# Painting Doors



## CoastalCoatings (Oct 5, 2005)

Hey, how much would yall charge to putty nail holes, caulk, sand, and apply 2 top coats of white semigloss to the average size interior door which would include the frame and door jamb. I live in Virginia Beach and I was thinking at the most, I would charge 100 bucks but would go no lower than 75. These doors were just installed. I appreciate any input.


----------



## ray1stchoice (Jan 25, 2006)

i would charge more then that, it takes alot of time to do doors and the frames, dont roll it, i like to brush it, looks better too, i would go with a 225.00 price or so but iam from chicago things are a little more out here. if your doing more then one go 100 per sounds good to me
hope this helps


----------



## slickshift (Jun 14, 2005)

What kinda door?
I get 130 for a six panel, not including the casing (I count that as trim)


----------



## ron schenker (Dec 11, 2005)

You say it's a new door, and you're putting 2 topcoats, what about a coat of primer?


----------



## slickshift (Jun 14, 2005)

I didn't give that a second thought, most new doors I've done have come pre-primed
I can't remember seeing one that wasn't
Not in a few years anyway


----------



## PlainPainter (Dec 29, 2004)

I figure my average good painter can brush about 6-1/2 doors and casings in a day. So I figure $50/coat. I think a gallon of semi-gloss oil will do about 12 doors and casing both sides one coat. I can brush a gallon in an eight hour day by myself - but like to think realisticly that a painter working for me will do about half. In other words - one door per hour - will work productively 6.5 hours in an 8 hour day. I want $40/hr - so $320 divided by 6.5 equals about $50. But of course - I will fill holes, prime, sand, two coats for $150.

-plainpainter


----------



## PlainPainter (Dec 29, 2004)

Oh - I almost forgot - I have had terrible luck with some of those brownish pre-primed doors. I have noticed they bleed through the topcoats alot. So I will smack on another coat of a stain halting primer before I paint. One job - I painted the doors 5 coats before they were nice! And that was using benjamin moore aquaglo paint.

-plainpainter


----------



## slickshift (Jun 14, 2005)

PlainPainter said:


> I have had terrible luck with some of those brownish pre-primed doors.


I bet
Fortunately I have not seen those
I would think that would have to be extra because, well, unless you were painting them dark, you'd have to prime them
Sounds like painting a stained door


----------



## Paul Burns (Jan 17, 2006)

*Brush and Roll?*

Are we talking about one side of one door and frame or both sides?

Are we talking about filling holes with painters putty, or something that will need to be sanded smooth?

We charge 1/2 hour per side of a 6 panel door and frame of a re-paint. It can go as high as 1 hour for bad shape wooden doors and frames, but rarely over 45 mins. for masonite, per side.

We pay our painters the same rates as we bid them. I have had painters say that they can't make any money at 1/2 per side. I will then grab their tools and tell them to look at my watch. Then I roll the paint on with a lint free roller and brush it out, frame and all, taking my time to make sure they notice that I am doing it at a leisurely pace, and then have them look at my watch again. I don't think it has ever taken longer than 5 minutes for me to paint one in front of them, leisurely.

Then I ask them again what the problem is? Of course they don't say much at that point.

I don't know about others, but if it takes any longer than 10 minutes to paint one side of one door with latex paint, the door will probably look like sh**. Especially if it is a smooth masonite door. The paint just sets up too fast to paint them any slower and expect them to look good.

I agree that painters are rarely going to paint as fast as I used to, and I would not expect them too. But if you double 5 mins. to 10 mins. and double that for preparation, they are still only at 20 minutes per side. This gives them 10 more minutes to move to the next door, take a break or whatever after EVERY side of a door, IF they want to take that much time. If they want to earn a lot of money, they will average painting 3 sides of doors per hour for 8 hours, and earn 45.00 per hour or more, depending on what our hourly charge is that year.

A good painter that wants to earn lots of money can easily paint 20 one sides of doors per day including prep. That would enable them to earn 300.00 per day. Now a guy that wasn't motivated, would probably have a tough time painting 8 one sides of doors per day including prep. But is that the kind of painter/production we want for pieces that in reality only take 10 minutes each including prep? NO!

