Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum banner

How To Estimate Paint Jobs

14K views 21 replies 13 participants last post by  ThatOneGuy 
#1 ·
I'm wanting to start doing residential exterior painting. but I'm not sure how to go about coming up with a price for customers. Can someone share your methods you use to come up with a price? I'm sure prices vary by area, so I'm just curious about the methods you use to come up with a figure. If you'd like to share your prices, I'd be more than interested to hear about it, but for me the system and method is more important.

Thanks!

TOG
 
#4 ·
Welcome to CT. Just so you are aware, straight pricing questions and discussions that involve actual numbers are not allowed here.

You've got the right attitude though in wanting to get a method more than some numbers from the internet.

Check out this thread for some information.
http://www.contractortalk.com/f16/pricing-estimating-success-27899/

As long as this thread does not devolve into pricing with actual numbers, it will remain open.

Also, please do an intro in the introduction section.:thumbsup:
 
#6 ·
Ron saved him.

And now for a more serious answer. If you have not painted I suggest you work under a journeyman painter and learn how. During that "apprenticeship" you will learn how long it takes to do the work.

If on the other hand you already are a painter and are looking for answers to pricing structure you should look in the business section.

Best of luck.
 
#7 ·
Thanks for the replies. Sorry I didn't know asking about prices is not allowed here or I wouldn't have even mentioned it. I certainly don't want my first thread here to be closed, so please forget I even mentioned it :)

Back to the methods, let's say for example I want to price for painting of eves and overhangs...Would you perhaps measure the width and depth of the sofft and multiply it by some fixed number?

More about my background, I work for my father's company and now deal only in the gutter part of the business, but I very often get asked by the customers for paint bids too while I'm there. I end up having to send my dad over there later, which to me is not efficient. My dad does his prices by "feel" and "eyeballing" and really can't seem clue me into what he is doing. Even if I had this knack for eyeballing things, it's really not in my nature to operate by such methods. I need systematic ways of doing things or else I'll go crazy.
 
#8 ·
There are to many variables. Applying the paint is pretty straight forward But:

1. Caulk or not?
2. Flaking/peeling to repair or not?
3. Primer needed?
4. Repairs needed?
5. Time to set/move/reset scaffolding or ladders?
6. Is the work even accessible with a scaffold or ladder?
7. Cost/Quality of paint?
8. Protection needed for walls? landscaping?
9. Site access?
10.Municipal/Association Rules for work hours?
11.Deal with pets in yard?
 
#9 ·
Thom just posted some good considerations for any paint job. So take that list (and maybe a couple more items) and go with your dad when he goes to the job.

Bring up each item on your list, talk about it with your dad and after a bit you will get a feel for it.

Who's doing the work? Keep accurate track of how much labour you estimated for a job, and how much labour it actually took to do it.

After a few success or failures, you'll get a handle on the estimating end of it.

The other option is to let a painting contractor quote it and sub it to them.
 
#11 ·
Everyone else has nailed it. I will add that you should break things down into small pieces to simplify things. Example : painting 4 columns on a porch should go something like this.
1. Pick up materials 30 minutes + $50 materials
2. Each column, any rot? Columns 1 and 4 have a lot of joint separation and popped nails, approximately 1 hour each on prep. Columns 2 and 3, a few caulk lines open, just light sanding 20 minutes each.
3. Painting of each column, how worn was the old paint? 1 coat or 2 coats? For 1 coat 20 minutes each, 2 coats 35 minutes each.
4. Cleaning, billing, etc. 1 hour

I have found especially on bigger jobs where looking at the big picture can dilute some of the small time consuming details (x20 on big jobs!) breaking it down piece by piece just as you would do it helps a lot. Do the job in your head as you work through the estimate. If your not an experienced painter then pretty much my whole post is pointless.....
 
#16 ·
Here's a couple things no one added, are there hookers on the street corner, or an audi dealer have I worked for this person before, is the person a rule bender or an overkill specialist and finally travel price of gas being relevent if you drive a truck, once you have a detailed count add the wholly cow figure, it's a mixed up place, I always price before I leave,
 
#17 ·
Well if your painting house's that are not to old with out a lot of prep its pretty easy. You have units such as windows doors shutters. Count them up and figure out how long it takes.

1. prep hours for the job.
2. house wash
3. Lf of boxing
4. Unit price for windows, doors pickets columns shutters.
5. Square foot for siding.
6. Ceilings. square foot.

each of these items have a production rate like certain shutters can easily be done at 3 per man hr with a coverage rate of a gallon for so many shutters.
Or 16 windows can take 8 hrs to paint and t takes 1 gallon to paint all 16 windows.

so you need to have all your production rates and coverage rates and just plug them in.

this is the company's history and you need to have it to estimate correctly IMO.

Prep is a tough one because its not black and white like units or square foot, that comes from experience. But can also bet rated like good fair poor and then you can have a production rate for that as well
 
#19 ·
Sorry I've not replied in a few days. It's been a busy week. Thanks for the additional comments...They've been very helpful.

JCPresto, our prices are fair but we don't do anything for "cheap". I'm just the salesman, not the painter. Our painters are top-notch and so bidding cheap would not be fair because the finished product is not "cheap" :)
 
#21 ·
So your business is already established? Just curious, because when you say "our painters" it seems you have people around you that know the business pretty well. If you are good enough to complete a quality exterior as just an employee, you'd have to know a thing or two about the business..
But (in my opinion) when youre not up on the ladder with your guys motivating them, setting the pace- the customer, nor the employees will not give you the same respect (or) it will turn into cats away the mice play- once they get into their comfort zone. Its a tough business. Its the bottom of the barrel.. theives, drunks, junkies.. The only honest people you can find usually dont have transportation or citizenship.

The only guys Ive seen be successful in the residential painting business that dont work anymore, are the old school guys who know the business through and through.. Theyve paid the dues, have a solid customer base for many years, and the workers/customers respect that.

Sorry if it sounds harsh, just my opinion.

-Jay
 
#20 ·
I see JCpresto's point, you came off as you were looking to do it yourself in your posts.

Why not take a painter with you on a few jobs till you learn what it takes to get things done? I cant imagine having to estimate the time and materials it would take to complete any task that I knew nothing about, good luck.
 
#22 ·
My father's business is already established - about 15 years in. My dad never painted a day in his life. He's an ex-carnish man and i'm an ex-siding guy. We do siding, gutters, paint, windows and more. We're among the top in our area. We have a respectable company and therefore attract quality workers. I know it sounds crazy, but the fact is my dad just has good business sense. As for me, I'm a relatively new addition (about 3 years) to the company. I started out selling gutter jobs, then selling+managing them, then window sells. Now I'm ready to learn the paint side. I have no doubt that it's a tough business but I also have no doubt that I can do it. For now I'm just wanting to learn to give a price on paint. i don't think it requires 20+ years experience in painting to do it. I just have to learn the estimating procedure, I don't need to know how to put the stuff on the house. The fact is, our workers are 10 times better at all of our services than we would be, but our gift is in attracting customers and closing the deal, and so that makes us the boss and them the workers.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top