JonesinIndiana Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 (edited) UPDATE We went with her and had her do everything, along with a few extras. It was $2000 but we are happy with it. She is actually a professional painter, but is trying to build her own business after her regular pay job. We got an estimate for painting our whole house 3 bedroom, 1 bath, 1750 sq ft, standard ceilings, painting walls, trim, and ceilings for $1700.this is labor only, no paint. We would buy the paint on our own. Do you think this is a good price? My sister is appalled but I didn't think it was so bad. For the record this is an economically depressed area with a low cost of living. Edited December 4, 2015 by JonesinIndiana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeenagerMom Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 A local business was recently advertising whole house painting (interior or exterior) for $800 INCLUDING the paint. We are also in kind of a depressed area with a low cost of living (avg house payment is $700-$900 for a BRAND new 1200 sq ft house). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 That price would be an absolute steal where we live, but I think it all depends on where you live. Have you gotten a few more estimates to see what other painters would charge you for the same job? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mimm Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 I would get more than one estimate. It also depends on how much you hate painting. :) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 I think it seems like a good price, although granted, I really don't know much about the typical cost. But if you say $20/hour for labor, that would be two full-time weeks-worth of painting. I could easily see that project taking that long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 This would also be a steal where we live. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plink Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 I think it is a low quote, but DH owns a fancy-schmancy design store in a high cost of living area, and only recommends top quality workmen, so I may have a warped view. It is important to ask HOW they will be painting, spray or roller/brush. Spray will give you a rougher texture, and results in more overspray damage. Roller takes longer. Spray first, roll finish is often an acceptable option if you aren't terribly fussy about a perfect finish. There should be details in the contract about prep work (will they sand and wash/wipe every wall?), removal of nails and puttying damage, masking, how they handle trim work, and how they address any accidental damage. You will also want to see their insurance info. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonesinIndiana Posted October 22, 2015 Author Share Posted October 22, 2015 She will use rollers that I will have to provide, along with the paint. She said it will take about 7-10 days, working evenings from about 5-9, so that is about 32 - 40 hours of work. That comes out to $42 an hour or more if she finishes in less than 40 hours. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeenagerMom Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 She will use rollers that I will have to provide, along with the paint. She said it will take about 7-10 days, working evenings from about 5-9, so that is about 32 - 40 hours of work. That comes out to $42 an hour or more if she finishes in less than 40 hours. :( I would get more quotes. You shouldn't have to provide everything at that cost. She should have her own equipment. It almost sounds like the person quoting you is doing it as a side job when she works for another company during the day and can't use THEIR equipment. When we renovated our house, I got at least THREE quotes for each job that needed to be done. It was a hassle, but well worth it in the end. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjand6more Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 My professional painter husband says it would be about 3500 including all materials( high quality paint, patching material, etc) in our area. It's his day job, though. lol He also said it would take him over a week to finish it. It may seem like he makes a lot per hour, but we have to take income taxes, insurance, our own self employment taxes, licensing(this has gotten more involved where individual towns require a license in our area), insurance, retirement, and bonds, These are things most people don't consider when they figure how much they make per hour. My husband does not work for free. At least 10-15 dollars/hour goes toward these fees. You have every right to expect that the professionals you hire are above board. They should have all insurance, lead certifications(required by federal laws), bonds, and licenses. This protects YOU as the homeowner. My husband is a highly respected painter in our area. People hire him for the quality and knowledge he provides. He is never the cheapest. There is always someone cheaper willing to cut corners and do subpar job. Yep, we get those calls often. Never go on price alone. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 She will use rollers that I will have to provide, along with the paint. She said it will take about 7-10 days, working evenings from about 5-9, so that is about 32 - 40 hours of work. That comes out to $42 an hour or more if she finishes in less than 40 hours. :( Forget about saving money and hire professionals who will come in, work all day, and finish the job quickly. The woman sounds like an amateur, and she is probably not insured. What if she damages something in your home, injures herself, or decides halfway through the job that it's too much work and quits? I wouldn't hire her. For crying out loud, she doesn't even have her own brushes and rollers??? :svengo: 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 Forget about saving money and hire professionals who will come in, work all day, and finish the job quickly. The woman sounds like an amateur, and she is probably not insured. What if she damages something in your home, injures herself, or decides halfway through the job that it's too much work and quits? I wouldn't hire her. For crying out loud, she doesn't even have her own brushes and rollers??? :svengo: I agree. It sounds like a great price, but she sounds like an amateur. I'd want more estimates. FWIW, I live in a high COL area, and doing a good portion (not all!) of a 1250 sq ft house was almost $5K a few years ago. That included some other minor items but painting was the main thing. And we bought the paint on top of that. They supplied everything else. And worked days. These were excellent painters though and their prep work and finished job is always superb. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 I'd get more estimates and I would choose a professional. Ask friends who has painted for them and done a good job. Realtor friends have been a great source of workmen with reasonable prices, good communication and work ethic. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 That sounds like a low price until you consider she appears to be an amateur. Is she insured? If she falls in your house... I'm thinking about my downstairs, which is about the size you're talking about. If I worked 4 hours a day, no way could I prep and paint it all in 7 to ten sessions. If I had a helper, maybe. Is that price assuming you're using the same paint color throughout? That might make a difference because more than one room could be done at a time. Is that one coat on all walls? I generally do two, so perhaps I'm overpainting. But we use good quality paint and still need two coats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sun Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 I would get more quotes. You shouldn't have to provide everything at that cost. She should have her own equipment. It almost sounds like the person quoting you is doing it as a side job when she works for another company during the day and can't use THEIR equipment. When we renovated our house, I got at least THREE quotes for each job that needed to be done. It was a hassle, but well worth it in the end. I agree that you should get more quotes. That being said, I'd either want to provide the paint myself or specify which paint would be used. There is a big range in paint cost, and it's one of those things where you get what you pay for. If you're shelling out to have your house painted by somebody else, then you want to spend the extra to get high-quality paint. You don't want someone to lowball you with a cheap estimate and then use cheap paint to make up some of the difference. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 That price would be an absolute steal where we live, but I think it all depends on where you live. Have you gotten a few more estimates to see what other painters would charge you for the same job? It would be a steal here, too. So much so, it would make me suspicious. Also, what kind of guarantee do they offer on their work when they don't select the paint (dripping, streaking, clean up)? All of the painters here choose their own paint in order to guarantee their work. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hikin' Mama Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 It sounds very reasonable to me. I've done all the painting in my house, some rooms a few times, and it is a lot of work, imo. If I were painting for hire, I would want more than $20/per hour. But I would bring my own stuff. She doesn't sound professional. And someone close to me who doesn't do just painting, but small-scale remodeling type work says you should always get at least three bids and ask for references. The bids should be explicit in what IS covered by the estimate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TranquilMind Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 We got an estimate for painting our whole house 3 bedroom, 1 bath, 1750 sq ft, standard ceilings, painting walls, trim, and ceilings for $1700.this is labor only, no paint. We would buy the paint on our own. Do you think this is a good price? My sister is appalled but I didn't think it was so bad. For the record this is an economically depressed area with a low cost of living. That would be a good price around here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TranquilMind Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 She will use rollers that I will have to provide, along with the paint. She said it will take about 7-10 days, working evenings from about 5-9, so that is about 32 - 40 hours of work. That comes out to $42 an hour or more if she finishes in less than 40 hours. :( She is moonlighting or is not a pro painter. This may or may not matter to you, but I would certainly require her to show me her work and give me some references. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonesinIndiana Posted December 4, 2015 Author Share Posted December 4, 2015 Updated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 Glad it worked out for you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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