Your Billable Hourly Rate

mahlere

can you explain this, please?

WisePainter

Sure.
I see so many contractors in all fields that hit a windfall and make the mistake of buying a house that only their richest clients could afford.
Then when the windfall ends (because that is the nature of the industry) they have a long way to fall, usually ending in selling their business or shutting it down completely in order to survive.

I have witnessed it far too many times.

__________________
My advice: Hire a real painter to do it.

Celtic

Morristown is not in the minority here, but they do seem to have a huge number compared to some other towns in NJ.



I know electrical and painting are not the same, but back in the late 80's/early 90's I was making $12/hr as an employee....no benefits whatsoever.
At $1920/mth [$23,040/annual] that is BELOW the poverty rate in Morris County for one adult [$13.91/hr; $2448/mth; $29,371/annual]
Source:http://www.lsnj.org/PDFs/PovertyRese...008/Morris.pdf

YOU make be making ins. & OH with "no problem" when you have 4 guys....what happens if that 4 man crew dwindles?
Scary thought.


Not Enough To Live On: Characteristics of Households Below the Real Cost of Living in New Jersey

__________________

mahlere

that's not what i was talking about...

you don't need to buy the $5mil home...but heck, if the average home is $400k, you should have hopes of being able to afford it...

just because we work with our hands we need to live in semi-poverty?

have some self respect....no wonder the trades are falling apart....we've given up hope...

WisePainter

"Average" home price?
Not here.
Homes that are $400,000 here are huge and a MAJOR waste of energy and resources, not to mention poorly built by some cheapskate builder stacking homes on a small plot to maximize profits.
So no, I do not want one.

I accept and appreciate my position in life making the most of what talents I have been given.
I also accept that I will die in the class I was born into.
b-b-b-b-b-blue collar.

So I have no self respect just because I don't want a "Hummer" house that requires constant upkeep and paying huge utility bills?

pfft.


P.S. I apologize for ruining the trades, I wasn't thinking...my bad.

__________________
My advice: Hire a real painter to do it.

world llc

i'v never heard of a fortune 500 painter, get off your high horse of how to run a business and accept that there's other ways then yours. i know my market.. it's over saturated! painters get paid little like i did when i painted. there are a few reputable "high end" painters around here that have that market cornered (in with the local designers and builders) and their guys do get medical and 15 - 22 /hr .... i would be so bankrupt if i tried that years ago.

besides, this is not an accurate discription of a years work... this is just t&m work. most jobs are all contract work.

listen, we all know our market. you can't tell me about my own experience as i cannot tell you about yours.

i have a 15/hr carpenter and a 18/hr carpenter and bill from $40 - $75 an hour on t&m

MMC73

To a certain extent I agree with you. I am somewhat familiar with the market up there. It is heavily saturated with illegals etc. That does make it a tough environment to compete in. I have friends(roofer & framer) in the business up there and they constantly run into this problem. It's prevelance in my market is not as apparent. I do not charge as much as I could and I do compete with the high end niche painters. I pay a good wage and dont make as much as I could but I have a great crew with a low turnover which is priceless. Have you considered ways of breaking into that market? I offered complimentary color design and then reccomended myself as the painter of choice....

mahlere

does it hurt? being a martyr that is?

my comments were directed specifically to one poster in one town...if you had bothered to actually read my post, you would understand.

but it was more fun, and easier to jump under the bus and try to justify your position....which had nothing to do with anything...

i'll continue to live in the town we service, way above what any blue collar contractor should be able to afford....and continue to strive for more...

mahlere

lets see...just because I refuse to accept that I am stuck at a certain level, i'm on a 'high horse'?

you prove my point...it's easier to make excuses and stay where you are, than to strive for more...

i'd argue, that if you actually ran a P&L, you'd be surprised at how much you are not making...

good luck...

WisePainter

Hey thanks for stopping by the PAINTER'S forum and making us think about how we are ruining your industry.
Come back and visit us real soon to regale us with your tales of the high wage earning lifestyle as an Electrician.

Keep on striving pal...right out of this forum.

toodles.

__________________
My advice: Hire a real painter to do it.

mahlere

touche....i didn't realize i'd crossed the tracks into the projects....i'm heading back to the other side of town before dark...my bad...

carry on with the strive for mediocrity...

DRC

I don't want to live where I work. I don't want to pay what I charge to take care of it which happens to be $40/hr/man here in Nashville.

WisePainter

buh bye then sparky...

__________________
My advice: Hire a real painter to do it.

WisePainter

My point exactly.

95% of my clients are 6 figure a year wage earners, I have no business living in their world.

__________________
My advice: Hire a real painter to do it.

mahlere

unfortunately, you are correct....

rbsremodeling

6 figures?? I 've been making that since I have been 23


Its obvious you guys have two different views on business and lifestyles no biggie.

__________________

WisePainter

Looks like we got ourselves a troll.

__________________
My advice: Hire a real painter to do it.

dougchips

I could understand "no interest living in their world" but "no business" baffles me a little. Do you feel that a painter should not make over $100,000 as a sole painter? How about a painter with a few workers?

__________________
To get the best replacement windows, or sun rooms contact the replacement windows experts at FHI Vinyl Window Company.

mahlere

dang...ya got me...

WisePainter

As a full time painter?
That would be impressive.


That is because we are in two very different trades.
Notice his trade is an "electrician".
Plumbers and electricians enjoy charging $100+ an hour and the lifestyle it affords.
I would love to see a painter try that.

Basically Sparky needs to use some self control and not enter the painting forum only to demean and degrade hard working contractors with his shallow and vapid trolling.

i.e. "grow up".

__________________
My advice: Hire a real painter to do it.