? For House Painters OT

[55 Fargo]

Hi all ,been doing a lot of house painting lately for people I know, from work.

Now this is all interior painting, some straight painting, some with major wall and dry wall repairs.

I have been charging $10.00 an hour, but, it seems it turns out to be a lot of work for this knid of money.

I am thinking of taking on some painting for stangers/customers.

I am wondering if anyone does the same, or what may be the going rate for house painting in your locale, done by guys on the side, or small 1 or 2 man outfits.

I am not bellyachng, just want to know what to charge guys and still be reasonable.

Last week I went and painted 1 bedroom at a colleaques home, 10 X 14 ft, no patching straight 2 coats of latex, no priming. I also did aome wall repairs in another room, I was there 4 hours or so, got $60.00, but he lives quite a ways away, from me, and I ended up burning $25 for gas.

So any ideas would be appreciated......Yhanx Fred

[RobertKB]

I did my daughter's mother-in-law's basement suite. Many rooms and a lot of repair work. I charged her $15/hr and she thought it very reasonable. I put over 80 hours into that project. What a dump to start with but it turned out very nicely. She wants me back to do the painting upstairs but I said there has to be some major drywall repair (water damage) done first by a professional before I do more painting.

$10/hr is way too cheap and if you have to travel any distance you need to be charging mileage. Try to get a painter out to your place in the country and see if they don't charge for mileage. I know most places charge more than I do but although I feel the painting is as good as a professional, I am a bit slower but I think my job is very thorough and well done as I am kind of a perfectionist. Charge more because it is your time and it has to be worth your while.

[Dennis Hemingway]

Our son charges $18. an hour and up, depending on the job. He has 3 guys working for him and he is keeping them working. They do painting, yard clean up, sprinkler repair, and landscaping. He is in the Las Vegas, Nv. area.

Dennis:cool:

[Olddaddy]

My wife would like you to come and paint our house starting this weekend....we will provide you a room and meals and a ride to the Disney parks while you are here..........Seriously, pricing is a local thing, what the market will bear. I painted a Condo a couple weeks ago while I was off work.....four rooms total, walls only, no trim or doors, $200 for a day's work.

Edited May 19, 2009 by Olddaddy
spelling

[Olddaddy]

My wife would like you to come and paint our house starting this weekend....we will provide you a room and meals and a ride to the Disney parks while you are here..........Seriously, pricing is a local thing, what the market will bare. I painted a Condo a couple weeks ago while I was off work.....four rooms total, walls only, no trim or doors, $200 for a day's work.

[T120]

Hi Fred,If you and your family are interested in seeing the attractions of southwestern Alberta and you are willing to paint (house interior) while you're out here - PM me . I'm interested. Ralph

[Oldguy48]

I wouldn't do that sort of work for less than $25 per hour. And I would charge mileage if it was over 10 miles. Painting isn't easy work, and especially if you provide the ladders, brushes, rollers, drop cloths, etc., that price isn't unreasonable. I hope you didn't supply the paint for your price. Don't underestimate the value of your time.

[55 Fargo]

Okay guys, will travel on demand, Charlie, will be in Orlando next March, but quite sure Wife and kids will not allow me to paint even for 1 day, but will visit you if you like.

I can see it's time to charge a little more, don't do this every day off, but will be doing some paint jobs monthly.

I do supply all equipment, drop sheets, have my own ladders, roller,brushes extension, drywall knives, stipple machine etc, I also hang doors, install baseboards/casings, have equipment for this too. I have been letting the customer, buy paint and masking tape. Incidentally have used Behr, Benjamin Morre, and CILs high end interiior latex, I usually like the BM the best, but CIL make a ral decent higher end product, fantastic coverage...........Fred

[55 Fargo]

Wish you guys lived near me!! Around here a professional painter gets about $75 to $100 per room and up for an average sized room. My next door neighbor use to be a painting contractor until the late 90's. He got out of the contracting business though and now works as a painter for the city.

