How can I make painting estimates ?

Question

I need a simple example

Answer 1

I've painted a lot of houses and I had to learn from experience to know how much work and time was involved. Every house is different. Is it a new construction that doesn't require masking the floor or covering furniture and fixtures or will you be involved in a lot of tedious masking of hundreds of items? If its outdoors, you must look at all sorts of variables....vegetation that needs to be cut back, Is there mildew that must be cleaned off, paint peeling that will require scraping, sanding, and priming? What about the amount a caulk work that must be done indoors and out? How many colors do they want to use?....all sorts of variables can turn a simple seeming job into a major undertaking, so I go in and thouroughly inspect the house, then sit down with paper and pencil and decide what it will take to do the job. Once I have it all worked out on paper, I itemized each aspect of the job, with costs for materials and labor and then present a bid to the potential customer. It has taken me years of experience to know how much time these things take, so you may have to go through some trial and error before you can get it right. One word of advice....don't ever use cheap paint. I always tell my customers that they can purchase the bargain brand paint if they want to, but it will end up costing them more for my labor and they will end up purchasing many more gallons of paint before the job is finished. Find a good quality paint with a high solid to liquid ratio (that usually translates to higher priced product) so that you are not struggling with a paint that will not get good coverage. Nothing I hate more than trying to paint with crappy paint! Once you know how much time it will take you to complete the job, you can give an overall bid for the whole job. I normally estimate my time to be worth $25. per hour. Of course, I am well experienced and can properly prep and paint a house quite quickly, so $25, per hour is usually a pretty reasonable deal for the homeowner. You must decide what your time is worth to you. In the community where I live and work, there is no union to deal with as another poster has suggested, but you should look into those things as well if you live in a place where your prices are regulated.

Answer 2

1. Figure out the square footage of the wall you want to paint. 8ft x 10ft = 80ftsq. Add up all the wall sq footage together.

2. Go to the hardware store and tell them that is how much sq ft you want to cover with paint. Usually the cans/containers will have it printed on them how much they can do.

Thats it!!

Make sure you tell them what you are painting over, this is will determine how many coats you have to do.

Don't forget
- Drop sheet (plastic or canvas) to cover the floor
- paint tray, with insert (these cost about 50cents and are disposable, they are really nice to use)
- roller and extension handle (usually just a broom handle will work)
- Painters tape (use lots and cover all the stuff you don't want to get paint on)

Answer 3

One good way is to join the union and becoming a journeyman, working with professionals that know the job, when your ready, in a couple of years, they'll tell you.

Or, go on out, stumble all over yourself, make a lot of people mad by overestimating, underestimating, in general, making a lot of mistakes and getting fines from the licensing board and State compensation board. Your choice.