800 Shutters To Paint

Rickb1959

I am going to bid on 800 shutters that need painting. The job is 32 apt complex and it is two stores high. I am think of bidding $8000.00 for the job. I don't normally have a problem bidding it just not everyday someone wants you to bid on 800 shutters. I think any price you give to apt manager's they will be blown away. Am i to cheap or to high. Thanks for the help

Cole

Cheap!

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ModernStyle

I doubt they will accept that bid, apartments are the lowest of the low when it comes to what they are willing to pay. You need to be a great salesman when you are dealing with apartment managers because they always seem to have a list of painters who will do the same job for the price of a case of beer, and they dont care about quality.
I used to paint apartments at 2 different complexs, they were slow to pay and the pay sucked. Last winter I bid one just to see what they would pay and he wanted to pay me $60 to paint a 1000' apartment.
I told him I would paint the door for twice that, but the apartment would be around atleast 10 times his price. ............. I didnt get the job

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Traditions

do you have to remove them also? I could spray alot of shutters in a day if you have a building to do it in. The only way to do it is to spray them. I don't think it sounds too bad. Maybe a little low. That's a butt load of shutters. I can usually remove shutters from an average home and spray all of them in a couple of hours. Good luck!

dougchips

Have you looked into the price for good vinyl shutters?

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Rickb1959

I know what you mean, I really don't they will take my price. every apartment manager i have ever dealt with
has been cheap.

Joewho

Wasps!

Woz the Painter

Are the shutters wood or vinyl? Are they louvered, flat or raised panel? Are they extremely dirty, dusty, any peeling paint? Is the new color close to the existing color?

ModernStyle

Oh yeah, that many shutters ......... plan on getting stung .

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slickshift

$10 a shutter?!?!?

Or am I that bad at math
(I am really, really bad at it)

Good lord, I could barely even take them down for ten bucks each
...I don't even think I could remove them for that...some are on the second floor
You sure as hell can't paint them in place with a brush for $10 each
That's...insane!

I'm thinking shutters must be something else around your parts
The only way I could get close to $10 each is to paintball gun them from my van

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Originally Posted by ModernStyle I have never used this crap before and I pray to the paint gods that I never have to use it again, I would rather use Behr

THINKPAINTING

Now thats funny....

Brian

I'd ask what their budget is. Knowing that number I'd then try to figure out if I could make money doing it.

One thing I'm starting to learn is that if you ask what the customer is willing to pay, they will often tell you. Then it's just a matter of matching the scope of work and materials to their budget. They generally love the "help". Often they have champagne tastes and a beer budget, but don't know the difference.

I had a guy today that wanted me to do a $2400 job for $800. After a series of emails he raised his budget to $1500. I greatly reduced the scope of work, and it looks like we'll get a $1700 job that will actually be more profitable than the original bid.

Sometimes we need to think out of the bucket if we are going to make money on a project. If we approach every job the same way, we can get too locked into a particular way of pricing.

I try to create a win-win-win. I want my customer to be happy. I want my production people to be paid well. And I want to make some money for my efforts. There are many ways to do that. Sometimes we just need a little imagination.

If I had 800 shutters to paint I'd look at several options:

1. How could I get them down, painted, and put back the most efficiently?
2. How could I get them masked and painted in place most efficiently?
3. Why do we need to paint all 800 at one time? Is there a way to make this better for the owner and myself by doing this in stages?

Brian Phillips

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Cole

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Joewho

Stages, set up stages and do a hundred a day. Either scaffolding or ladders and jacks.

Have someone go and 2" tape around the outside and paint the edges with a brush, you follow and spray the faces with a shield on the tape, someone else comes in behind you and pulls the tape. Mass production is the only way to take this one down.

chris n

The only way I could get close to $10 each is to paintball gun them from my van

and it would STILL cost more than $10,unless you were a VERY good shot: cool:

Joewho

Imagine the cost of sw duration in those paint balls.

twlinks

Joe...and you would do all of this for $10 each??? The only way I would even consider doing them for $10 each would be if they take them down, deliver them to my shop, pick them up and put them back up. AND that is only if all I have to do is spray them...one coat (which wouldn't likely be enough)...no scraping or priming.

As to the original question...$8,000 ain't nearly enough but prolly about $7,000 more than they are willing to pay.

DelW

It'd probably be cheaper for them to replace them

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ModernStyle

pole roll them from the ground, if it is the same color and not too faded maybe facing them would be enough.
2 swipes with a 9" roller, you could do them all in a day that way.

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Joewho

Yes, I would do this job at 10.ea. if they are not louvered, customer pays for paint, one coat, same color or close to same color. Tons of money to be made on this one, if you can swallow your pride and give them the type of work they are looking for. Or, just hire at 10/hr., still make money. Lots of money.

We're getting into income property, and most don't want to say how that work is done. But this case, if dirty, they get a hose down, top rail gets wiped with damp rag just before painting, or any really dirty spot gets wiped with damp rag. That's prep. Use one of those buckets with the built in brush holder and ramp instead of screen. 3 1/2 in sash brush and a 3/4 roller. Bang it out baby.

Lowers will go super quick, 10 min. ea? Maybe a little slow at first, but speed will pick up. Being able to paint left handed helps, you just set your ladder on the outside of each, cut it, roll it, back brush if necessary and move on. I'd average the job at 3 1/2 to 4 shutters an hour.

This is guessing the shutters are plastic, not truly louvered. Fake louver or panels will go quick. If they are fake louvers, use a fat roller, panels use a medium roller. I'd rather take this direct approach than taking them down, setting them up for spray and putting them up again. Painting screwheads is an extra step you don't want on this one. Losing screws, dealing with possible matching of holes, etc.