im a painter of 25 years now. i been in residential all this time,now im starting comercial,how to bid prices.

Question

i dont know how to price thes buildings.i will be painting churches,inside and out.but! i dont want too cut myself to get my foot in the door.nor bid to high and not get work.i just need a idea of how much too charge thats resonable.

Answer 1

I'd call other commercial paint contractors in the area and see what they charge. Painting contractors typically assume a particular heighth for a wall and then measure total linear footage on blueprints. They have an idea of what the coverage is per gallon and labor hours, etc. Can't you just modify the "take off" for residential and convert it to commercial?

Answer 2

I can totally relate.

After applying thousands of gallons of paint, and doing other trades work, I decided what I was worth in the current economy but vary it rationally to fit my needs without being a pirate.

My fees range from $25 to $40 per hour,,,OR 1 coat. $1, per sq. ft. of paintable surface. 1,1,1.

Have you a clue what was charged on your jobs,,,I'm assuming you were either a SUB or on a set wage for a company?

DO NOT get into a moralization issue with yourself because it happens to be a CHURCH. No offense to Churches.

Fair to you is as valid as fair to them, and bidding is a game anyway. You might bid low enough to get work, and starve. OR you might bid high enough to NOT get work,,,and starve. Somewhere inbetween is a satisfactory balance for all concerned.

I do suggest however,,,especially if you know you might get more work from a particular completed job, and they like your work,,, ask them if they will be a reference, and allow, that initially you might "GIVE AWAY" a job or two, by "halfing" your desired fee.

I work many contract jobs for NON PROFITS, and as long as I believe they might FEED more work to me, I might cut the $1 fee back to 75 cents per sq. ft.... BUT I don't do it as a matter of course AFTER the first job.

Consider that you have competition, obviously. Get as much reference as you can from current and past work. Define yourself NOT as a FOOT IN THE DOOR contractor, but as the consumate professional. Determine in every bid,,,issues such as equipment you might have to rent, Heights of ceilings, and liability insurance, difficulty factors in cutting, masking, any prep and clean up, etc.

Peristence should become a habit and a mantra.

I bid a job HIGHER when I'd rather not take it. If the customer accepts MY bid, they still get quality, and I assuage myself with the higher fee I'll be paid, bite the bullet, and do the job.

Rev. Steven

Answer 3

Cannot give you a cut and dry answer. Can you take from residental and have a square foot figure and add in extra time for trim. Also make sure in your exclsions you are not responsible for other trades damages