About 2 years ago my Oldest Sister paid, $300, for 1 bedroom ceiling, and complete bathroom, that was just labor, another $75 for paint and supplies

[dezeldoc]

Your labor should be the base and anything extra is on top of that, paint,brushes, rollers and so on.

[55 Fargo]

Today finished a guy from works paint job, 1 huge mstr bdrm, 14 X 18, 2 windows, 3 -2 ft 8 doors to cut around, and 1 office room, 10X13 ft, 1 huge picture window, 2- 2ft 8 doors, 2- 2X4ft windows, to cut around.

This house is a huge beautiful 2 YO home, charged him $150.00, he lives 20 miles from me, so 80 miles of driving, he supplied paint, tape, and rollers. Nice people, but very meticulous, house is immaculate.....

[P15Mike]

Painting is one of those things that seem easy till you do it . We did some renovation in the basement of our old house about 3ys years ago . It was about 800 sq ft and i promiss you i'll never do anything more than maybe a 10 x 10 room again .... or i'll by a sprayer or hire someone .....

Mike

[TJM70's_48]

My suggestion is $35 an hour, but, you need to know your capabilities - in order to give a fair value to the customer, you should be able to work at a reasonable speed. Typical rooms like a 20 x 20 size, should cost around - $200 - $300 (around here at least) each to paint...which works out to be around 4 to 5 hours from prep to cleanup. If you know it will take you 8 hours to paint a room of a certain size, but a more experienced painter could do it in 5 or 6, adjust the hourly rate accordingly to be competetive.

When you provide the esitmate, gauge the cost of fuel and do the fuel charge as a flat number...

Labor (expressed as a total number based on measurements)

Fuel charge = flat number to be fair instead of mileage

Materials charge = $5 or so to cover materials like tape, disposable materials

Paint = customer provides or at cost plus delivery charge (buy it from Sherwin Williams and you can get a pro discount after you talk to the manager = you can mark it up to retail for the client).

I've done a lot of painting over the years and this is the basic forumula I use. But, I paint fast and accurately so I charge a slightly higher hourly rate.

As for exterior, to do a good job on a small / medium wood sided house...at least $3000. There's an outfit advertising a whole exterior for $1200...probably a spray job...but I'd question the quality...for what it's worth. Not too many people opting for paint any more - plastic wrap siding is pretty popular.

Edited May 20, 2009 by TJM70's_48

[Plymouthy Adams]

between yesterday and this evening I painted the first finished section of the remodel..wife now has a very nice closet with white ceiling and adobe white walls..put the flooring in next..good to see some of it coming together..it's a big big project

[PatS....]

I think a rock bottom minimum for just your time would be $21/hr. If you are supplying the tools and such, add another $1.50/hr for the whole job.

If you have to travel more than 10k, 50 cents a k.

If you have to move furniture, add $1.50/hr forthe whole job.

If I were doing that, I would never supply the paint. If you get stiffed, you are stuck with a bunch of paint and lose what you paid. Also, if you have it tinted and it's not quite the right shade, you have to absorb that loss and you don't charge enough to do that.

Let the customer supply the paint.

I did painting as a kid and I learned that moving the furniture can be a source of complaints...you broke this and gouged that. I got so I turned down those jobs...empty suites and houses only. Nobody looking over your shoulder, either

Got lots of work through management companies back then.

Good luck, hope you make a ton O' cash!!!!!

[Bingster]

I do paint for a living and $10 an hour is giving your work away unless you are a very bad painter. That does make a difference, you know, your experience. I've painted in Beverly Hills houses and now I am in Iowa, and locale also makes a difference. For one thing, people's tastes in the Midwest here are not as sophisticated as those in Los Angeles, for example. What I mean by that is that I have gotten a lot of "Well, we used to paint our house ourselves but just wanted to see what it would cost . . . "

You are either going to have a clientele who will hire you because you are cheap or because you are good. Just don't be good and cheap!

