bujaly

Hey guys. Sorry, this isn't a question that I'm asking for business gain here.
Let me explain first. I live in an apartment complex and I went to talk with the property manager who's a friend of mine. We got to talking about the guy or company who paints here. There are a few different sized places ranging from 1 bed/1 bath at 715 sq. ft. to 3 bed/2bath at 1110 sq. ft.

Now, she was complaining about the work he does and I know, he painted my place before I moved in. You can blaintenly see that he didn't cover an effin thing. I won't go into detail about how bad. Lets just say that I can see where he taped the carpets, SEE ATTACHED!!!

Here's the funny part.. They know that he's not good at what he's doing, it's quite obvious from the price he's charging. Here's what he charges.
$160 for the 1bed/1bath @ 715 sqft to $190 for the 3bed/2bath @ 1110 sqft and $45 for an accent wall, any wall (an option they give you when you move in)
He paints the entire place with one coat, ceiling to the baseboard, all one color and they provide the paint.

Umm, is this normal? This guy has already amounted his charges with this 177 unit complex with $58,000 in charges...
I know I'm not giving you the sqft of the walls, but I thought the professionals would have an idea of the wall space...

PS!! He also does drywall repair work and spot painting, so not all of the $58,000 is in painting whole apartments..

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Workaholic

Thats blow and go for ya.

If you put a couch or a chair over that spot you will be alright.

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Sean

boman47k

That is paint on the carpet??! Those prices are similar to what the guy I worked with some charged to roll and brush for apartments. I think it was $190 for 2 bdrm apartments.

slickshift

Sounds about right for "Just Paint Over It" specials
Just paint over it no matter what, water stains, smooshed bug stains, boogers, spooge, switchplates, whatever

It helps to do fist and boot hole drywall repair also
But these would be separate charges

...also door re-hanging for some reason (I dunno...it's an immigrant thing I guess...)

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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

Joewho

Looks like the walls are a different color than the trim. Might just be the picture though.

At those prices, there's nothing to complain about. Yeah, the work at that price is perfectly normal.

The slumlord friend of yours is pulling the wool over your eyes. If Mgt. is willing to get that type of paint, then you can bet the rest of the complex sucks as well.

Or, maybe the last painter made the mess.

localtradesman

My brother married into 250 units that I have painted over the years. A good man or women.....hello.... can paint a 1 bedroom in less than five hours and a two or three bedroom in about six hours or so. Price is right. My sister-in-law has never tolerated a drop of paint where it is not suppose to be..... probably why after years.....apartments look like new....not kidding either. Maybe its a Wisconsin thing!!!????

regal

nope, mass. too, not a drop. The managament co. has no quality control.

PressurePros

Five hours work charging $160? Price is right? Wow. For five hours work I don't know any legitimate company that charges less than $250. For the same time frame I would bill out $600 for a two man crew. For $160 I would expect that "boxing ring" on the floor.

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Ken Fenner
Pressure Washing PA
Ipe Deck Cleaning
Cleaning Contractors

regal

Right on, $ 600.

Joewho

Apts. are specialized and 160 isn't terribly bad. I think it's too low for two colors. But in the business, that's pretty close for one color. I'm in N. IL. btw.

I've done them, only better. It's just a burn out type of work though. And it gets to the point that you call it a day after 5/6 hours.


Property Mgr.s know what's going on. They know about the paint on the carpet, but if you don't point it out, they rent the apt. in that condition.

Larman

Wow those prices are really low. I get $450 for a single bedroom, $550 2 bedroom. They provide paint. We roll the apartment 1 coat 1 color.

Tmrrptr

When I worked for the big co we tried to get more $'s out of management, but it wasn't going to happen... so, they determined the quality of work they were gonna get.
The painter really should have used a drop or plastic with the tape...
Probably did, and it pulled loose. He was moving too fast to care much.
r

bujaly

No, you're wrong. EVERY single wall and corner is like that. The only place you can't see the tape, is door jambs. Trust me, there was even spatter on out bathroom vanities and sinks..
They are definitely getting there moneys worth with this guy.

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Frankawitz

My Brother had to go back to painting apartments since there's not much work to be had up here. he would get and cause he works for a company for a 1 bedroom they pay him $85 so him and another guy got together and they paint and split the apartments, my Brother does the brush and roll and the other guy sprays, well they knock out on the average 4 -2 bedroom units a day, now on the 2 bedrooms they get about $175.00 so that's $700.00 a day for two guys and they work 5 days a week. That's not bad $1,750.00 a week painting apartments but you get burned out fast doing that week after week. I call apartment painting Bread and Butter Money, If you can get your production time down you can make some good money.

mahlere

bread and butter money? call it what it realy is...blood money...

Frankawitz

Blood Money? I wouldn't spill any blood to paint an apartment, the work is to easy to draw blood and if you give blood to do apartment painting, well you should find another trade like carpentry where you hit yourself with a hammer that way you get plenty of blood

mahlere

ok, does this sound better...."soul sucking, give up all hope of ever being successful, live in a van down by the river" money?

regal

getting and keeping an apt. compex for repaint work is an accomplishment. I dont under stand sparkys philosophy!?

mahlere

my point is that it's a lot of work, for a little money, for people who typically don't care about the finished product. from what i'm seeing, it doesn't take much skill, just stamina and a complete lack of understanding of business sense...but I could be wrong...

birdogron

You know, I have never painted apartments not because I was high, but because the competition was so damned cheap, they just needed gas in their trucks. Stay away from those guys. Those prices are what brings this entire industry down. We should be able to charge a fair price to make money and do a job we don't mind showing to someone. Even a production job can look clean (you know, 6 feet away!) They've gotten used to that kind of work, they don't care, they won't pay more. Happens everywhere, everyday. I've been doing this 30 years and in CA it wasn't like this 20 years ago. Thank God I am a lacquer king............. A very low on work lacquer king. Merced CA is the leader of forclosures in the nation. 1 in 82 homes are being forclosed. It's the worse struggle in 30 years, so those of you that don't live nearby, how about a little tear or two??