Day Rates

donb1959

First, the reason this post is in painting instead of business/marketing etc... is that the poll is industry specific. I decided to do a poll for this question, this way, noone has to answer publically, and thus expose their names. I know theres been alot of talk on estimateing, day rates, hourly rates etc.

My question though, is on average throughout the year what is your day rate, how much per day do you need to meet all your cost...including your salary, and turn a profit that your accustomed to. Ofcourse feel free to chime in with post, I'm very curious about this, and I know differant parts of the country and all that, but I'm still curious if I'm in the ballpark with the rest of ya.

My day rate is $550-$600.00 this is what I have to make to stay afloat and turn a profit.

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

keithguts

Are you saying that when you work by the day, you charge $550-600 per day?

__________________
CORNUCOPIA Prof. Carpentry
*Home of Plenty*

donb1959

Yes, when I estimate a job, I figure how many days X my daily rate.

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

Glasshousebltr

My rate bounces around so much I don't think I could even try to cap it like that but on an average I think it goes greater than 6.

Bob

__________________
Bob

bob the builder

hey you didn't leave an option for less than $350.00, so I can't vote...

Bob

KENNEDY

Is this per painter or total company time?

ProWallGuy

I assume it was per man day.
I push for $400+, but usually end up getting between $350 - $400 when its all said and done. I only need $305 to get by.

__________________
Wallpaper Hanger St. Louis
Digital Murals Installation

PlainPainter

by day rate - do you mean for your whole crew or per man?
I fight tooth and nail to justify to my clients why they are
paying me $40/man-hour to have a professional company
paint their home. All they can think of is why am I worth
80 grand a year, and that makes me laugh seeing I would
need to gross like $160,000 in estimates with only one other
helper in order to make 80 grand. And to be honest I don't
think two guys working their ass off could finish that much
work in a year- that would be like doing 20 houses at 8 g's
a pop. Hardly feasible for two guys to do in only 7 months.

So my daily rate per $20/hour worker is $320 plus materials.

-plainpainter

AAPaint

Damn, $600 a day!! I wanna work where you do, lol!! I only need about 300-350/day to cover everything, and that's usually what I charge.

__________________
-AAPaint

AA Quality Painting & Pressure Washing LLC
Jacksonville Painters
Jacksonville, FL.

chris n

Damn, If I make $300 a day, thats a GOOD day. It happens, but not often enough. This being that I work by myself and am not out there to make a living,only paying the bills. The wife makes the big $.

AAPaint

If you own your own business with your salary and it's overhead, how can you get by on less than $300/day? That's the real question....

__________________
-AAPaint

AA Quality Painting & Pressure Washing LLC
Jacksonville Painters
Jacksonville, FL.

GEB7678

I like to clear at least 300 a day. And I work alone. but it varies, from what type of work im doing

__________________
One call to fix it all
www.gebconstruction.com

donb1959

Ok, maybe I should clarify a bit.
I have 2 guys and myself, when I say my day rate is $600.00 per day, this covers all my overhead, cost, and allows me a profit.

No this is per day, for myself, and 2 employees.

For Overhead I have liability ins, workmens comp, advertising, gas, van repair, salary, payroll, cell phone, etc..

Cost include brushes, tools, sundries, roller covers, etc..

My wife and I have crunched the numbers over and over, and I can't stay in business for less than $600.00 per day, much less turn a profit.

Pro, you're saying you get $400.00 per man, per day, or you need $400.00 total per any given day i.e. you have a job that you dedicate 3 men to, and you expect the job to last 4 days, the total for labor on that job would be $1600.00?

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

Dale

I think that would be 4800. with the 3 guys working and you sitting home .

I wish!

ProWallGuy

With no profit, I need $280 per man per day to break even. This is for a top-notch journeyman. A 4 day job with 3 men might be 2 $10-$12 helpers, and 1 journeyman, etc. If it was me, 1 journeyman, & 1 helper for 4 days, it would be $3000 +.

__________________
Wallpaper Hanger St. Louis
Digital Murals Installation

paintr56

I work alone and averaged $531 per day after materials but before over head last year. I am trying for $600 this year. I have many days that reach this goal but then their are jobs that go into an extra day and that brings down the average. In all honesty I was able to only get enough work at that price to work 152 days last year. I worked a lot of years for a lot less money and was allways buzy then I realized I was much better off working fewer hours and making more money.

Jim Bunton

pntr_arch_cec82

I'm assuming this forum is meant for the actual subcontractor. A typical worker cant make $600 a day. I'm guessing that a worker will be looking at around $160-$200 a day. For the subject of this forum I'm assuming its what the contractor has to make a day in order to withhold a descent profit margin. In this case one will price a job that will take 5 days for a crew of 3 to do at $4900. Thus each worker makes $160/day while the contractor makes $500/day (after paying labour). Or does he make $400/day (after paying labour, materials and overhead). Or does he make $980/day? (Gross income)

AAPaint

Yes, it's a contractors forum. Not necessarily for employees but there are a few who are trying to learn what they can before venturing on their own.

That said, the poll is asking what a contractor needs in gross $$/day to pay themselves and all of their overhead. I need some of those 5 day $5000 jobs!!

__________________
-AAPaint

AA Quality Painting & Pressure Washing LLC
Jacksonville Painters
Jacksonville, FL.

donb1959

There are three, including myself.

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

Dale

But thats only $25./man hr.