I started around here at $15.00 an hour and could not survive. I raised it to $20.00 and still struggled. I now charge $30.00 an hour for basic painting and $45 an hour for sheet rock and plaster work, also for carpentry. That is about what the market will bear here, and most of my work is word of mouth.

Unless you are a very good painter and live in an upscale area, $35.00 may be a bit high but if you can get it . . . I find that beyond a certain point a lot of folks don't care about super high quality, especially if they are comparing your prices to their painting their house for free. You know what I mean? Let me clarify that. My worse work is many painter's best, and a lot of folks think those other guys are fine. I'm not saying this to boast or anything, but I have gone through the whole psyhcology of painting and this is what I've come up with.

What I often do is charge labor and then charge paint and materials to their account at the local Hardware Hank, for example. The store is happy to have the business, and will set up a temporary account for the client if they don't already have one at the store. This way, you don't have to worry if you under bid on the paint and materials.

On the other hand, I have been providing materials and marking them up as contractors do. This way you make a little dough on the paint as well. It can backfire if you are not experienced at bidding correctly, and even after a lot of years I eat a job here and there.

Have all your tools - pole, ladders, brushes, etc. - and charge for roller covers, disposable paint trays, sand paper, etc. They add up. Buy good quality brushes. Purdy is a good reputable pro brand. It makes such a difference to use good tools.

I think that paint store paint is over priced. Sherwin Williams, etc. Val Spar, for example, makes Hardware Hank paint and they have been in business for decades. They have two lines: the Hank line and the Val Spar line. For most people, the Hank line is fine.

Tru Value paint is crap. It runs like a runny nose. You cut in on a ceiling line and you have to go back and smooth out the drips. A good paint will cover and stay put. I find that most interior jobs need a primer coat and a top coat. Unless you are very good, this one coat stuff just doesn't cut it. Have the store tint your primer the same color as the topcoat. Good stores will happily do it and not charge you. Some colors with too much tint will not allow the full formula to be put into the primer can. Have them put in as much as they can, usually three ounces at least.

Always use 3M blue easy-off masking tape and avoid problems.

Beyond that, if you have any questions let me know.

By the way, get half the bid up front and half when done. If it's a large job you might put into your "contract" another bump half way into the job. If you live in an area that rains frequently or has high humidity and you do outside work, be advised that a simple job can string you out weeks trying to dodge storms.

[55 Fargo]

I do paint for a living and $10 an hour is giving your work away unless you are a very bad painter. That does make a difference, you know, your experience. I've painted in Beverly Hills houses and now I am in Iowa, and locale also makes a difference. For one thing, people's tastes in the Midwest here are not as sophisticated as those in Los Angeles, for example. What I mean by that is that I have gotten a lot of "Well, we used to paint our house ourselves but just wanted to see what it would cost . . . "

You are either going to have a clientele who will hire you because you are cheap or because you are good. Just don't be good and cheap!

I started around here at $15.00 an hour and could not survive. I raised it to $20.00 and still struggled. I now charge $30.00 an hour for basic painting and $45 an hour for sheet rock and plaster work, also for carpentry. That is about what the market will bear here, and most of my work is word of mouth.

Unless you are a very good painter and live in an upscale area, $35.00 may be a bit high but if you can get it . . . I find that beyond a certain point a lot of folks don't care about super high quality, especially if they are comparing your prices to their painting their house for free. You know what I mean? Let me clarify that. My worse work is many painter's best, and a lot of folks think those other guys are fine. I'm not saying this to boast or anything, but I have gone through the whole psyhcology of painting and this is what I've come up with.

What I often do is charge labor and then charge paint and materials to their account at the local Hardware Hank, for example. The store is happy to have the business, and will set up a temporary account for the client if they don't already have one at the store. This way, you don't have to worry if you under bid on the paint and materials.

