For the average homeowner, hiring a painter can be scary for many reasons, not the least of which can be the pricing component. This article isn’t simply a “spend more money to get a better job” argument, although this is usually true. I would advise strongly against blindly hiring the highest price as well! This conversation is not unusual in our line of work:
Me: “Here is the total price for the project…” Them: “Ok, that’s more than I thought it would be. I thought it would be _x__” Me: “I see, may I ask how you came up with your number?” Them: “I don’t know, I just hoped it would be less…”
Often the number in our head is made up mostly out of feelings and guesses. Or worse yet, they are remembering their Uncle’s neighbor’s best friend who got their bedroom painted for $75 in 1987. :-)This is when we carefully explain all the details that go into our pricing model. From square and linear footage, repairs, preparation time, furniture manipulation, painting production, and then clean-up time, the average customer doesn’t always consider all the factors that go into the price of a project. For those who would like an explanation, we always take the time to clearly explain how we arrived at our stated pricing. We have decades of experience to back up every price we give, which makes us feel good about the data we have to ensure our pricing is always accurate.
It is also not unusual for different painter’s pricing to be widely varied. Here are a few tips to consider when pricing a painting project.
1. Amount of Preparation:
● Ask how the prep work will be handled. Are they repairing minor drywall damage such as nail holes, stress cracks, nail pops, or texture issues, or are they just painting over these things?
● For inside walls, will they be cleaning them or sanding them down before painting?
● For outside surfaces, will they be pressure washed first?
● Will the gaps be caulked and the holes be puttied properly?
Most savvy homeowners know that properly prepared surfaces are the secret to a long-lasting paint job. Never let a cheaper painter skip proper prep!
1. How long will this take?
● Pricing is often based on time. The longer a project takes, the more expensive it
will be. Homeowners should be aware of how long the project will take.
● We did a project recently that ended up being a 4-day project for our crew. The
customer admitted that they had received another price from a painter who
worked alone. He had told them it would take 4 weeks. We were within $5 of
each other’s prices.
● This also explains why more intricate painting, such as cabinets or detailed trim
painting can often cost more than the customer would realize, simply because it
takes longer!
1. Specialty projects:
● Cabinet Painting: for specialty work such as cabinet painting, be very careful to
learn about the process and products being used. Many customers have been
very dissatisfied when their cabinet doors are peeling around the handles a few
years later, simply because they hired a cheaper painter to brush and roll paint
on them.
● Cabinets need a LOT of prep, including degreaser, sanding through the
polyurethane layer, and furniture grade primers and urethane-based coatings.
Our process includes a spray shop where the finishes are applied by a sprayer
for a factory-grade finish.
● Epoxy Floor Coatings: this is another specialty coating that not every contractor
that paints can properly perform. As with most professional finishes, the secret is
proper prep of the surface. Diamond grinders need to be used to properly profile
the concrete surface before pouring the epoxy. Epoxy also has very definite
curing times for mixing and pouring. Beware of the cheap painter who wants to
roll on an “epoxy” floor, throw some colored flake in it, and charge you thousands
of dollars.
1. Materials:
● If you are spending the money to hire a painter, you are expecting them to use
quality paints, right? You could hire the DaVinci of painters, but if he is applying
Walmart paint, the finish won’t look as good, or last as long as a high-quality
paint or stain.
● Do your research and demand that they use a top-rated paint for the surface.
NOT ALL PAINTS ARE CREATED EQUAL! There are enormous differences in
products, their chemical makeup, colorants, binding agents (adhesion), and film
hardness. All of this will decide if your coating will chip, peel, fade, or scratch too
easily.
If you are interviewing painters, and receive widely varied quotes for work, ask some questions.
There is often a glaring reason why. Someone is doing something the other one is not doing.
Ask clarifying questions, and get their answers in writing. At the end of the day, you need to hire
someone you like, know, and trust. If your gut is not sure about a contractor, trust it. Read
reviews. It’s a shame how many people hire a stranger without doing any research about their
company, their history, or their quality.
When I hire someone to work on my home, I want to be sure my money is being well spent. We
always get what we pay for. For my money, I like to invest in quality and longevity, as well as
friendliness and reputation
