# hourly pay rates...



## amcline (May 28, 2006)

I am curious to see the difference in pay rates on here,
such as what you think the average pay per hour is for a given position.

example:
here in central FL.
I feel:
8.-10. cheap help / gopher
10.-12. good helper.
12.-15. painter with a year or so exp
15.-18. painter with 5+ yrs exp
18.-25. painter self emp, with lic. tools and all.
30.-35. painting company man hour

now i have SEEN:
companies offering to hire at 10. her for a painter w/ 5+ yrs exp and truck/tools, 



looking for the painting feild preferably.


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## Steve Richards (Mar 7, 2006)

amcline said:


> 18.-25. painter self emp, with lic. tools and all.


18-25 = out of business shortly

50 min.


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## amcline (May 28, 2006)

Steve Richards said:


> 18-25 = out of business shortly
> 
> 50 min.


18-25 is for a painter working for a painting co. with car, lic, tools, and just occupational lic.

what state are you in anyway?


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## Steve Richards (Mar 7, 2006)

I guess I'm a little confused

A self employed painter working for a painting company=sub contractor 

so still...$50 per hour minimum

I'm in CO


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## amcline (May 28, 2006)

Steve Richards said:


> I guess I'm a little confused
> 
> A self employed painter working for a painting company=sub contractor
> 
> ...


wow i need to move to CO

is that the going rate? or just what you'ed charge?


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## Steve Richards (Mar 7, 2006)

Yes, all painters should move here. [/sarcasm]

Of course $50 isn't the going rate. This state like everywhere else is flooded with "painters" that have decided to be "in business".

Then they charge $25 an hour.

The clients they get tell all their friends about this painter who only charges $25 an hour, and they tell their friends. Pretty soon lots of people are wanting this $25 an hour painter...problem is, that $25 an hour painter isn't in business anymore.

He finally figured out that to pay for insurance, and vehicle maintenance, and a 401k, and having to wait sometimes to get paid, that he didn't have the resources to stay in business...so he folds.

Then here I am having to explain to his old customers that call me, how come I charge so much.


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## TooledUp (May 1, 2008)

Steve Richards said:


> Yes, all painters should move here. [/sarcasm]
> 
> Of course $50 isn't the going rate. This state like everywhere else is flooded with "painters" that have decided to be "in business".
> 
> ...


Yup, it's a big problem here in Scotland too. The problem is, as fast as one goes out of business, another has taken his place 

Fortunately I have enough loyal clients to keep me going and they're happy to recommend me to their freinds, and so do they - That keeps the ball rolling for me. I don't advertise (been in the business long enough not to have to) and my customers know I will do the job properly and give them an honest day's work for their money. 

I see painters start up and fold regularly because they just don't know how to price a job/what rates to charge. They think that if they charge a little more (or even the same) as they get from an employer then they're doing okay until, like you say, they realize there's a bit more to it than 'wages' to earn...


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## Steve Richards (Mar 7, 2006)

Hey, Tooledup..I know a guy on another board from Scotland. I wonder if you know him!:w00t:

Yes, being in business a long time, and having a large client base helps "fight off" the cheap painters.

..and I pretty much never work by the hour either. I used to...but got tired of having HO's watching the clock.


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## TooledUp (May 1, 2008)

Steve Richards said:


> Hey, Tooledup..I know a guy on another board from Scotland. I wonder if you know him!:w00t:
> 
> Yes, being in business a long time, and having a large client base helps "fight off" the cheap painters.
> 
> ..and I pretty much never work by the hour either. I used to...but got tired of having HO's watching the clock.


 b
I might know him - Might not. There's lot of us in this neck of the woods. What area of Scotland is he?

I try not to work by the hour too. I do it if there's a lot of 'unknowns' on the job - Wallpaper stripping is one job that I'll only do by the hour - You can guess that a room might take a day and quote them a day's pay for the job. When it comes to it, the paper might fall off easy and you're done in a couple of hours. The h/o is going to think you've ripped them off because you're done so fast. By the same token, you might still be chipping away at the paper 2 days later and you can't ask for any more. So an hourly rate seems to be the fairest way to go from both points of view.


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## Steve Richards (Mar 7, 2006)

I was only kidding about you knowing him...but who knows...

I agree about hourly for wallpaper stripping. Also for wall-prep afterwards. Hard to know what they decided to cover up.

Recently I did some paper removal where I'd already realized it had been applied directly over the drywall w/o primer. I KNEW it'd be a mess. So I told them $50 an hour for removal and prep. The lady says "then it could cost $200 to take the paper off?" I replied "Well I'm not sure how long it will take, that's why I need to do it by the hour."

Removal, oil primer, 2 skim coats, sand, prime...took 8 hours.

The lady says "$400...I though I heard you say it'd cost about $200??"

