Moxie Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 We looked at a house that needs paint. It is a great house but, literally, every inch of the house has some kind of faux finish, some stupid "word art" stenciled, some kind of crazy paint. The upstairs hall is sherbet orange. All the bedrooms are some shade of neon. It is pretty crazy. We could paint it but we have 5 kids and not a lot of free time. About how much does a good paint crew cost (I know I need real estimates--I'm just curious right now)?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fhjmom Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 DH is a former-painter. It will depend a lot on how high the ceilings are, what kind of paint you intend to use (cheap paint takes more coats so often it is better to use a better quality paint that covers better), and what has to be covered. From what you describe, there will probably need to be a bit of prep work done. For patterns, words, etc., you may need them to do some sanding and retexturing as just painting over them can sometimes still leave them visible. I would ask around for some reputable recommendations and ask for bids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brilliant Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 Agree with fhjmom - get bids. We got 3 bids when we repainted a couple of years ago, and they were all within 15% of each other. So I'd suggest 2 bids to get a good idea. It's going to vary based on where you are and how big the house is, but you are definitely looking at some number followed by three zeros. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 Its going to vary so much by area and size/conditions of rooms. I had 2 bedrooms, kitchen, 2 bathrooms, living room, den and two hallways, entranceway, painted for around $6,000. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abbeygurl4 Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 It's going to vary based on where you are and how big the house is, but you are definitely looking at some number followed by three zeros. just what I was thinking. Painting, done well, is expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plateau Mama Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 Around here it's about $3-400 per room( large, bonus room size). Extra for each color change. [ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 It varies, but for the sake of throwing out numbers - we recently had a small kitchen, small family room, 2 stairwells, 3 baths, and a small hallway painted. I think it was around $7K. Definitely get bids. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blessed3x Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 I agree with the others- get estimates in writing. But also ask your friends for referrals. I know that professionals are worth the money and are very good, but we had a fellow homeschool dad who was out of work paint our house for us. He did a very, very good job (had experience painting, but it was not his full time job) and it was around $1200. We bought the paint and supplies and paid him by the hour. With so many looking for work you may be able to find someone like we did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UrbanSue Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 I agree that you are looking at thousands, not hundreds, most likely. Let the bidders know they are competing and always ask, "Is that your best offer?" and/or "What can we do to get that number down?" They might offer things like: buying the paint yourself, priming/taping/drop clothing yourself. Keeping colors to a minimum will be more economical and lighter shades will go on in just a couple coats whereas a deep red could take 3-5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalknot Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 My sister is having her home re-painted next month. She used Angie's List to secure two bids, both which were within a few thousand of each other, and got a third bid from a company that came recommended by a friend. The friend's contact cost the most by $5K, but that included one more color choice than the others and also a quicker timeline. Her home is 4400 sq.ft. She wanted upper and lower trimwork painted (including a staircase), two formal rooms with two-story high ceilings, and a total of seven other rooms plus four bathrooms. The bids ranged from $15K to $19K. The lowest bid offered $1K off discount upon completion of the job, for a total of $14K. All three used Sherwin-Williams paint, and offered at least 3 color choices (one offered up to five color choices). I agree that you are looking at thousands, not hundreds, most likely. Let the bidders know they are competing and always ask, "Is that your best offer?" and/or "What can we do to get that number down?" They might offer things like: buying the paint yourself, priming/taping/drop clothing yourself. Keeping colors to a minimum will be more economical and lighter shades will go on in just a couple coats whereas a deep red could take 3-5. Good advice here. I know Sherwin-Williams runs regular sales, occasionally as deep as 40% but often in the 25-35% range. If you could purchase it yourself, that alone would save a significant amount. Otherwise, maybe you could knock out the kids rooms or bathrooms on your own over a weekend, and hire someone to do the main areas? Not easy or ideal with a big, young family but possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moxie Posted November 14, 2012 Author Share Posted November 14, 2012 Okay, crossing professional painters off the list. WOW!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forget-Me-Not Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 (edited) I had approximately 1200 sq ft painted for $3300. That included my crazy-high vaulted ceilings, and an even higher skylight. I had another painter quote me $8000 for a smaller version of the same job (we wanted a bit less painted at the time if the bid). I choked and we sat on it for a few years. Some time later we needed our outside painted and I asked around. The guy I hired was so reasonable and did a great job on the outside so I asked him to bid on the indoor job. I was shocked at how much less he bid, but he did a great job. We've since rehired him to refinish cabinets and they're coming again in a couple of weeks to do some bedrooms that we didn't do last time :) So the moral of the story is--ask around and get a few bids. My guy doesn't advertise at all as far as I can tell and works by word of mouth. And I've seen his crew in my neighborhood at someone else's home--someone I've never met, so word really gets around. Edited November 14, 2012 by LemonPie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.