# How To Bid New Construction Painting?



## uthmanscott (Feb 13, 2008)

Newbie here...I have done several remodeling jobs for a family that is now building a new house. They want me to come in and do all of the new construction interior painting minus the trim. It is a custom home with an approx. 7000 sq. ft. floor plan...yeah that big. No ceilings need painted, but most of this house has 10 ft. and some 20 ft. ceilings. I've never bid a job this big and quite frankly I'm a little overwhelmed with figuring up the "labor" cost properly because their providing the paint. Can anyone help me figure this bad boy out? thanks


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## Dave Mac (Jan 30, 2006)

Find out how many colors are being used

measure all the wall space

what about closets???

how many coats coats???

bare sheetrock???


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## Steve Richards (Mar 7, 2006)

No trim or ceilings, eh..

Are they planning to hiring a painter for those?


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## uthmanscott (Feb 13, 2008)

Nice...I've done a significant amount of painting for them in a century home. No trim has been installed because it is all stain grade. The ceilings are a knockdown and they didn't want them painted, but of course the walls will have to be cut in. It's all drywall so it will have to primed and painted...11 different colors.


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## Thag (Nov 27, 2007)

There is a long road to really know how to estimate. Here is a quicky, figure out how long the job will take, figure out what you want to be paid per day or per hour. Add material plus 40%. This is not the way i do my estimates but it's something simple you may understand. You may want to try doing a search on painting estimates or head over to Painttalk.com


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## uthmanscott (Feb 13, 2008)

Thanks for the help. I've done bids for repaints, but never new construction. I've always been a sub. And because of the size job I was just having a hard time wrapping my mind around all the work.


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## jackrabbit5 (Apr 30, 2006)

uthmanscott said:


> Nice...I've done a significant amount of painting for them in a century home. No trim has been installed because it is all stain grade. The ceilings are a knockdown and they didn't want them painted, but of course the walls will have to be cut in. It's all drywall so it will have to primed and painted...11 different colors.


All the knockdown I've seen still needs to be painted.


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## uthmanscott (Feb 13, 2008)

That's what I thought too, but for some reason they are bent and determined on not painting the ceilings. Most are 10 ft. and some are 20 ft. so maybe that's their reasoning.


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## [email protected] (May 25, 2007)

jackrabbit5 said:


> All the knockdown I've seen still needs to be painted.


I've been around the trade since the early 70's and saw the advent of the 'stomped' texture and for some time now it has been out of style BUT I have seen some of those ceilings that are twenty years old that is still raw 'mud'. I am assuming that the knockdown is nothing more than DW mud. I'm sure I'll be corrected if I'm wrong!

Don't get me wrong, if it was my own house - I would paint it but usually the builders save $$$ by leaving it raw.

My 2 cents!


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## uthmanscott (Feb 13, 2008)

Your right...just regular ole mud. Their spraying it on and then dragging it to give it a flatter look.


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## jackrabbit5 (Apr 30, 2006)

uthmanscott said:


> Your right...just regular ole mud. Their spraying it on and then dragging it to give it a flatter look.


Correct, but you'd have to spray it on heavy enough to cover ALL the drywall so you don't see the differnce between it and the tape joints. Unless is is primed first.


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## uthmanscott (Feb 13, 2008)

11 colors in various rooms. 24000 sq.ft of wall. No trim, doors or windows...their all some custom wood work that doesn't need paint and no ceilings. All of this will need primed and painted some 2 coats because of darker colors. Am in the ballpark with $15000 (that's .62 cents per sq.ft)? They are not getting any other bids because they want me to do the job and they've given me a lot and more to come. Just looking for some direction...or comments...I think!

Thanks


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## jackrabbit5 (Apr 30, 2006)

uthmanscott said:


> 11 colors in various rooms. 24000 sq.ft of wall. No trim, doors or windows...their all some custom wood work that doesn't need paint and no ceilings. All of this will need primed and painted some 2 coats because of darker colors. Am in the ballpark with $15000 (that's .62 cents per sq.ft)? They are not getting any other bids because they want me to do the job and they've given me a lot and more to come. Just looking for some direction...or comments...I think!
> 
> Thanks


Primer and 2 coats is SOP for me on new construction, REGARDLESS of the colors. 1 coat over primer on new stuff is just not adequate IMO.


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## uthmanscott (Feb 13, 2008)

I know that...I don't what I was saying...anyway how do I look on price in your opinion?


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## jackrabbit5 (Apr 30, 2006)

uthmanscott said:


> I know that...I don't what I was saying...anyway how do I look on price in your opinion?


Sorry but I can't answer that. :no:I don't know your production rates, labor costs, overhead, etc.


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## Mike Heritage (Sep 4, 2007)

are you spraying this or brush & rolling? either way sounds low to me at .21 cents a sq ft. per coat. jmo
Mike


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## uthmanscott (Feb 13, 2008)

Well...I guess it doesn't matter if you or I thought it was too low...I guess they didn't. Win some...lose some, but I still get the tile - hopefully.


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## premierpainter (Dec 29, 2006)

uthmanscott said:


> They are not getting any other bids because they want me to do the job and they've given me a lot and more to come.
> 
> Thanks


We don't consider a job to be Ours until I get a retainer from the H/O. Hope that you do get the tile cause you said that they are not using you. Maybe they hired a painter to paint it.


