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Why are painters all so expensive? I been working in our warehouse that's about 5k sqft and inside walls and outside walls needed painting. A few months ago we got quotes and they were unreal. I think they were around $12k just to paint the outside and inside walls of warehouse. This was not even for the office areas.

My bro in law bought a sprayer for $500 and sprayed the inside walls in 1.5 days and took 13 gallons of primer and the same finish coat. Not sure of the cost of paint but $6k for paint and 1.5 days labor for one guy :blink: I don't think so.
Same can be said I am sure of your services and I know I could find people cheaper priced than you correct? What would you say if someone said you were too pricey and that they could hire their bro inlaw to buy equipment and do what you do?
 
Brians right. Don't forget too about the (unpaid) time that painter spends giving estimates to people that end up doing the work themselves.

Without a lot more specifics, I can't comment on the price.

But I'm pretty sure that warehouse looks like crap now, and that your BIL still has paint in his hair.
 
BCConstruction

How many bids did you get? What type of painters did you call? I do custom repaints in the mid to high level. If you asked me to bid a warehouse my price would be much higher than say a commercial painter that primarily does warehouse projects. By the same token, if a commercial warehouse painter bid a job that I typically do they would probably be too low and do a job that isn't up to par with what a lot of homeowners expect. Painting is like Chef's work. You don't go to a Gordon Ramsay restaurant and ask what they have on the dollar menu. Just like you don't go to Micky D's and hope for some haute cuisine.
 
So now painters are compared to brain surgeons:blink: yes it was only a warehouse so why so much money in the guys pocket. Like many I understand what it costs to run a business and my costs are way higher than any painters will ever be. But my prices are no where near what they want to earn. Perhaps if they didn't give such crazy rates then they wouldn't have to be running around looking for work and pricing day in day out. One of the guys who gave a quote was a guy who ripped me off for $250 and when I see the quote I just laughed and put it to the side but he was the cheapest at about $8k but again that's still too much money for what he had to do. We was even supplying the lift as I booked one out for a month and didn't need it as much as I thought. If you painters think your time is worth almost $500 an hour then perhaps I need to rethink what trade I'm sticking with.
 
the lead hand is lazy and bitches, he refuses to set nails...if hes on site he whines and moans until one of us does it. the rest of the guys do whats needed to get the job done. they will set nails.

oh and the #1 reason we keep using them, the co-owner /foreman is a hot 32 year old about 5'5.....
 
the lead hand is lazy and bitches, he refuses to set nails...if hes on site he whines and moans until one of us does it. the rest of the guys do whats needed to get the job done. they will set nails.

oh and the #1 reason we keep using them, the co-owner /foreman is a hot 32 year old about 5'5.....
A woman I hope Kirk :whistling
 
I would love to hear about new innovations to professionalism in the industry. What are the biggest problems GC's have with painters, and secondly, how do I educate GC's about our solutions to those problems?
Problema numero uno: mexicans that can't speak engrish and do mexican quality work.
Second, stop hiring junkies and drunks so you can compete with down there with the mexicans.

It seems that's the choice on small (resid) jobs. Larger jobs we the sub can fire mexicans that do their type work and not hire american drunks/druggies.

Now that I'm on my own (residential work), I keep a few cards of the people I've ran across that are americans and worth a hoot.

My experiences.
 
I think employees also reflect on the painting contractor.
The bait and switch is common in a lot of trades. Americans get the job and mexicans come and do it and about none of them speak/understand english.

Cleaning services are also like that--americans get the sale and their top line crew/individual for the first month or so, then down to the mexicans that can't speak english, want charity cash on the side, etc.

I've sort of fallen into my own ongoing gig, but before this, when I was talking to homeowners, I'd say, "I am the company and I will be the one doing the work". When I do sub something out (rarely), it's either someone I have a past relationship with or the home owner.

Granted, I won't make a million bucks this year or over the next handful, but I make a good living at it and am comfortable.
 
hell yes.. my only complaint about her is that her work tshirts arent as tight as her jeans
 
It seems to me that the damage on remodels is often excessive. I have run into very poor drywall work on some remodel work. Areas not sanded, not enough mud, not blending repair areas, etc. These mistakes add up to another trip for us to the job. Which cost us money.

Add into the process that I cannot get some people to understand that we want, no need, to be the last trade in. After solid surface flooring, after granite, etc. Otherwise, it is another trip to fix damages from those trades.

GC's can make it a whole lot easier to get a quality job at a reasonable cost if they would listen to us, but they usually do not care to listen.

pretty much.

I've worked for all types of GC's all 'round the country and have found them to all have the same poor attitude towards painters.
There are exceptions to the rule, however I have yet to find 1.

Reasons, got plenny:

No yearly certifications for painting. Electricians and plumbers gobble up the lion's share of the GC's budget requiring a certain pay level to cover their education (skill set). This leaves the skimpy remainder for painters, which in turn breeds lowballers.

