford to give them a break? Is this decision between you and your check?
It is always best to let them know the $ and have them sign something before you do the work

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bert0168

If your customer claims these jobs are "easy" why were they contracted to you? Maybe they should have handled them in house.

Perfect advice!

RizzoMaryland

Both good advice above. No disagreement here on that.

$6000 for 2nd coat on 32 door jambs? $188 per jamb?

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chris n

$6000 for 2nd coat on 32 door jambs? $188 per jamb?

Wish I was making that, I would'nt paint anything else.

Mellison

When a customer tells me "how easy" something is to do.

My response is always the same: How easy is it to replace a light bulb?
Very easy, until the base breaks free from the bulb. Now you are trying to remove the base with your fingers exposed 110 volts.

Hence: Nothing will always be easy.

Faethwur

Thanks for the advice everyone, makes me feel a lot better =). Well its not actually $188 for each jamb, I'd say about $120 or $100, but I guess it does still seem like a lot.

I just find it sometimes depressing to have to work with a client who thinks they are the big boss, and is such a hard person to work with. Glad to hear what you all think is about what I think.

J F

What exactly does your contract and change order state?

J

genecarp

when a client makes a statement like that (how easy something is) you already are involved with a less than ideal customer. stick to your guns....avoid these types if you can...

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Frankawitz

Are these 8' or 10' oak solid core doors? with metal jambs, with doing two coats plus metal primer coat what did it take your guys to do one door? these doors did you have to do anything to them or were they finished? For a commerical job I would think you would be charging more, if you had to finish the doors. but to do jambs only I would have figured them at $200.00 each. if I had to do the doors, say stain, shellac, varnish then he would be looking at almost $425.00 per door. the thing that gets me with commerical they will pass all building costs on to customers at some point. But with the economy like it is, pricing can be a slippery slope. Everyone is looking for the best deal. Good luck

www.frankawitz.net