# Price per square foot



## Thewallfixer (Apr 18, 2006)

I am trying to figure out how to charge for painting per square foot of actual wall space. My friend who works in the insurance company says they pay out 52 cents per square foot and that includes spackling, primed and painted with two coats and it includes all materials. I figure that's a little low, insurance companies don't make money by writing big checks, so I have some up with 63 cents. This is painting walls only, two coats and some spackle where needed. Does that seem a reasonable amount? I am in St. Louis and good painters are hard to come by, and if I do say so myself I am a really good painter.

Any thoughts?

This forum is really helpful btw, god bless the internet.

Thanks,
Brian

P.S. anybody out there recommend accounting software? I am the only employee.


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## ProWallGuy (Oct 17, 2003)

I never price by the square foot, at least not when I'm figuring my costs. 
Find out what it would cost for you to do that work, and divide it by sq ft, and there is the price. Do a search for 'pricing', 'estimating', 'sq ft', etc, and you'll find we've hashed this out many times on this forum.

Acoounting software- Quick Books Pro

Welcome from St. Louis. Where exactly are you located? Do any wallcovering?


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## slickshift (Jun 14, 2005)

ProWallGuy said:


> Find out what it would cost for you to do that work, and divide it by sq ft, and there is the price.


I find that's the best way with interior repaints


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## slickshift (Jun 14, 2005)

Thewallfixer said:


> ...I have some up with 63 cents. This is painting walls only, two coats and some spackle where needed. Does that seem a reasonable amount?


It seems low


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## slickshift (Jun 14, 2005)

Thewallfixer said:


> P.S. anybody out there recommend accounting software? I am the only employee.


QB Pro
:thumbsup:


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## PlainPainter (Dec 29, 2004)

I remember a mentor telling me about the $0.50/sq.ft. that insurane companies pay out. But that was 80's pricing and for one coat of paint only!

-plainpainter


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## Thewallfixer (Apr 18, 2006)

I never price by the square foot, at least not when I'm figuring my costs.
Find out what it would cost for you to do that work, and divide it by sq ft, and there is the price. Do a search for 'pricing', 'estimating', 'sq ft', etc, and you'll find we've hashed this out many times on this forum.

Acoounting software- Quick Books Pro

Welcome from St. Louis. Where exactly are you located? Do any wallcovering?

I am in the city and plan on doing most of my work this side 0f 270. I do no wallcoverings. I am more of a plaster repairer and painter. I think there are plenty of plaster walls to fix in the city to keep me busy for the next 20 years

I think I will try out .63 per square foot (my insurance friend yelled at me when I suggested charging more than 52 cents, the going rate according to him, for two coats and spackle) and I will soon find out if I am making money or not and change it appropriately. I will be charging an additional charge for trim and the ceiling.

The reason I am doing it by square footage is so that the client go to my website and can figure out how much it's going to cost before I show up, therefore I waste less time with those who can't afford a professional paint job. time=money.

Thanks for the info everyone.


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## KellyPainting (May 30, 2006)

*Crazy!!!*

I charge at the least $2.00 per sq. ft ..... ( new construction)


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## Dave Mac (Jan 30, 2006)

KellyPainting said:


> I charge at the least $2.00 per sq. ft ..... ( new construction)


fro floor space or wall space??


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## smokeator (Apr 20, 2006)

Were doing average on a easy rating of .70 sq/ft in Kansas City. 
Price goes up if theres alot of prep,moving stuff, dark colors or high ceilings. All bids are rated easy, medium, or hard.


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## mnjconstruction (Oct 5, 2008)

Im in northern maine, although i am a kind of do it all company, we do, do alot of painting both interior and ext. Up here I am charging .50 sq ft. that is 2 coats. Then i add on for trim, high ceilings, basicly anything that might slow me down. I charge for drywall/wall repair seperate. Been at this rate for 4 years now. back then thought it was a little high, but now with costs of everything going up, think its just about right!


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## boman47k (Oct 13, 2006)

Thewallfixer said:


> *so I have some up with 63 cents. This is painting walls only, two coats* and some spackle where needed. Does that seem a reasonable amount? I am in St. Louis and good painters are hard to come by, and if I do say so myself I am a really good painter.
> 
> Any thoughts?
> 
> My thought on that is about right *without furnishing* the materials. Especially, if good painters are hard to come by. I try for around .40 first coat for labor only.


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## THINKPAINTING (Feb 24, 2007)

50 cts per sq ft of wall was the going rate in the early 80's, its 2008 and I belive, fuel, materials, insurance, and evrything else costs way.................more , so how in Gods name can you make money at that price????????????????

Get a grip............Im sorry but painters just work for so much less than they should.

Eagle Bid software will let you add all your business costs and prouction rates and give you your sq ft price or you can do it the old way.

I dont want to rant but do your self and all other professional painters and learn to estimate.............please.:w00t:


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## JDS (Oct 7, 2008)

We are at .55 per Sq ft. But if you want to see what most insurance companies pay, I hear they mostly use the Exactimate program for Claims.

QuickBooks Pro - For accounting.


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## PlainPainter (Dec 29, 2004)

The pricing I am seeing on this site makes me understand why I am losing so many bids. What a whore's world painting has become!


