4thGeneration

Hey Ya'll,

I have been primarily offering services to homeowners contracting repaints. I have been going through my mind about painting higher end commercial as well. What steps should I take and how do I chase down the process to bid on these types of places as well as giving competitive bids? Has anyone on here painted for places like marriot hotels, starbucks, car dealerships, fast food chains ect, ect? If so how did the process go with schedule and getting paid and all? I painted 5 Shell stations a few years ago and that was a joke. The guy I subbed from was a joke of a contractor. He took forever to pay me and tried to duck me every chance he could. He would run a contractor as far as he go and when they could not go any further he would find more to string out. His famous words were in two weeks you start getting paid and after that the pay will roll in every few days per completion. Mr. Martin in Texas are you back to building barns?

Brushslingers

Get with designers and commercial builders/build out companies. Margins are tighter in commercial but have more profit built in due to the NEED to have buttloads of insurance. Don't do anything bigger than 2000 square without 1mil minimum. If your currently doing repaints for say, .78 cents per foot with two coats... you can safely add 35-45 cents and still be competitive... plus your trim costs, etc. Exterior goes up considerably as scaffolding is normally not an option, you would have to rent lifts to not get in trouble with the man. Far as getting paid... you can get a national form from most office supply places that will list out a schedule for you but basically... you list % of the job to be paid weekly with owners signoff on X day.... just like working for a new home builder. They signoff and don't pay? You leave.

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Benn