What/How Do You Charge For Paintjobs?

JCpresto

For the painting business owners out there.. I imagine this has been rehashed. Im new so bare with me.

Do you guys charge by the square foot? If not, how do you figure your prices. And if so, how much do you charge per sq. on interiors?

PressurePros

JC, put your helmet on bud, you are about to get decimated.

I'll give you a heads up. Price questions don't go over too well here. That's not to say you should not stick around, I hope you do. Your best bet is to start with the search feature this BBS has.

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Ken Fenner
Pressure Washing PA
Roof Cleaning Services PA

DeanV

There are toooooooooooooo many variables. The more you read here, you will realize that some guys are in high cost of living areas like California, or the NE states. California seems to have high WC. If you are a one man band, you could probably charge less than a guys who runs a small crew (or more depending on the overhead you have have by yourself or with a crew). I might take 4 hours to paint a 14x14 room, you might take 2 hours, or six. I might use Aura, you might use a $5/ gall clay paint. I might drive a gas guzzling ford 150, you might drive a Prius and not plow through $400 a month in gas. I hate to heat my workshop to keep my paint from freezing (add $75/month plus the heat pump at $3000 to my overhead), you living in Florida do not. All of these things have to be factor in to what you need to make.

I was in the same boat as you, at least when I was getting started with new construction, and for new work there does seem to be SOME regional patterns for s.q. ft. pricing. However, now that I am getting more into high end new construction, I am realizing the those prices just do not work well at all. Sometime on simple jobs they may work out okay.

The only way you will be able to price is if you learn to accurately estimate the number of hours it will take you to do a job, figure out how much it really costs you to run a business, how much you need to make, and how much material the job will take.

Oh, and read the sticky in the business section (top thread).

JCpresto

haha.

Im not really looking for advice. Ive established my own way of pricing already. Im sorry if thats how I came off. Im more or less curious to see how it differs in different areas of the country.

I did actually search. Ive been looking around for about 2 months before i signed up.

ProWallGuy

Nope.
By manhours.

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Wallpaper Hanger St. Louis
Digital Murals Installation

buildenterprise

Call your competition and ask them.

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JCpresto

my competition? what are you an ashole?

buildenterprise

You know what they say about asking a dumb question.....

But seriously, call them posing as a homeowner and get a price on something basic over the phone-there's your baseline number to work from.
You're welcome.
Sincerely,
an ashole

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JumboJack

I'll bet you competition knows how to price their own jobs...

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in texas with framing and cornish people will do it for 3.00 a foot. What do yall think about that? Just laber

JMGP

If you spent 2 months searching then you should already know what we all think about this question... and how it is answered...

If you already have a pricing system in place and its working for you then it don't matter what others charge or how they do it.... If you don't have a system then spend the time researching, reading, learning and spending the time and money to figure it out like most of us have done already...

I can tell you how the low-baller does their estimates...

They take the phone call from their prepaid cell phone and because they are sitting on the couch stuffing there face with doriteos watching Jerry Springer they are able to go to the estimate within the hour... they spend 5 minutes with the customer... run back out to their oil leaking, pack rat truck... they sit in there truck figuring out how much to charge by how much the truck payment is, what they owe for rent, electric bill, what they owe their mom from borrowing from the week before, bag of weed, 12 pack of beer, etc.. insurance dont matter becuase they dont have any... they whip out their minny carbon copy form and write " Paint Room" and then add a price on the bottom... oh and they dont need to figure in materials becuase the customer will be required to pay for them... and they require 50 % deposit...!!!

Hope that helps.... Good Luck!!!

buildenterprise

And he thinks I'M an ashole?

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JCpresto

lol!!!

You guys are like a bunch of vultures picking on the noob. Sorry guys, I didnt think a simple harmless question would hurt your feelings so much. Pressure Pro and Dean thanks for letting me down easy.

Yea Ive been looking around the site a while... I skip over the BS and read the tech stuff. Not about poll's on how gay you are. I know that may be hard to beleive..

You guys take it easy. Dont work too hard!! And watch out for those dirty Dorito eatin Mexicans!!

jmthouston

Hold on a minute buddy.

Now you done offended some one else.

Your having your day at the park huh.

It's okay I understand the ignorant statement.
RACISM

Miguel

buildenterprise

If you notice, he was only referring to "those dirty Dorito eatin Mexicans", not all the other Mexicans that eat clean Doritos.....therefore I wouldn't consider that a racist remark.

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jmthouston

okay I got yah

Thanks for tha enlightenment. lmao

Mige

Brock

Oh,you know Jimmy in Wichita. His mom just passed away so he is temporarily retired.

JCpresto

Its funny how easily one can be misunderstood in written words. hey.. you cant say anything nowadays without offending someone..

From what Ive gathered from this forum, that is your typical Mexican.

I feel right now if I said: Im married to a Mexican chick (which I am) you guys would still find some way to twist it around into something else. Unbeleivable.

buildenterprise

So, how's the hot tamales?

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JCpresto

hahaha!!

KellyPainting

I paid my mom back...just to make it clear.