HELP!!! First Job.

newkidonblock

Hey guys. First timer here. Getting ready to bid first interior, but i'm not sure what to figure in for labor. Just the hourly rate. I'm in Arizona. If I could get an average that would be greatly appreciated. Thanx.

4thGeneration

First time as in you painted your house every year if it needed it or not and thought it easy to do so you are in business now?

Or

First time bidding work as a contractor?

Brushslingers

Average national rate for labor.... 32.50 for painters.

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Benn

tcleve4911

If you're truly in business, you have to mark up for overhead & profit, or else BYE BYE next April 15th

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Back in Maine
Dubbin' Around
Doin' good stuff ......

slickshift

No offense, but the average professional painter isn't doing this for the first time, and I'd say you probably shouldn't be charging as much as they do

But read this recent thread
It'll help
http://www.contractortalk.com/f8/new-business-20932/

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Signature Quote

Quote:

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

newkidonblock

first time as a contractor. Been doin it for years. Tired of making someone else rich.

4thGeneration

I always build in about $45 per hour per man hour on top of what I pay my guys. You can tweak it at first a little lower if you want to get the work, but make it a introductory rate and do not advertise it because most people will scream when you get called back and they get a higher price. Use the first few months of contracts to build your rep, but do not count on them for repeat when they get the higher prices next time around. Here is a good method when you get bigger to use when the owner asks for a lower price. They usually say they will give you more work for a cheaper price. You can say well I will start with this and when you do give me a call back I will cut you some slack. That gets rid of them quickly usually.

newkidonblock

Thanks for the info guys. sure do appreciate it.

Richard

You need to base your rate on the rates of your competition. It depends if you are planning on being a legal painting contractor with all the bells and whistles or if you're planning on being a fly by the night contractor. Once you determine this, find your comparative competition and charge $5-10 less per hour than them since you're new. Good luck.

PS-if for some strange reason you dont know what painting contractors are charging in your area, call up a couple of them and fake that you need some t&m work done, then ask what their hourly rates are.

metomeya

What part of arizona are you doing it in?

newkidonblock

sw area mainly tucson. You?

farrellpainting

How much do you have to charge, and how much do you have to expand your biz, to be able to retire while you can still walk?

Figure that out and then do what you have to!If your just doin it for some extra hrly pay then you'll either be out of biz soon, or working til you DIE!

You should develop a plan of what it's goin to take to make your time/effort in the biz worth your while!

Joewho

Also, try to ask around, like you did here. If you price it too high and dont' get the work, what good is it?

farrellpainting

Is this how we value our business...... just ask some other dude what he charges?That is one of the reasons we all under charge, the other one is the desperate drug addict paint contractor, that doesn't want to put forth the effort of being competitive when proposing/pro/quality, he'd just rather charge less then everyone else, because that's a lot easier for him!Do you want to get a # from this guy, one that has no plan or any idea WTF he's doing, just took the easy way out!

When you develop your plan using his #'s you'll see what I mean.You are most likely going to have to charge more per hr, or hire and manage 3 guys to make up for the $$$ that we should be charging in the first place.

God damn drug addicts!

Richard

been reading your posts lately...you mad at the world or something? I keep reminding myself that you're young, but dang man

farrellpainting

Yeah I know!

I have'nt worked in while,it's been cosistently dark cold and rainy, and it's going to snow again this week!I worked 2-3 days on an exterior since the begining of march!

Collectors keep callin everyday, and all I can do is just sit and wait for it to warm up.I was planning on being out by early march, this is rediculous!Its makin me all stressed out! Sorry I won't bring it to the forum anymore, thanks for lettin me know!

I guess being raised in rochester, doesn't help either!LOL!

Workaholic

I keep saying he needs to change his name to the Angry Painter

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Sean