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## uthmanscott (Feb 13, 2008)

Wow...you guys are tough. No actually they plan to do most of it themselves and they wanted me to bid out a smaller portion, but thanks for ego boost - ha ha. Their budget has taken a big hit and I guess this is where it filters down to.


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## 4thGeneration (Nov 23, 2006)

*What does it have to do with you?*

What does their budget taking a big hit have to do with you running a business? I never try to overcharge for my services, but I would not figure in their personal issues. Charge what you will and do not look back. Sell on quality and let them know that their "Hit" will turn into a bomb if they are trying to cut corners with the painting budget. Afterall, the finish stages is what will come into conversation.


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## uthmanscott (Feb 13, 2008)

I know it wasn't an overcharge issue. I bid lower than the other guys because my overhead was low on this particular job and I'm getting more work of it. They have just decided to get friends and family to help them paint the 7000 sq. ft. home. I totally agree on the finishes...it's a shame to cut corners there.


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## BCPNJ (Oct 14, 2007)

uthman, I was under the impression that there were no other bids. Anyway, they decided to have a "paint party?" On a 7000 s.f. new home no less, w/10 and20 ft. ceilings? Maybe you should have sub contracted it to a painting contractor and still did the tile work:thumbsup:? BTW when someone your giving a bid to says "There's a ton more work if you get this one" or something along those lines, that's usually code for "Gee, maybe your stupid enough to give me a cheap price for a promise of fake future jobs." Oh well, good luck on your future endeavors.


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## uthmanscott (Feb 13, 2008)

No joke...I've already done a ton of work for these people and the reason I was in this picture was because they fired their GC for being some $70 g's over budget. I guess if they think they can save a few bucks on the paint then that'll leave them enough left over for the tile and hardwood. Not my prob. I started this thread curious about how to bid new construction. I've only been a sub on new construction. Let's face it I was in over my head anyway according to all the real painters...right! Thanks for all of your help - I think, barring those of you who think I don't know which end of a paint brush to hold.


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## TomHuggins (Mar 1, 2008)

uthmanscott said:


> Newbie here...I have done several remodeling jobs for a family that is now building a new house. They want me to come in and do all of the new construction interior painting minus the trim. It is a custom home with an approx. 7000 sq. ft. floor plan...yeah that big. No ceilings need painted, but most of this house has 10 ft. and some 20 ft. ceilings. I've never bid a job this big and quite frankly I'm a little overwhelmed with figuring up the "labor" cost properly because their providing the paint. Can anyone help me figure this bad boy out? thanks


I am a newbie too and have come up with .50 with not paying for paint and .65 with paint walls only, would like to get a 1.00 though


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## paintingindiana (Mar 3, 2008)

*Bidding advice*

The main thing to understand about bidding is your cost. Materials, Transportation, Labor, and Taxes. After that you just need to decide how much money in your pocket you need for it to be worth doing the job and how much would be ideal. Start closer to ideal, and if you can't negotiate a price above your need price then don't do it.


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## Jraider1854 (Sep 24, 2016)

Hello everyone, wonder if anyone can help me out give me a feed back please.. 
Well i been painting for 27yrs, started in new construction, and doing repaints, home remodeling, now that im just starting out as of july 2016. Been getting alot of repaint buisness, now i been contacted by a builder, i thought cool i been thinking abt doing that so i can keep my crew busy through the winter for inside work, but i never bided a new construction home and wonder if anyone dont mind giving me advice on how to do that. I was thinking is it like $2.00 a sq ft..? 2nd question, i have lot of ppl telling me to stay away from new construction no money in it. And i dont understand why, hell i learn how to paint working new construction and the bosses i work for look like they were doing alright, and i thought abt doing both repaint and new construction, with 2 crew, 1 for repaint and 1 for new construction. Please give me a honest feed back, thank you and have a good night.. my fellow painters..


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## avenge (Sep 25, 2008)

Jraider1854 said:


> Hello everyone, wonder if anyone can help me out give me a feed back please..
> Well i been painting for 27yrs, started in new construction, and doing repaints, home remodeling, now that im just starting out as of july 2016. Been getting alot of repaint buisness, now i been contacted by a builder, i thought cool i been thinking abt doing that so i can keep my crew busy through the winter for inside work, but i never bided a new construction home and wonder if anyone dont mind giving me advice on how to do that. I was thinking is it like $2.00 a sq ft..? 2nd question, i have lot of ppl telling me to stay away from new construction no money in it. And i dont understand why, hell i learn how to paint working new construction and the bosses i work for look like they were doing alright, and i thought abt doing both repaint and new construction, with 2 crew, 1 for repaint and 1 for new construction. Please give me a honest feed back, thank you and have a good night.. my fellow painters..


Things were different 27 years ago, F**ckin sh*tty Mexicans have driven down wages and greed is rampant. If you need to put food on the table, know how to work production with crap materials and ****ty results go with new construction.


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## Sir Mixalot (Jan 6, 2008)

Thank you for posting on ContractorTalk.com. Straight pricing questions are frowned upon here, as are 'Going Rate' questions. If you are a contractor seeking advice regarding your pricing structure, the Moderators of this forum would like to direct you to this thread: "Pricing, Estimating and Success".

ContractorTalk.com is designed for professional contractors to discuss issues and topics related to the construction and remodeling industries. 

We apologize for any inconvenience that this may have caused. 
This thread has been closed.


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