So, for your example of charging 2 coats for doors and frames PER SIDE we would probaly charge 1.5 hours if this is a new primed door and frame where all nail holes need to be totally filled and completely caulked. MAYBE 2 hours if we didn't want the job or disliked the owner, or travel was long, or...... 

So we would charge somewhere between 100.00-150.00 per side for two coats and prep. At 20 sides of doors per day, per painter, that would equal 300.00 for the painter, and about 700.00 more for the company.

Those are realistic numbers, as we often finish jobs at well over 100.00 per painter hour. Even though they might have only been bid at 55.00 per hour. That is because of the incentive pay. For many years, our jobs would finish at 25.00 per hour, even though we bid them at 45.00 per hour.

That is the interseting thing for us anyways. It is not how much we bid the jobs at, but at what price do we finish the jobs at? I should also admit that as jobs approach the 100.00 per hour mark and beyond, I stop keeping track. Actually, I stopped looking/checking long ago. As long as all painter paychecks are 800.00 per week and up, we don't have much to worry about!

So in line with your question about how much to charge. I would have to say to charge as much as you possibly can and still get the job, if you want it. And THEN figure out ways to get your painters to get it done as fast as possible without losing any quality and in fact, probably even improving quality.

Paul


----------



## ProWallGuy (Oct 17, 2003)

Great post above. 
I like the insight from an alternative way of doing business.
:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:


----------



## slickshift (Jun 14, 2005)

Paul Burns said:


> We charge 1/2 hour per side of a 6 panel door and frame of a re-paint.
> 
> I have had painters say that they can't make any money at 1/2 per side.


....I'm at 8 minutes a side latex on 6-panels

:cowboy: 

Who's whining about getting 1/2 per side?
Lemme at'em
:boxing: 

Man, It really wouldn't be hard to make some dough with that deal
That's over 30 sides easy, including sanding, tack cloth, step-backs and coffee (1 slurp per side)

Jeez, I got out the calc.
That's 34 sides for an 8 hour shift (@ 14 min per side)
Heh heh...whining....?!?
Where do I sign?
:biggrin:


----------



## Paul Burns (Jan 17, 2006)

Slickshift,

That's a perfect reply! You just stated exaactly what we like to hear when hiring painters.

You would be surprised at how many DON'T say "lemme at 'em." That is a sure sign NOT to hire them.

Then there are those that say "lemme at 'em" but after a couple of days they leave or are let go because they can't earn any money.

Any of the three scenarios above are okay with us! At least it separates the painters from the wanna bees almost instantly. Hell, I've seen slow painters hide behind fast painters for years sometimes. Compensting by the hour can make it easy to get away with hiding. Especially in larger companies. 

Anyway, sure, come on down to Key West and we'll put you to work Monday. It's a great place to paint away the winter. But then you might have to relocate to northern VA in the spring. But maybe not.

Regards,
Paul


----------



## slickshift (Jun 14, 2005)

Hmmm....I don't think I've ever been to Key West
Hmmm...
:biggrin: 

(Thanks Paul)


----------



## AAPaint (Apr 18, 2005)

I charge the same as a few of you....1/2 hour (bout 22.50) per coat per side of the door and casing included to prep and paint. Does it take ME that long? Nah...I can prep and paint both sides of the door one coat in a half hour, so I figure for slow fellas double that. BTW, I do all my doors by brush or spray. It is very rare that I roll a door unless I'm going for a smooth finish, I'll roll it with a foam nap which takes all of a few minutes per side.


----------



## 747 (Jan 21, 2005)

I don't mean to change the subject. But say like you showed up at a homeowner house. They had a brick fireplace. color of brick no longer going with color of room. They wanted you to paint that brick fireplace. Does that require special primer and paint. Actually i'm thinking about doing it to mine. But mine is a decorative only fireplace which makes no sense to me at all. I guess in 1963 they would put a brick fireplace on a wall with a nice cement mantle on it to dress up the room I seriously thinking about painting the brick. The brick is charcol grey in color. I have seen them do this on homeimprovement tv and it look pretty good. What do you guys think. I shouldn't mess with it.


----------



## slickshift (Jun 14, 2005)

747 said:


> I don't mean to change the subject. ...paint that brick fireplace.


Wow, that is fftopic: 
You'll probably want to start a new thread with that one
:laughing:


----------

