# Trouble with a new construction painting estimate



## PainterChic (Nov 26, 2008)

Does $11,600 for a new construction house, approximately 3800 sq ft with basic trim seem reasonable to you? (10 rms)
(With materials included)

My father who is also a painter told me you should charge 4% of the value of the house to paint it. That seems REALLY high to me.
He said he recently painted a 7-8 bedroom interior house for $100,000! It amazes me he makes those kinds of bids and gets the work.

I really need work for the winter... but don't want to go too low either.
What do you guys think?


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## rbsremodeling (Nov 12, 2007)

Spot on, dead accurate. Have no fear those numbers are good:thumbsup:


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## woodmagman (Feb 17, 2007)

PainterChic said:


> Does $11,600 for a new construction house, approximately 3800 sq ft with basic trim seem reasonable to you? (10 rms)
> (With materials included)
> 
> My father who is also a painter told me you should charge 4% of the value of the house to paint it. That seems REALLY high to me.
> ...


As a point of interest what would you charge for a repaint of a empty existing home based on the exact criteria.


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## THINKPAINTING (Feb 24, 2007)

PainterChic said:


> Does $11,600 for a new construction house, approximately 3800 sq ft with basic trim seem reasonable to you? (10 rms)
> (With materials included)
> 
> My father who is also a painter told me you should charge 4% of the value of the house to paint it. That seems REALLY high to me.
> ...


Basic trim? How many colors, travel involved, GC pay his bills.

Is the house going to be empty of other trades during painting, nothing like a cluster f........k to slow down production.....

Would I do it for that price , depends on a few factors, get your feet wet and track your production for next ones. nothing new being built in my neighboorhood.....good luck


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## Workaholic (Feb 3, 2007)

This is Interior only, with a few metal doors to paint and vinyl windows right? If so then....
I would do it, if i could get in and out and there was not any real hassles like the cluster f...


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## premierpainter (Dec 29, 2006)

4% of a house's total worth? I am working on a $2.8 mil. house now....that would be $112k to paint. I think that wisdom will allow you a lot of time to catch up on mid-day tv. We are painting that house for $27,500. I would think about your estimates and time it takes, not on the value of the house.


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## NAV (Sep 5, 2008)

I have a builder friend that pays $1.75 per floor square foot and supplies the material (back in 2005 dont know the price now)

it included: full prime, paint walls, ceilings & closets. stain and polly trim.

he also expected high quality, not like most new construction I see where the painter went in at $0.59 per wall sf and I still don't know what those low ballers are charging for trim.


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## slickshift (Jun 14, 2005)

NAV said:


> ...builder
> ...in 2005


Each totally different animals my friend

PC: No way to tell from here
Real time actualities get in the way
Have to eyeball it (or way more info) and have your production #s and hourly costs available


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## Dorman Painting (May 2, 2006)

premierpainter said:


> 4% of a house's total worth? I am working on a $2.8 mil. house now....that would be $112k to paint. I think that wisdom will allow you a lot of time to catch up on mid-day tv. We are painting that house for $27,500. I would think about your estimates and time it takes, not on the value of the house.


Actually your quote sounds low to me, if it's a three million dollar home I would think the painting would be at least 50 grand. 

Here's the problem with new construction from my point of view, you bid the job for 27,500 and by the time you and your crew walk out, you'll be thinking you should've bid it at 50 grand. That happens to me almost every time, but the other side of that coin is sitting at home and not making a penny. What absolutely kills a painter in new work, especially high end new work, is the damn prep time. When you go through ten to fifteen boxes of caulk, you know it's ridiculous.


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## WisePainter (Sep 16, 2008)

Dorman Painting said:


> Actually your quote sounds low to me, if it's a three million dollar home I would think the painting would be at least 50 grand.
> 
> Here's the problem with new construction from my point of view, you bid the job for 27,500 and by the time you and your crew walk out, you'll be thinking you should've bid it at 50 grand. That happens to me almost every time, but the other side of that coin is sitting at home and not making a penny. What absolutely kills a painter in new work, especially high end new work, is the damn prep time. When you go through ten to fifteen boxes of caulk, you know it's ridiculous.


_*Very wise words indeed!!!*_


I am on a huge job at the moment and every day I kick myself for not charging more, however I am working while droves of painters are "browsing" the Sherwin Williams waiting to ask if I am hiring.


