# Wall Square footage or Floor Square footage



## rorvi360 (Oct 13, 2006)

Yeah yeah yeah, another bidding question, please read on. I am en experienced painter, but an unexperienced bidder.

When bidding interior jobs (MN, 2 coats, just walls, no ceilings) I have done it two ways. Around $.50 per sq. ft. wall area, and around $1.25 per square foot floor sq. ft. floor area. The former seems to moderate the price of small and large rooms. Where the latter seems to inflate the price of large rooms and deflate the price of bathrooms, small rooms, etc.

We are all painters whether the price secret is let out of the bag or not, and I will achive a resonable rate sooner or later anyway, so if you have any input on the rates themselves (too high, too low) feel free to add.


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## ProWallGuy (Oct 17, 2003)

I have no idea if your rates are too high or low. I don't bid by the square foot, whether it be footprint or surface area.


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## Brushslingers (Jul 28, 2006)

Well, that's why I bid square foot not footage. If you are in a moderate town that price is fairly standard on the east coast, plus trim, plus doors, etc etc. Little more per square for ceilings.... and second coats. I couldn't teach someone in a day how to bid per square much less a message board.... so many options, but basically I bid per square, half the amount for second coat, 100 per opening... though if its only cased and the door has already been coated it's 50 an opening. Trim is double that plus.. 1.25 per linear. Hope that helps.


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## Joasis (Mar 28, 2006)

matters not, but I pay $1.50 per sq/ft to have a basic spec taped, textured, and primed. That is materials included....


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## sgrprince (Aug 4, 2006)

I'm in Fargo, ND just starting out, but I think $.50 sq/ft for 2 coats isn't going to make you much money. I think something like $.75 sq/ft for 2 coats is more reasonable, and to break that down per coat, maybe $.45 for the first coat and $.30 for each additional coat. This depends on what you're painting though too. Right now we're painting a rental where the carpet is being ripped out and everything is going one color, where we're not getting $.75 a square foot, but we're still making decent money.

Prices for multiple coats really depend though, because on a huge empty wall, it takes about as much time for the 2nd coat as the first coat, especially if it's going to take a full day for each coat anyway so it's not really adding an extra trip. In that case I think the charge for a second coat should be not much less than the charge for the first. On the other hand, if you're spraying small rooms, the masking is going to be a large part of your labor and the second coat should be cheaper and easier because you're just going in with the sprayer again.


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## lmcgrew79 (Apr 25, 2005)

Unless your painting the the floors dont bid floor sq footages. It may work as a quicker bid or on cookie cutter homes but check this out
1 room 100x100 10 ft ceilings is 4000 sq ft of wallspace 
2 rooms in same 100x100 area 6000 sq ft of wall space 
3 rooms in same 100x100 area 7000 sq ft of wall space 
4 rooms in same 100x100 area 8000 sq ft of wall space 
5 rooms in same 100x100 area 8998 sq ft of wall space
6 rooms in same 100x100 area 9996 sq ft of wall space
8 rooms in same 100x100 area 12000 sq ft of wall space
10 rooms in same 100x100 area 14000 sq ft of wall space
12 rooms in same 100x100 area 15984 sq ft of wall space 
get my drift.

Point is you could either be undercutting yourself or overbidding and not land much work. Alot of variations we always do sqft of what we are painting.


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## Brushslingers (Jul 28, 2006)

joasis said:


> matters not, but I pay $1.50 per sq/ft to have a basic spec taped, textured, and primed. That is materials included....



48.00 dollars a board? Thats a good price if they are hanging too, hell if you are paying that for JUST tape, texture and prime and not hang.. i'll move to where you are. :whistling 

32 square per board..... I only charge 28 for hang and finish level two for texture, prime with no windows would be minimal....

Opps, wrong forum... sorry.


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## Danahy (Oct 17, 2006)

I estimate by using room averages, slowly increasing year after year. On my way I have a ballpark range and when I see the room, I look for the difference of my average.... Suppose it's my tech version of my fathers old magic eye.


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## Traditions (Aug 22, 2006)

I charge for square foot of floor space. Around 2.45 whole house materials included. Everyone here does by floor sq footage. Stupid in my opinion. I have tried to figure wall space and can't come up witha good figure. If i tried .50. Would that include materials.


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## slickshift (Jun 14, 2005)

Sorry, I only figure out wall square footage to double check how much paint I'm going to buy

There are way too many variables possible for me to give a price based on sq. ft.


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## Traditions (Aug 22, 2006)

i'm with you. However, all contractors around here are used to it. they always ask how much per sq. ft. Its hard to convince them of anything else.


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## MakDeco (Jan 17, 2007)

Wouldn't take longer to figure out wall square ft? Easy to figure floor square ft. After 14 yrs I usually say this room will take me x amount of time I and go from there. If a room is say 7 hrs I round it to the full day. Baths 1/2 day etc. All tho it depends on colors, how much stuff I have to move, etc etc etc. I do mostly re paints in home 5 - 10 yrs old. I try to get 40$ an hour plus expenses.


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## PlainPainter (Dec 29, 2004)

What do you consider expenses? Does this include liability, repairing breakes, buying extension ladders? Or is this just like gas and brushes please detail your response - as I am trying to figure my hourly rate as well.


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## Joewho (Sep 20, 2006)

Traditions said:


> i'm with you. However, all contractors around here are used to it. they always ask how much per sq. ft. Its hard to convince them of anything else.


All the contractors are looking at their numbers and already know what the last guy charged and what was done to get it. Sq. footage is what they use to figure their jobs. For them it gets easier as time goes by because they can just look at what a guy charged them and divide the sq. footage.

I've asked builders in the past what my rates are based on sq. footage. because I bid by looking at the job, not sq. footage.


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## MakDeco (Jan 17, 2007)

Expenses i would say are any materials specific to that job, that includes travel expenses.

Things like Ladders, insurance etc.. are split over many jobs / years how do others figure those?


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