How To Bid New Construction Painting?

uthmanscott

Newbie here...I have done several remodeling jobs for a family that is now building a new house. They want me to come in and do all of the new construction interior painting minus the trim. It is a custom home with an approx. 7000 sq. ft. floor plan...yeah that big. No ceilings need painted, but most of this house has 10 ft. and some 20 ft. ceilings. I've never bid a job this big and quite frankly I'm a little overwhelmed with figuring up the "labor" cost properly because their providing the paint. Can anyone help me figure this bad boy out? thanks

Dave Mac

Find out how many colors are being used

measure all the wall space

what about closets???

how many coats coats???

bare sheetrock???

Steve Richards

No trim or ceilings, eh..

Are they planning to hiring a painter for those?

uthmanscott

Nice...I've done a significant amount of painting for them in a century home. No trim has been installed because it is all stain grade. The ceilings are a knockdown and they didn't want them painted, but of course the walls will have to be cut in. It's all drywall so it will have to primed and painted...11 different colors.

Thag

There is a long road to really know how to estimate. Here is a quicky, figure out how long the job will take, figure out what you want to be paid per day or per hour. Add material plus 40%. This is not the way i do my estimates but it's something simple you may understand. You may want to try doing a search on painting estimates or head over to Painttalk.com

uthmanscott

Thanks for the help. I've done bids for repaints, but never new construction. I've always been a sub. And because of the size job I was just having a hard time wrapping my mind around all the work.

jackrabbit5

All the knockdown I've seen still needs to be painted.

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Stacy

S B Bolson & Sons

uthmanscott

That's what I thought too, but for some reason they are bent and determined on not painting the ceilings. Most are 10 ft. and some are 20 ft. so maybe that's their reasoning.

back@it

I've been around the trade since the early 70's and saw the advent of the 'stomped' texture and for some time now it has been out of style BUT I have seen some of those ceilings that are twenty years old that is still raw 'mud'. I am assuming that the knockdown is nothing more than DW mud. I'm sure I'll be corrected if I'm wrong!

Don't get me wrong, if it was my own house - I would paint it but usually the builders save $$$ by leaving it raw.

My 2 cents!

uthmanscott

Your right...just regular ole mud. Their spraying it on and then dragging it to give it a flatter look.

jackrabbit5

Correct, but you'd have to spray it on heavy enough to cover ALL the drywall so you don't see the differnce between it and the tape joints. Unless is is primed first.

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Stacy

S B Bolson & Sons

uthmanscott

11 colors in various rooms. 24000 sq.ft of wall. No trim, doors or windows...their all some custom wood work that doesn't need paint and no ceilings. All of this will need primed and painted some 2 coats because of darker colors. Am in the ballpark with $15000 (that's .62 cents per sq.ft)? They are not getting any other bids because they want me to do the job and they've given me a lot and more to come. Just looking for some direction...or comments...I think!

Thanks

jackrabbit5

Primer and 2 coats is SOP for me on new construction, REGARDLESS of the colors. 1 coat over primer on new stuff is just not adequate IMO.

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Stacy

S B Bolson & Sons

uthmanscott

I know that...I don't what I was saying...anyway how do I look on price in your opinion?

jackrabbit5

Sorry but I can't answer that. I don't know your production rates, labor costs, overhead, etc.

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Stacy

S B Bolson & Sons

Mike Heritage

are you spraying this or brush & rolling? either way sounds low to me at .21 cents a sq ft. per coat. jmo
Mike

uthmanscott

Well...I guess it doesn't matter if you or I thought it was too low...I guess they didn't. Win some...lose some, but I still get the tile - hopefully.

premierpainter

We don't consider a job to be Ours until I get a retainer from the H/O. Hope that you do get the tile cause you said that they are not using you. Maybe they hired a painter to paint it.

uthmanscott

Wow...you guys are tough. No actually they plan to do most of it themselves and they wanted me to bid out a smaller portion, but thanks for ego boost - ha ha. Their budget has taken a big hit and I guess this is where it filters down to.

4thGeneration

What does their budget taking a big hit have to do with you running a business? I never try to overcharge for my services, but I would not figure in their personal issues. Charge what you will and do not look back. Sell on quality and let them know that their "Hit" will turn into a bomb if they are trying to cut corners with the painting budget. Afterall, the finish stages is what will come into conversation.