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## Dmax Consulting (Jul 22, 2008)

$11k sounds a little low. It depends on the type of house thats being painted. If you are doing a basic "starter" home with builder grade products and a common color, your price is probably pretty good. If you are doing a more upscale home with faux finishes, top quality paints, and a lot of color schemes, you should probably be charging $25-$30. Remember that there are a lot of painters out of work that are offering super low prices just to keep their crews busy.


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## blackstone (Nov 30, 2008)

Hi... I don't know where you are, but that price actually seems LOW...

Try $4/ sq/ft @ 3800 = $15200

For higher end including doors and trim try $5


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## NAV (Sep 5, 2008)

Slickshift, I don't understand, what is different between a builder and new construction?

if you are painting a new construction house aren't you usually working for the builder. i don't know many people that hire their own contractors on new construction residential work.


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## HowWeRoll (Sep 2, 2008)

blackstone said:


> Hi... I don't know where you are, but that price actually seems LOW...
> 
> Try $4/ sq/ft @ 3800 = $15200
> 
> For higher end including doors and trim try $5


Man, you live in Whistler. This isn't far from North / West Van / Lions and Horseshoe bay. MAYBE if you`re "Lucky" someone would pay that up there... but it's highly doubtful.

For 15200 on a 3800 SQ House, you better be painting everything....


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## blackstone (Nov 30, 2008)

HowWeRoll said:


> Man, you live in Whistler. This isn't far from North / West Van / Lions and Horseshoe bay. MAYBE if you`re "Lucky" someone would pay that up there... but it's highly doubtful.
> 
> For 15200 on a 3800 SQ House, you better be painting everything....


 ...everything


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## BiggersJunior (Dec 12, 2007)

I am curious about the responses for the bid being low, high, or just right. How many total man hours will the 3,800sf job take? And what would be the ballpark cost of materials? I assume this job, being new construction, would be sprayed for the most part? Or rolled? This paint business is interesting, and confusing at the same time with prices being all over the board! I know economies are different within the USA, but this is a big price spread for painting the same new house. 

Your dad quoting 4% of the value of the home isn't typical. If it takes him 2 months to paint the house, does his price to paint actually decrease due to decreasing values in many areas? :laughing:


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## premierpainter (Dec 29, 2006)

Dorman Painting said:


> Actually your quote sounds low to me, if it's a three million dollar home I would think the painting would be at least 50 grand.
> 
> Here's the problem with new construction from my point of view, you bid the job for 27,500 and by the time you and your crew walk out, you'll be thinking you should've bid it at 50 grand. That happens to me almost every time, but the other side of that coin is sitting at home and not making a penny. What absolutely kills a painter in new work, especially high end new work, is the damn prep time. When you go through ten to fifteen boxes of caulk, you know it's ridiculous.


Yep. Every day we are there I think, man I should have charged more. The price tag for the house is high. It is in an area that is very expensive to live. Pick up the house and move it 5 miles and the price would be a little more than half. $50k would not fly...but I wish.


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## waynec (Feb 17, 2009)

I paint mainly new construction high end homes. I don't know how anyone can price by the sf. One room can have 5 piece crown, 20 windows but only be 500sf while another room 500sf has no crown and 3 windows. I don't get it. I have been in business for over 20 years and we currently paint about 40 to 50 homes a year. I have created an estimate sheet that works for me that lists all items in a home from windows, doors, door casings, crown, walls etc. you get the point. I just count everything up either in person or off a blueprint. I have a time frame for each item in example: a window an hour and a quarter x 5 windows = 6.25hrs. Its done for each category and all items are then added getting your total hrs.. I then multiply this figure by an hourly rate, figure in operational costs and materials and thats that.


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## bwalley (Jan 7, 2009)

PainterChic said:


> Does $11,600 for a new construction house, approximately 3800 sq ft with basic trim seem reasonable to you? (10 rms)
> (With materials included)
> 
> My father who is also a painter told me you should charge 4% of the value of the house to paint it. That seems REALLY high to me.
> ...


If you are really a Painter chic, I need to see some photos of you first before I can give you my professional opinion.

4% of the value doesn't sound like a good way to bid, but if it works for him and he gets $100,000 to paint a house, ask him.


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## DRC (Dec 4, 2008)

I'm with biggers an wayne on this. How long is it going to take. If they really want a sqft # then figure it the right way then divide it back.


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