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Painting Charges

| Posted in Construction Techniques on September 19, 2002 05:23am

Hey Guys, I have an interior of a house to paint and a exterior deck to stain. I’m doing the job for a woman I know. I’m not a pro, I’m just making an extra buck. I want to be fair in the price I charge her. Can someone let me know a price per sq. ft. (roughly) for interior painting and exterior staining so I can have some type of guidline. I would really appreciate it.  Louie

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  1. RW | Sep 19, 2002 05:40am | #1

    Makes a difference where you're at, and what's involved. Generic rules of thumb for painting: if it's just a cover coat (same paint, same color, one coat) it goes fast and you don't have as much worry about holidays (pinholes). That's cheaper. Any color change requires 2 coats, anything where the walls are significantly soiled you have to clean (and charge) and anything significantly stained (smokers house) you should prime with a blocker. Same for water spots. Most painters go by a sq ft price, which can be done 2 ways. The repaints around here go with a per ft of wall space, the new home paints go by sq ft of flooring, or the footprint of the house. That's your wall paint. Trimwork and everything else is by lineal foot. Residential is slightly higher than commercial work (lots of cutting in vs 4000 sq of floor in 1 big room). Here's Cornhusker pricing ballparks: Walls, per coat, $.5-$.6 / sq ft. Door jambs, $25. Slab doors, $50. RP doors $75. Trim to 6"w $.70/lf, Spindles $15 ea. Risers / treads $17 ea, Window sash, 6 x 6 style, primed, 2 coats, average window (2 x 3 sash or thereabouts ) $60 per. Stair trim (on the side where it hits the carpet on the bottom and the wall on top) - like baseboards on a stair wall $1.25 per foot. Any drastic color change (white to red or vise versa) automatically assume 3 coats. New home paints about $2.45 sq ft which translates into  $3675 for a 1500 sq ft plan 1 story. But that gets you walls, ceilings, base & case, fogging the kitchen cabs, etc.

    My RS Means guide lists Lincoln, NE as 66% of the national mean for pricing on finish work. Faribanks, Ak is 117%, Tempe, Az is 60%, Miami is 56%, Jersey City is 135%. So location can make a big difference in whats a "fair" price for what you're doing. Add to that, like you said, you're just making a buck and aren't a painter making a living. You take out the taxes, insurance, workmans comp, various other overhead, and whatnot that you won't have to take out of that check, and you could be pretty economical to her (or make a heck of a profit.)

    1. Loudie1 | Sep 19, 2002 04:22pm | #2

      RW, Thanks for the reply. I', located in New York. Would that price of 5-6 cents per ft for a repaint (basic paint job/ @500 sq.ft. of walls and ceiling) be acceptable here. At say, 5 cents a sq. ft for a 500 sq. ft. room that would be $250.00 per coat? Is that correct? Does that include materials also? I have about 75 spindles on the deck rail outside that I have to stain, you mentioned $15.00 per spindle, which would amount to $1125.00, doesn't that sound a bit much? Thanks for taking the time to respond, and very thoroughly I might add.

      Lou

      1. RW | Sep 20, 2002 01:49am | #3

        I assume the 5 cents is a typo for 50 cents. A 12 x 12 room with 8' ceiling will give you 528 for the sq ft, including the ceiling. $250 is a decent rate. I looked up NY state and everythings higher than here. The smaller towns are around the 80% of mean, NYC is 158%, Rochester is 101%. Now here's the wrench in the whole gizmo. The "guide" lists a painting walls price of 22 cents a foot. For us at the 60% that means they think we're working for  about 13c a foot. NOT. That translates into 22 for Rochester, and still only 34 for NYC. But they can' t estimate everything, and the line items in books like this are only guides and don't take into account anything other than that line item. So no masking, no edging, no windows and doors to go around, nothin. This is God's paint job and the only thing there is sheet after unbroken sheet of perfect drywall. Well heck, that goes fast. And yes, when we flat rate bid a project, that includes materials. The spindle work I mentioned is more the architectural staircase scenario where you have ballusters & rails - and all the ballusters are turned. That price is not so much a paint but more of a stain & lacquer. Guidelines, all. And no, I wouldn't pay you a grand for a deck. Quick way on that - pressure wash it (I'm assuming you're doing a solid color stain here) and let it dry out for a few days. Come back with either a compressor & a cup gun or if you want, rent an airless with a fine tip. Mask everything you don't want to hit and shoot. You'll be done in a few hours, cleanup included. Actually putting the stuff on say a 10' x 20' deck doesn't take diddly for time. It's prepping so you don't spend time cleaning off the windows, siding, the neighbors car . . .

        But pay attention to what she wants quality wise. You won't get good one coat with Jim Bob & Larry's Wholesale Paint, inc at $5 a can. If she wants something fancy (like SW Cashmere at $30 or so a can) adjust to account for the difference.

        If you're really feeling froggy, try Benjamin Moore. Ever tried painting with Karo syrup? Holy mackerel, the stuff is so thick you need twice as much paint as you should. I can spin a can around end over end with the lid off and not spill. I'm partial to SW superpaint, but lots of places out there make decent stuff.

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