# paint cost on crown molding



## JCK333 (Jul 23, 2006)

I have a job were i need to caulk, sand, prime and paint a crown moldind on 3 diferents room, 2 are 10x10 and the other one 15x16, How much I will charge for labor and material? thank you


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## painterofeveryt (Apr 8, 2005)

ahh ...should'nt you know how much to charge if you can do the work ?


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## Jonesey (Jul 7, 2006)

You know, when I started to figure out my cost per ln. ft. of stuff I acted it out with a stop-watch. It sounds silly, sure, but it did actually help.

I set the stopwatch then acted out each phase, writing down the time it took to do so, and padded each phase for sips of coffee, the odd cigarette and BS'ing with the guy next to me etc. Then I divided that amount of time into four feet. Four feet being an approximate of what I could reliably reach from a ladder. 

After I had the per foot amount of time it took for the whole process, I multiplied that by my hourly rate. 

So, your general bid would look like this:

a. time per foot x hourly rate = labor
b. material cost per gallon / coverage = cost per 2 foot (for 6" crown)
c. add 1 hour set-up/tear-down
d. add overhead
e. add contingincy
f. add profit

BTW, don't budge on your cost just to get the job. It doesn't help you to get work you can't afford to finish. Believe me, I know.


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## JCK333 (Jul 23, 2006)

*thank you*

Thank you very much, you help me a lot.


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## JCK333 (Jul 23, 2006)

*Hey*



painterofeveryt said:


> ahh ...should'nt you know how much to charge if you can do the work ?


I do framing and drywall work this is the first time I trying to get a paint job, and i don't now how much to charge


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## Dave-Raleigh (Jun 12, 2006)

If it takes less than a day you should figure a full day's cost. Typically if you do it in (lets say) 5 or 6 hours you aren't going to rush to a 2nd job that day to get the other hours. They end up wasted.

If you have to buy a gallon of paint you should charge for the whole gallon and leave what's left for the client. Remember it takes time to go buy the supplies and clean up the brushes afterwards.

Furniture in the room? good carpet/finished floor? be careful of the liability of accidents. How high is the ceiling?

I would only expect to sand any joints that may need a litle touch up. Don't expect to sand the whole thing. 

Looks like a 1 day cost to me.


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## Guardi Pro (Mar 15, 2006)

I can tell you what we charge $1.25 to $1.40 depending on the factors... but that wont help you. Jonsey is right on, but it also won't hurt to find out what others charge to see if your in the ball park. Know your competition, but know your price.


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## ron schenker (Dec 11, 2005)

I like to use my lawn mowing analogy when I'm asked,"How much should I charge, etc."
Is it the front lawn or the back..back is usually larger and more obstacles
Is it electric or gas powered mower..Electric has cord to slow you down
How long is the grass..shorter is faster
Do you bag, rake, or mulch..mulching saves time
Will you be using the weed wacker..factor in extra time if you do
Danger pay.. stepping in doggy poop

Anyway, you can see all the variables that affect pricing and make it very difficult to offer firm, accurate numbers on a forum like this one. That's my( between 2 and 7) cents worth


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## slickshift (Jun 14, 2005)

JCK333 said:


> I do framing and drywall work this is the first time I trying to get a paint job, and i don't now how much to charge


You shouldn't be charging as much as I do that's for sure
:laughing: 
I wouldn't charge what you do if I was to do some framing
:biggrin: 

Really it's best to use your own production numbers and overhead costs
Someone else's numbers aren't going to work for you
There's no magic number we all use to stay in and grow our business, and turn a profit

Same as drywall, you need to know how many sheets you can put up in a day, and what you need to make in a day to pay yourself, your overhead, and still make some profit
If you want to break that down into hours or sheets, then that's what you do

If you don't know how long it'll take you (or close) and how much it'll cost you (or close) you really (and I mean no offense) probably shouldn't be bidding on the job

Jonesey sounds like he's got a handle on how to figure that out
I still time myself to check and/or adjust my production rates


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