MAC2PAINTING

Ive had a contract with an apartment complex for five years now, recently the owner tells me they are going to build a whole new complex much bigger than the one we paint now. I have in the past 25 years painted on several crews for new construction... but since owning my own outfit I have never bid a new construction... I know the procedure I know it has to be scheduled carefully I know everything I need to know except the ballpark price for a four bedroom two bathroom ...any advise ??? I want this for my crew to have winter work//

Brushslingers

I will be glad to help you... for 99.95, a price break actually from the normal price of 129.95! We accept Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover, Certified Check and Cash! Let me know!!

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Benn

BMAN

they get $1.65 to $3.00 SQFT depending on builder specs.

AFI

I gona beat your price 89.99 plus tax Visa and Master Card

747

I paid 600.00 to get living room painted including ceiling last year.

MattCoops

new construction painting is rough
they are gonna have tons of estimates done
you'll have to beat a lot of "foreign" pricing

do you charge by the sq ft?

I'd give em a $2 / sq ft price

if you have been working with the complex for a while they know your work and you may already have a little leverage to get the bid

just dont get nervous, present your price like you know you already have the job

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Matt; tile contractor in Charlotte, NC
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Joewho

What state you in?

MAC2PAINTING

MAC PAINTING ...ILLINOIS

MarvinWilleyJr

When you say $2 a sq ft, do you mean sq ft of the floor plan sq ft, or area of the walls?

Joewho

woot, woot, illinois.


Just ask around about square footage pricing. You could seperate the sq. ft. pricing into spray and hand work. Spray work is under a dollar/sq. ft., labor only, if you are going to be competitive at all.

You can also look for info on jobs completed and how much they cost, divide it up yourself.

Square feet is walls and ceilings. But again, if you can get your hands on some current numbers, then you will be able to divide it into total floor square footage. Is that floor footage for the main floor only? Usually it is, so don't forget to add on the second floor, basement walls and ceilings, gargage etc.

Perfection

My crew and I have painted 70+ new construction condo's + houses here in MA over the last year.

To be perfectly honest...there isn't a lot of money in it. You probably will be able to make a paycheck but that's about.

Builders here want them yesterday and if you have a bad crew in front of you mudding or plastering...(even trimming for that matter) you are in trouble.

Price is what it is all about here considering most prospective buyers don't know what to look for in a good paint job.

If you can just get in and get out and don't care a whole lot about quality...you might be able to make a little..My problem is I am a perfectionist..

A perfectionist in high volume new construction doesn't work.
Thank god I've finally realized that.

I am currently transitioning into the higher end market...Where I've always wanted to be.

If it is something you must do...Get yourself a competative base price and upcharge for things like fireplaces, straircases, anything that might be an option the builder is selling.

ALSO --- Don't be afraid to backcharge...If you run into something that isn't in your normal scope of work...BILL THEM.
This was another hard concept for me to get down...10-15 min here and 10 15 min there REALLY adds up after a while.

Also try to get the builder to let you sell your colors???

Where are you located? This will also determine the price you can get.

Here in MA..It is difficult...I am legit and trying to compete with a LOT of illegal labor that will work 12 hour days for 8-10 bucks an hour....

Glad I am about done with new builds...Going with a respectable design firm and also doing comercial from now on!!!

Good luck

MAC2PAINTING

Thanks for all the input, I have submitted my bid at $2.00 per sq ft, that is for wall space...closet space ceiling space etc. then doubled that and half again , cause as we all know ya paint it... then ya paint it again... then ya paint it one more time then if necessary ya touch it up for final... made sure to get the details on anything going on outside, and in the basements, and found out there will be decks and stairways outside.... since we are in Illinois... it gets too cold to get it all done in the winter outside... I feel this will be a good opportunity for my company and my crew ( all pros,,, and great guys ) so thanks again for the helpMAC

camaroman2125

I actually prefer New construction over repaints. On a new constrution I can go in do what needs to be done without anyone bothering me and not having to worry about moving stuff around. I don't mind repaints where the person moved or isn't moved in yet and its a empty house.

I just hate the repaints where you have to work around years of crap they have collected because there is nowhere to move it.

