I need to talk to someone! - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

Hiz & Herz · 10-25-2007, 07:48 PM

We are a small painting buss...have lots of questions regarding pricing....is there any basic formula to caculate sq'...what is the going sq' rate...is it per coat...please help...i would love to talk to a pro on the phone; i'll pay the long distance!

Workaholic · 10-25-2007, 08:15 PM

These days long distance is basicly free. It will be the high dollar consultation fee. $$$$.
You could buy the
National Painting Cost Estimator 2007 edition.
This would just be a rough idea.
The best way is to just start giving estimates.
If everyone jumps on your price, raise it.
If nobody goes with you then you are to high. Live and learn, walk the walk of the painting contractor, and keep evolving into a profitable business.

Celtic · 10-25-2007, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Workaholic

T
If everyone jumps on your price, raise it.
If nobody goes with you then you are to high.

Does that theory work when comparing high-end homes to rental properties?

mahlere · 10-25-2007, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Workaholic

The best way is to just start giving estimates.
If everyone jumps on your price, raise it.
If nobody goes with you then you are to high. Live and learn, walk the walk of the painting contractor, and keep evolving into a profitable business.

if you can manage to stay afloat long enough to stop giving low or bad estimates and start making money...

dirt diggler · 10-25-2007, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hiz & Herz

please help...i would love to talk to a pro on the phone; i'll pay the long distance!

no ... you'll pay a 200% mark up on the long distance charge.... (LD+ 200% of LD)

a rate of $3.80 per minute

with a $500 minimum deposit ... made payable prior to the phone call

no warranties expressed or implied

and that's just to "talk to a pro"

.... does not include charge for various subject matters such as consultation for pricing, setting up corporation, insurance, project management, etc

Hiz & Herz · 10-25-2007, 09:06 PM

could someone plz join me in the chat room so we can chat...thnx

mahlere · 10-25-2007, 09:13 PM

no offense...but there are books upon books written about what you are asking...it's not something that can be learned effectively in a forum chatroom...

good luck though

Workaholic · 10-25-2007, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Celtic

Does that theory work when comparing high-end homes to rental properties?

Well i would say of course not, most people should have some sense about them to distinguish the difference. I mean if you can not tell the diference between a blow and go job vs high end job then you should'nt be in the biz.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mahlere

if you can manage to stay afloat long enough to stop giving low or bad estimates and start making money...

Well i could of gone into the usual rant about over head, insurance, knowing your profit margins.
I figured that he must have some idea of what it costs to operate his business. You really do need to live and learn, don't you think?

BuildingHomes · 10-25-2007, 09:15 PM

Not to mention thread after thread here all telling people the same thing.. "How much does it cost you to do the job?"

mahlere · 10-25-2007, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Workaholic

I figured that he must have some idea of what it costs to operate his business. You really do need to live and learn, don't you think?

refigure

Workaholic · 10-25-2007, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mahlere

refigure

LOL i guess you could be right.

Ok then i suggest using the search feature, lots of good info there.

Hiz & Herz · 10-25-2007, 09:21 PM

the book is great but how they caculate is strange to me...they add the perimeter then times it by wall height then times it by hourly rate....where i live most painters charge by sq' per coat..this is floor sq'...i have also seen floor sq' times by 3 to get wall sq' then times by 0.40 per coat...all these formulas caculate way different...is commercial higher then house?

Celtic · 10-25-2007, 09:23 PM

LOL

Begging for the answer to the eternal question of "How much....?"

WTF did people do before the internet?
That doesn't matter at all ....every answer to every question ever asked in all of creation can now be answered by some guy on some forum on the internet in under 3 minutes.
Read a book? What are you, retarded or something?

Yea, they have a clue.

johnthepainter · 10-25-2007, 09:34 PM

hizandherz,i would contact paul burns at www.100ktheeasyway.com
he has a plan that will help

Hiz & Herz · 10-25-2007, 09:50 PM

thanks for the link...but that doesn't do much for me as i don't reside in the US...i live in Canada..by the way i'm sorry for pissing in anyone cornflakes by asking about pricing!

Workaholic · 10-25-2007, 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hiz & Herz

thanks for the link...but that doesn't do much for me as i don't reside in the US...i live in Canada..by the way i'm sorry for pissing in anyone cornflakes by asking about pricing!

Naw it's just that prices vary all across the country, much less in another country.

Hiz & Herz · 10-25-2007, 10:03 PM

what is your thoughts on a 18" roller?
do you spray and then backroll?

Workaholic · 10-25-2007, 10:05 PM

Thats when i use an 18"

Hiz & Herz · 10-25-2007, 10:37 PM

my husband and i live in alberta and we are going through one of our best building booms...i did interior painting seven years ago right out of school...then had kids and kinda got out of it...my husband an automotive painter for the last 20 years...for the last 3 years we have done small reno's for friends and family...then we flipped a house last year...we just finished an office building...we took on mud and tape, paint and tile, 10000 sq' of it...major lesson learned and we now we realize that we need to focus on 1 trade and we chose painting, for many reasons...and that is who we are...just looking for some freindly advice...

**slickshift** · 10-25-2007, 10:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hiz & Herz

...by the way i'm sorry for pissing in anyone cornflakes by asking about pricing!

...just looking for some freindly advice...

Appreciate that..thanks
It's probably not what you think though
It's just that lots of people ask "what do I charge" like there's this big book we all use and get our prices from
Or like they should charge what someone else should
Or like there is a "going rate"
That's crap, not true, and bogus

Truly one needs to understand what one's expenses and production rates are to get a handle on one's business
It's not a good idea to use someone else's numbers...they have nothing to do with your expenses and overhead

That's like deciding to make computers and just take some HP retail prices and slapping them on your H&H computers...it's not good
It may get you by.....but it's really not good
What's the going rate for a computer?
Should H&H charge what Toshiba does?

Think of it this way...maybe it'll help
What bank would lend you money if your business plan said "we're going to charge what some book says we should" or "what some other business charges"
Who's going to invest in a business with such a haphazard price structure that has no relationship to actual (cost) numbers?

Think about it
I own a business, and don't know what to charge?
That really should have been figured out earlier in the process
I understand, I've been there...
But guess what, my best answer is don't use someone else's numbers
Use your own
If you don't know them, estimate and adjust as you go along
The "going rate" is a load...might as well call it the "going broke rate"
Find what you need to charge and then find your market