D'oh ...She was the ONLY one that ever mentioned $200!:w00t:


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## ChainsawCharlie (Jan 16, 2008)

Over here:


8.-10. Starting wage at McDonalds
10.-12. Crew leader at McDonalds
12.-15. Grocery store worker
15.-18. construction laborer
18.-25. Experienced construction worker
25.-35. Journeyman construction worker/finish carpenter
35+ foreman.


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## Steve Richards (Mar 7, 2006)

How much does laying in the shade drinking beer pay?

cuz I heard that's about all you Hawaiian people ever do.


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## ChainsawCharlie (Jan 16, 2008)

12 years ago, I was getting $426/week. (unemployment). That was my last government job. I miss it sometimes.


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## rockymountain (Feb 16, 2012)

ever hear a mechanic say " the book calls for - Hours @ - per hour" ? That's usually just the way it is. GOOD NEWS. There is a contractors book, called means residential cost averaging. Their prices per foot are not realistic as there sre always variables not accounted for. However there is a section in this book with hourly & daily rates for every trade you can imagine. When a potential client boks @ my rates, I have often simply used " the book calls for" and it works well. Your no longer looked at as a greedy contractor. And it's difficult for them to argue with black and white. I've even printed a copy of that page and taken to the bid meeting to shut them down. You'd be surprised, cimmon laborer= somewhere around 35.00 hr, skilled laborer = 40.00ish, & journeyman goes up from there. I'll show them the cover of the Means book, then give them a scanned copy of the labor rates page. They have taken the time to figure overhead, etc. Into acct. This works pretty well.


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## rockymountain (Feb 16, 2012)

:thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## SeasideCA (Jan 6, 2010)

*Calfornia*

California:

$25 per hour for a journeyman
the economy sucks out here.


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## SuperiorHIP (Aug 15, 2010)

Experienced painter that is capable of at least medium sized Sheetrock repairs that I can trust who has most of his own tools is $15-$20. I charge 30% less for him than I do for myself because I am a fair amount faster. I only have the one employee and have only had other help on a few other occasions.


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## mark DRP (Apr 19, 2011)

In Minnesota the wages are around the same.I think you should get payed what your worth.I know alot of painters I have paid $40.00 an hour and there worth every cent.Problem is everybody thinks they should get top wages.I have paid guys $25.00 hour who to fat to climb a latter.


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## yoohoo (Apr 29, 2012)

before the economy tanked I was easily getting $45/hr for myself....Now I count it a blessing to get $30.


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## summithomeinc (Jan 3, 2011)

yoohoo said:


> before the economy tanked I was easily getting $45/hr for myself....Now I count it a blessing to get $30.


You might be my competitor. That's cool. I'm friends with most of my competitors. How can you make a profit at 30/hr. Feel free to not answer..


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## Jaws (Dec 20, 2010)

The list in the first post is pretty accurate for around here.

I start laborers out at 12, anyone worth anything is worth 12. 

My top painter makes 18, if he would learn how to do anything but paint ( run a crew propely, make a list of sundries before they are needed, ask for more paint before they run out, better yet do a take off and call in the paint himself) I'd pay him more. He's a good painter and cabinet 
finisher. I pay my top carpenter a bit more. He can take care of the little chit and I don't have to baby sit him.

For the record, moat guys don't pay 18 an hour for a painter in this part of Texas. I don't know

any in fact. 26 is the most I've seen a carpenter foreman make here. Most supers I know make 
between 18 (low end) and 28. I made 22 as a commercial foreman and 45,000$ a year as a
commercial super.


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## Spaint90 (Dec 26, 2011)

I would go do something else if it got below $40/hr, not worth it. As it is i charge more than that as close as i will say.

For a good painter ill pay 18-24/hr


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## Jaws (Dec 20, 2010)

summithomeinc said:


> You might be my competitor. That's cool. I'm friends with most of my competitors. How can you make a profit at 30/hr. Feel free to not answer..



When I charge by the hour for my painters (not often) I charge 30 an hour. Not much profit after un billable hours, company vehicle maininance and gas, company tool maintenance and replacement. When I had 6 going, I made a little. 

I don't expect to make much off of them, I need them because the paint subs here can't provide the finished product I need on my remodels and customs.

I charge 32-35 an hour for carpenters , easier to justify for some reason.

45$ for PM. 

I do mostly cost plus, so I have a mark up on top of that.


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## summithomeinc (Jan 3, 2011)

I'm confused... Is this the prices paid or the prices charged to the customer? charged to the customer....at least 40/ hr.


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## Jaws (Dec 20, 2010)

summithomeinc said:


> I'm confused... Is this the prices paid or the prices charged to the customer? charged to the customer....at least 40/ hr.


:laughing: prices charged to HO. We are considered expensive here. We usually bid things, though. Meaning its a cost plus project, but we bid the framing, trim, and painting. Hard to make much by the hour.


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## yoohoo (Apr 29, 2012)

That's actual bring home after all the bs is paid. That's not actual billable charge. I'm not putting that info up.


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