How to bid a paint job?
AAA Painting
could tell me the best way to give someone a bid on a residential paint
job? Is there some kind of formula for figuring what to charge? Should I
have my customer sign anything before I do the work? Should I expect
payment before or after doing the job? Any help would be appreciated.
AAA Painting Co.
(719) 635-7802
Colorado Springs, CO
Mike0264
>Jim
>aaapa...@webtv.net
I didn't write this but it may aswer some questions:
>I am new to the paint industry
First, if I can ask a couple of questions:
1. How new to this are you?
2. What kind of products do you have experience with?
3. Have you ever owned a service-based business before?
4. Have you already researched the local laws concerning this
particular service industry?
If you answered 'No' to any of these questions, or, 'less than a year'
to the first, don't even bother. There are thousands of honest
Painters out there scratching for a living precisely because there are
too many amatuers and con-men working their trade.
However, if you're serious about this, and have the tools, time, and
experience needed to make this work there is much more you need to
know other than how much to charge.
First and foremost is insurance.
Workers Comp, although expensive is a necessity for every
business, not only for the larger contractors who can justify the
money spent with large Commercial contracts. It is necessary to
protect yourself, AND your employees from painful injuries and
lawsuits. i.e. the fastest way to go OUT of business is to not be
ready FOR business.
BTW, Workers Comp runs about 1,600 for 2 employees for 6 mo.
Business liability is also improtant. Imagine the office
you've just rolled out happened to have some ancient carpet, and one
little spot got on that ancient carpet. Now, by law, you have to
replace that carpet if the owner wants you to. You will have to pay
the full, original ammount for the carpet, plus the installation, plus
a hefty squeeze that contractor pulled out of your client. IMHO, at
about $300-$600 for six months, Business Liability is worth the
expense.
Second is Credit.
Credit, although very hard to come by in the painting
profession, is an invaluable tool. Money for material, IMHO should
never be asked for in advance of actually starting a job and it's here
that credit can save your neck. Asking for advances actually marks
you as a con-man, and most home-owners will watch you much more
carefully if you ever deign to ask for money before the job is
finished.
A way around this is to either use a credit card, either
secured or unsecured, or, even better, and much, much cheaper, is to
work out an arrangement with local paint distributors.
Some of the easiest are:
Kelly-Moore (South-western region) Very good, Cheap
Duron (South-eastern region) Good Semi-gloss, VERY Cheap
Lucas (Western, North-western region) Middle of the road
Sherwin-Williams (National) Although expensive, and a little
harder to get credit I would recommend using SW products (except oils)
whenever possible. Their marketing strategy has made consumers trust
their name, dispite the quality of their paints.
Professional Appearance, and Attitude.
Always, and I do mean always, wear white. Painters pants, at
$13 per pair, are well worth the money. There is no better way to
lose a job than to show up looking like you just crawled out of the
bar.
Safety with tools and Accesories.
If you've worked in the trades, I don't need to tell you about
how important it is to be safe on the job. But to take it one step
further, I'd like to say just one thing. Don't buy ladders you can't
trust to last more than two days under normal conditions. For the
money, if a little heavier, yellow tipped ladders are the best
mid-range (Type III), blue tip for larger jobs (Type II). I'm not
kidding when I say that OSHA frowns on those who don't follow the
rules. And yes, the DO show up on small jobs every once in a while.
In my 10 years at this, I've only had to see them four times, and have
NEVER walked away with a fine. However, I don't consider $10,000 to
be trivial either.
BTW, the Werner Tri-fold ladders are a really good buy at about $120
a piece for interior work.
In a Shop, or Out of the Garage.
An Office/Shop only has one advantage over working out of your
garage. It shows that you are established. That's it, and at $600
and up per month, it's hardly worth it. However, if you're doing well
(approx. 3 inter. per week) that comes to a lot of paint you'll end up
storing. Make sure you have the room for it.
There is, of course, storage space rental at $50 per month. The
only drawback I can see with this is no early morning or late night
retrievals.
Transportation, and where to put everything.
I, like many other painters, are a big fan of the Econoline.
Yes, a huge van you can put just about anything in, or on top of.
Although hard on gas, and on the original purchase price, the space,
and advertising is worth the money.
One thing. avoid magnetic signs.
Calculating your costs:
With everything taken into account, you're spending around eight
hundred dollars a month just to operate your business. This, like
everything else has to come out of your pocket. Be sure to allow for
your bills in your bid before you end up short at the end of the
month. i.e. you have to make at least $27 a day. Not much, eh?
Working with help:
Help, like everything else, is a nuisence. You can probably figure
on 4 out of 5 employees being damn near worthless. Avoid hiring help
until you are doing too much to handle it by yourself. To put it
blunty, payroll costs in more ways than one.
What your bid should look like:
Explain what you are going to do, what you are not going to do, what
you are responsible for, what you are NOT responsible for, and PLEASE
don't sign ANYTHING that has been tampered with by the owner. I've
seen too many people get taken. Be careful, not everyone is as nice
as you are.
Billing:
Standard rates vary around the country. In California a painter
will get somewhere between $2.85 per square to $3.40 per square
(approx.), and in NC (where I live) you might get $1.20 per square.
However, it's not only you you're selling, it's your expertise, and
end service. Good people get paid good money. The less you act,
look, and react like a beaten puppy or a good for nothing hoodlum the
more you will get for your time.
I would suggest charging at or about $30 per hour for the services
of one painter, $22 per hour for a helper.
If you can't estimate the ammount of hours it will take, try a
bidding scale such as this:
Walls: $1.60 per square
Walls/Ceiling: $1.90
Color Change (Difference of Color between walls and Ceiling): $50
Trim: $.45 per square
Cabinets: $8.00 per square
What your bill should look like:
List all materials at regulare consumer price
List all labor at a standardized wage
List all extra expenses particular to that job
List the Sub-total ammount
Add state sales tax (required if you charge unit price for materials)
List Total
>and am interested in painting interiors of
>homes, offices, etc.
To be truthful, there is little money in inside work. If you want to
make money, and quickly, do outsides. The expense of getting started
is more, but the rewards also are greater. In my area the average
price for an outside is around $4000 and an aver. for an inter. is
$1200. Quite a difference eh?
Mak
20% it doesn't make you look like a con, especially if you receive that
deposit on the 1st day of work. A deposit shows that the customer is serious
about you doing the work and more then likely will pay you the remainder.
Sure would hate for you to do a job for week or two and then Bingo no money
well now your out two weeks of time and you bought 400$ of materials lets
say.
Deposit can work if they are done and asked for with class.
Mark
Mak Deco
Mike0264 wrote in message <19990204012821...@ng-fb1.aol.com>...