It also helps that I have no competition with the builder I work for cause if I did,of course I wouldn't talk to him anymore and then he would probably take me out of his will

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SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE SLINKIES - NOT REALLY GOOD FOR ANYTHING BUT THEY BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE WHEN PUSHED DOWN THE STAIRS.

painterjim

I dont do new work, too much work not enough money. I dont work around clutter, they can move it or pay me to move it. Around here new work is going for 2.00 sq ft floor space. Thats for prime,sand,caulk,paint,paint again,touch up.

Say an average sized new home is 3K sq. @2.00 per thats 6K for the entire interior....twice

On average if I paint a 3K sf ft interior repaint, theyre going to pay me 8-10 K for half the work

camaroman2125

I charge 3.00 sq ft for everything, don't have to prime, or caulk we use prestained casing and trim. I have it in our agreement if anyone messes up the paint I charge 45.00/hr to do touch ups or anything again and that gets billed to the sub that did it. Its in there contract they sign. I'd have to say the carpet layers and the floor installers are the worst.

Bad thing is I always get the people that have no where to move it to.

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SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE SLINKIES - NOT REALLY GOOD FOR ANYTHING BUT THEY BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE WHEN PUSHED DOWN THE STAIRS.

Terrence

Hallelujah, Praise the LORD!

I agree about the crap! I have a crap moving charge...
I call it 2x. I'm not a mover!

Empty room - base price
20% full, 20% charge extra
50% full, 50% charge extra
100% full, 100% charge extra or flat out refuse to paint it

I explain it by presenting the high price, and explaining that they have "incentive" to move their own crap. Dusty filthy nasty crap.

(I'm allergic to dust)

Flawless Finish

Wow, 100% more? I wish I could do that as I too hate moving things. I don't mind much the big furniture as the little stuff on top of everything. I also always manage to break something small.

Joewho

As someone stated, new construction is very competitvie and not apt to making a lot of money.

Demanding high prices and doubleing this and that will not get you any work with experienced contractors. That only works with a HO/contactor or an inexperienced contractor.

Typically, in Illinois, you want bid the job for all one color, flat. Get industry recognized paint for new construction, as this paint will alllow you to touch up, roll out part of walls etc. without any issues.

The catch with new construction is that people want visual gratification. What I mean is that it is really only necessary to spray out the walls/ceilings and leave until all the other trades are out of there. But that method leaves the project looking like a wreck. HO's and contractors don't want that. This is why you have to keep painting and re-painting.

Room to work is another issue. You will have flooring delivered and left on the site, trim packs (moulding, doors, etc.) left in the middle of a room. Drywall mess everywhere and a myriad of other things. Not to mention the pesky carpet guy who wants to lay carpet way before you are ready. This is extra labor to cover and protect the carpet. It can get away from you fairly quickly.

Also, be prepared for changes. I would invest in a pack of change orders. This can benefit you, since the original flat paint and semi-gloss trim isn't very profitable, color changes and sheens are profitable.

I've done several new constructions on the North Shore, and it's almost certain that there are going to be upgrades. It isn't unusual for the cost of a home to go 50% or more above original cost. So don't worry too much about the bid going in. Just get a base to start with. Let the changes happen and stay on top of it.

Again, rule of thumb-capenters caulk wood to wood, painters caulk drywall to wood. On a large project you can loose your a$% on caulking alone. Door jambs and stops, all the miters, base shoe etc. are capenters responsibility. Painters just caulk where the trim meets the drywall. It's not written in stone, but if you don't cover it on your bid, you may get bitten. You can alway tell where a capenters big fingers have been comapared to a painters smooth caulk job. You need smooth caulk anywhere you need to cut a line, like base moulding, door moulding.

Hope this info helps you along the way.

Terrence

See the thing is... I live in Northern NJ. There is a LOT of money here, and the houses are tightly packed together. There is a tremendous density of wealth. There are a great many billionaires in the area due to our proximity to NYC. Second is the number of Millionaires. Literally Hundreds of thousands of them. While life can be more complicated for us who choose to live in "higher" areas, the payoff is substantial and definate. You simply learn how to profit off of the circumstances at hand.

I would charge a significant amount to move furniture no matter where I lived in the US. I am a painter, not a mover....

PS I have also had two hernias

mahlere

You can. You just have to have confidence in your ability as a painter and be ready to walk away from a job if they balk. If you are starving for work, this won't work. But otherwise, anyone can do it.