GC' s talk a lot about "proper pay for quality work" yet won't reveal their idea of "proper pay", they will reveal their idea of "quality work" though.

GC's have their pick of out of work painters, 30-1. Do you honestly think they are losing profits in order to hire DaVinci when Lopez is willing to get started today for 3/4 less? ha.

Painters should fix other trades' idiot errors willingly with no charges or whining? Your Mother should make me a sammich...cut the crust off plz. no whining.

Most GC's these days are still in 2004...you know, when all they did was shmooze and rake in the cash while having "business lunches" at olive garden 5 days a week. Gone are those days, but lo the attitude remains.

Many more up my sleeve but hey, painters are a dime a dozen and the squeaky wheel is not oiled, it's replaced.
Amirite GC folk?

I refuse to do residential under a GC, as a matter of fact I educate my clients to some of the ways their GC is cutting corners, and not following the contract. I could make a GREAT living just from charging for the service.

I realize this is a direct slam on GC's, and will be hotly contested...by GC's. Welcome to the Painting portion of the forum, bring it.

WisePainter.
 
pretty much.

I've worked for all types of GC's all 'round the country and have found them to all have the same poor attitude towards painters.
There are exceptions to the rule, however I have yet to find 1.

Reasons, got plenny:

No yearly certifications for painting. Electricians and plumbers gobble up the lion's share of the GC's budget requiring a certain pay level to cover their education (skill set). This leaves the skimpy remainder for painters, which in turn breeds lowballers.

GC' s talk a lot about "proper pay for quality work" yet won't reveal their idea of "proper pay", they will reveal their idea of "quality work" though.

GC's have their pick of out of work painters, 30-1. Do you honestly think they are losing profits in order to hire DaVinci when Lopez is willing to get started today for 3/4 less? ha.

Painters should fix other trades' idiot errors willingly with no charges or whining? Your Mother should make me a sammich...cut the crust off plz. no whining.

Most GC's these days are still in 2004...you know, when all they did was shmooze and rake in the cash while having "business lunches" at olive garden 5 days a week. Gone are those days, but lo the attitude remains.

Many more up my sleeve but hey, painters are a dime a dozen and the squeaky wheel is not oiled, it's replaced.
Amirite GC folk?

I refuse to do residential under a GC, as a matter of fact I educate my clients to some of the ways their GC is cutting corners, and not following the contract. I could make a GREAT living just from charging for the service.

I realize this is a direct slam on GC's, and will be hotly contested...by GC's. Welcome to the Painting portion of the forum, bring it.

WisePainter.
I have to stick with you WisePainter. In my past 6 or so years of being in business for my self about I've only been stiffed three times. All three times is was by GCs.

I won't even work for remodel GC's anymore. S#!+ rolls down hill, and it's way too easy for a remodel guy to just throw me under the bus in an attempt to save face with a customer.
 
Sorry to hear that guys. As a carpenter and a GC I value my painter a lot.

I worked with a Dutch painter for a bit years ago. He taught me the basics. So if it's just a bathroom or kitchen job, I'll paint it myself.

But, say I've got a high end job - customer wants NO brushmarks, silk wallpaper, flawless ceilings, etc. etc. That's when I call my guy.

He is expensive !! And worth every penny. This kind of work quickly seperates the hacks from the trained painters.

Last job I had him on was a complete home re-paint. We did over 1000 lf. of crown and there was NO caulking for him to do. We work well together, know what each expects from the other.

So not all GC's are bad. I think the smaller ones are maybe more appreciative. And look for the ones doing high end work.
 
The problem with many painting contractors are that they started the business with a lack of proper experience and ethics in dealing with general contractors and clients.

Why are you hiring substandard painters as your subcontractor?

If you are having problems with the painters you hire, as it seems you are, then it's exactly that...your problem.
Unfortunately some poor H.O. is also sharing your problem.

Which actually comes around to affect the reputation of all painters.

thanks!

:(


Sorry to hear that guys. As a carpenter and a GC I value my painter a lot.

I worked with a Dutch painter for a bit years ago. He taught me the basics. So if it's just a bathroom or kitchen job, I'll paint it myself.

But, say I've got a high end job - customer wants NO brushmarks, silk wallpaper, flawless ceilings, etc. etc. That's when I call my guy.

He is expensive !! And worth every penny. This kind of work quickly seperates the hacks from the trained painters.

Last job I had him on was a complete home re-paint. We did over 1000 lf. of crown and there was NO caulking for him to do. We work well together, know what each expects from the other.

So not all GC's are bad. I think the smaller ones are maybe more appreciative. And look for the ones doing high end work.
Sure not all GC's are terrible, but there are enough of the bad crowd to cause concern amongst painters.
The crowd seemingly grew larger after the housing market crashed...

I have met with a few that apparently watched their buddy get rich as a GC and assumed they would also, not realizing that 12 years as an office grunt does not a G.C. make.
Their credentials don't go much further than what they watched on HGTV, This Old House, and TLC's "Property Ladder".
 
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