On the other hand, I have been providing materials and marking them up as contractors do. This way you make a little dough on the paint as well. It can backfire if you are not experienced at bidding correctly, and even after a lot of years I eat a job here and there.

Have all your tools - pole, ladders, brushes, etc. - and charge for roller covers, disposable paint trays, sand paper, etc. They add up. Buy good quality brushes. Purdy is a good reputable pro brand. It makes such a difference to use good tools.

I think that paint store paint is over priced. Sherwin Williams, etc. Val Spar, for example, makes Hardware Hank paint and they have been in business for decades. They have two lines: the Hank line and the Val Spar line. For most people, the Hank line is fine.

Tru Value paint is crap. It runs like a runny nose. You cut in on a ceiling line and you have to go back and smooth out the drips. A good paint will cover and stay put. I find that most interior jobs need a primer coat and a top coat. Unless you are very good, this one coat stuff just doesn't cut it. Have the store tint your primer the same color as the topcoat. Good stores will happily do it and not charge you. Some colors with too much tint will not allow the full formula to be put into the primer can. Have them put in as much as they can, usually three ounces at least.

Always use 3M blue easy-off masking tape and avoid problems.

Beyond that, if you have any questions let me know.

By the way, get half the bid up front and half when done. If it's a large job you might put into your "contract" another bump half way into the job. If you live in an area that rains frequently or has high humidity and you do outside work, be advised that a simple job can string you out weeks trying to dodge storms.

Thanx Bingster, I did a lot of painting in the past, for a couple of paint contractors, so my skilss a re decent, not 100% but 85 to 90 %.

I am fairly quick too. I did these 2 rooms a little on the slower side, as this was a new fancy home, an chose to tape off the base and casings, plus I was only chaging $10.00 anhour. I would normally think these 2 rooms would have been an 8 hour job.

I am going to charge or factor $20.00 epr hour for future jobs, plus fuel charges if necessary.

This is still reasonable. I spoke to a few guys around my area tonight, 1 says they charge $40.00 per hour, the other says 90 cents a square foot, and they supply paint, seriour wll repairs are all extra bucks, as you and I both know, they can take time to do, well the drying times have to be considered.

I use or recommend to people to buy/use, Behr paints, or Benjamin Moore, or Pratt and Lambert.

I use both Purdy, and Baker, Sims brushes. I have my own equipment,although I could use more items.

I agree with the primer stuff, did a big job in March, ther bathroom was Cranberry Red, took 4 coats, because I did not primer . tinted primer works great...

I just want to do a little casual paint jobs, nothing full time, I agree with the chareg rate, if I asked 30 to 35 an hour most people would balk, abut 15 to 20 per hour would make most people happy, The Winnipeg area is full of cheapos...........

[PatS....]

Pat' date=' here in the US, our Uncle Sam allows us 55 cents per mile as a tax deduction for business travel. That nickle per mile adds up.[/quote']

We are on kilometers up here Norm...you know...the metric system? I hate it but after 25+ yrs of it crammed down our throats I mostly get it.

The deduction here the last time I looked was 35 cents a k, so that's why I said 50 cents.

It's going to vary by location and by job, but it's a sterting point I think.

[PatS....]

The Winnipeg area is full of cheapos...........

Fred, you should be here. Cheapo's is putting it politely!!!

Some friends have a "cottage" in Matlock and are looking to have paint done so I'll pass along your email.

They aren't cheap but they are on a fixed income.

[james curl]

We are paying $20.00 an hour to have two walls on the outside striped and sanded and I will paint because the man and his family are going home to Brazil in June, otherwise he would do the painting. He only works part time and I feed him at least one meal a day. He and his family are like a members of our family now, I sometimes think he lives here. That is mostly grunt work, not skilled like painting, so at $10.00 an hour you are giving your labor away. I was quoted any where from $20,000 to $35,000 to paint the outside of my house in two colors and that was just sanding the bad places because I would not allow anyone to water blast my house. The house was built in 1921 and had only been painted twice after it was built.