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## harness (Oct 15, 2008)

i live on IL/IA border in midwest i have no problem getting bids charging .65 per sq wall space for repaints and that is per coat so $1.30 for 2 coats includes prep and product, i charge extra for moveing contents and charge on average about 40 bucks to each job any thing over 5 colors i add 50 bucks extra for each extra color. for appartment same color walls and cellings painting i average 25 cents per sq ft per coat good luck


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## boman47k (Oct 13, 2006)

harness said:


> for appartment same color walls and cellings painting i average 25 cents per sq ft per coat good luck


Thats just labor, right?


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## harness (Oct 15, 2008)

yes labor only on appartments


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## WisePainter (Sep 16, 2008)

PlainPainter said:


> The pricing I am seeing on this site makes me understand why I am losing so many bids. What a whore's world painting has become!


I can guarantee that I am not whoring my talents out.

I have not listed what I charge after reading this thread for a reason...

:thumbsup:

And yes, I make a killing.


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## Paul B (Mar 10, 2007)

Man you have to be kidding on these prices. I got an estimate for a two story victorian yesterday. 2300 sq ft new home: 4500 sq ft exterior two colors; there 44 windows and 13 exterior doors, all this comes out of the 4500. The siding is a primed concrete product similar to Hardie plank, all chaulking is already done. Estimate is $12,450. I think I'm being riped.


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## thom (Nov 3, 2006)

Paul B said:


> . 2300 sq ft new home: 4500 sq ft exterior two colors; there 44 windows and 13 exterior doors, all this comes out of the 4500.



How does one put 44 windows and 13 exterior doors into a 2300 sf house? I'm surprised there's any siding to paint.


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## SLSTech (Sep 13, 2008)

Paul B said:


> Man you have to be kidding on these prices. I got an estimate for a two story victorian yesterday. 2300 sq ft new home: 4500 sq ft exterior two colors; there 44 windows and 13 exterior doors, all this comes out of the 4500. The siding is a primed concrete product similar to Hardie plank, all *chaulking* is already done. Estimate is $12,450. I think I'm being riped.


_*Chaulking Symptoms *The paint system shows a powdery surface._
_*Solution *Remove powder at the surface. Clean and sand substrate. Touch up bare spots with [Onol resp. Rubbol Grund]. Finish - once or twice - with [Rubbol SB]._

_Sounds like a lot of work before painting..._ :whistling

Seriously though
2 Colors - 1 trim, 1 base with *57* openings. That is a lot of work, cutting in, etc... I would hope that you choose the painter based off of references & have seen his work. I would hope that you also know the difference between interior & exterior walls and painting them. The posts here are prices for interior painting, there is more to the exterior like needing ladders, scaffolding, & materials generally cost more.


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## WisePainter (Sep 16, 2008)

SLSTech said:


> _*Chaulking Symptoms *The paint system shows a powdery surface._
> _*Solution *Remove powder at the surface. Clean and sand substrate. Touch up bare spots with [Onol resp. Rubbol Grund]. Finish - once or twice - with [Rubbol SB]._
> 
> _Sounds like a lot of work before painting..._ :whistling
> ...





Other than misspelling "Chalking", you Sir are a General Contractor I would work for.
You have a mind that processes all of the variables that I may have missed in the original scope of work list.
It happens to the best of us...

Too bad there weren't more GC's like you around...


10/10 rating.

:thumbup:

*
EDIT: *LOL @ the improperly built deck pics!! You have a great website.


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## Paul B (Mar 10, 2007)

There are windows and doors everywhere. There are balcony's outside which account for five of the doors. It is modeled after a victorian house in Cape May called the Doll House.

I wish I had a picture to post.

edit: I forget to mention I am supplying my JLG man lift.


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## Gene450 (Oct 24, 2008)

PlainPainter said:


> The pricing I am seeing on this site makes me understand why I am losing so many bids. What a whore's world painting has become!


You got that right :clap::clap:


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## THINKPAINTING (Feb 24, 2007)

Remember when you estimate manhours, ya lucky to get 6 out of 8 per man day unless you are there cracking the wip or you use ilegals....

We just painted an interior custom home for a very large hvac contractor in Boston Ma, Providence RI area.....his personal home...

We had some good conversations about estimating from blueprints etc...
first question he asked me was , you dont fiqure 8 hr man days? My awnser was no......we also talked alot about time spent setting up, and moving staging etc.....

You can look at a home, and fiqure, how many openings, wood trim, body
etc but after you fiqure the painting time remember everything else that goes with it........


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## WisePainter (Sep 16, 2008)

THINKPAINTING said:


> Remember when you estimate manhours, ya lucky to get 6 out of 8 per man day unless you are there cracking the wip or you use ilegals....
> 
> 
> We had some good conversations about estimating from blueprints etc...
> first question he asked me was , you dont fiqure 8 hr man days? My awnser was no......we also talked alot about time spent setting up, and moving staging etc.....


Good point.


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## birdogron (Dec 6, 2007)

Per square foot is only a way to check your actual bid. Don't bid per square foot. Look at the job, be there in your mind. Figure how long it will take per man hour and then check your price per square foot maybe. Per square foot is what supers go by and they are the guys who can hurt you. Bid and if you miss the job it doesn't mean you are high. The other guy might be low.


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