How much should this cost? [painting+]

[am1]

I am not sure where you live... but why the New Jersey comment?

Ive visited Jersey many times. Lots of great places but others not so much.

The point is to show how out of whack wages are in regards to the comment after yours.

 

[easyrider]

I am having a limited remodel of 2 bathrooms in our new home. No bathtubs, just replacement of tiles in the 2 walk-in showers, granite countertops - one with 2 sinks, the other has a single sink. The smaller bathroom gets new bathroom floor tile. We re-use the cabinets, both bathroom mirrors and sinks in the larger bathroom. The general contractor said each worker's rate is $60 an hour. The general contractor included materials in the proposal which we signed off. The total cost including materials is $50K. There were 3 workers when they were doing demolition in the first week. Now they are down to 2. He said it should take about 6 weeks.

Hourly rates are used for jobs but they are not the actual hours worked. These hours are software generated or out of a rate book. Each task has a time allotment and many tasks overlap. Insurance work is estimated this way. Many younger estimators that take construction courses learn construction estimating and learn how to estimate with software. So the $60 per hour can actually be more like $120 - $180 per actual hour worked because in one hour a worker may complete multiple tasks. Generally, software mark ups are 30%.

Bill

 

[geekette]

Thanks for all your responses. Makes me feel a bit better.

I would like to point out that the job is not the whole house as some responses were referring to. It is all 4 bedrooms (one of which, the master, is very large with a sitting room), hallway bathroom and downstairs office. None of hallways or common areas downstairs or basement are included.

Number of rooms matters less than square footage. Is this around 1200 sq ft for combined workspace? Crown molding is also subject to room dimensions and there seem to be many options on crown molding.

Sounds to me like a really great deal. Each room is going to require setup, the actual work, and cleanup. Paint quality matters, also, as there is budget paint and Good Paint.

 

[geekette]

Wow, that is shockingly expensive for a minor remodel of what you described you are doing. I doubt I would move forward with that project.

"shockingly expensive" fits my reaction as well. WOWZA. I could add on an entire room for that.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

Prices have really exploded. 20 years ago, I hired a contractor to build an oversized 2 car garage in Sierras complete with finished drywall, a full roof deck with Trex capable of supporting a large hot tub full of water during a 100 year Sierra snowfall, backstairs, sound wiring, the architectural design, all the permits, foundation and re-paving my driveway for $50k. (of course the home was worth a fraction of what it is worth now.)

 

[VacationForever]

Wow, that is shockingly expensive for a minor remodel of what you described you are doing. I doubt I would move forward with that project.

We met with 8 different people/contractors and selected them. They are very professional and top notch. Their distant second competition was half the price on the labor but really only want to be responsible for the work but not the design and material selection. We are definitely getting "The Property Brothers" experience here. Since this is our forever home, we want the best quality work for the home. BTW, it is not that minor a remodel. With the large master shower, it ended up with demolition of both the 1-yr old porcelain tiles which were put in by the sellers and the granite underneath it. We were aware of some water damage caused by the sellers' DIY shower remodel and they have to cut away some drywall to fix the water damage. We are replacing the toilets in both the bathrooms.

 

[geekette]

We met with 8 different people/contractors and selected them. They are very professional and top notch. Their distant second competition was half the price on the labor but really only want to be responsible for the work but not the design and material selection. We are definitely getting "The Property Brothers" experience here. Since this is our forever home, we want the best quality work for the home. BTW, it is not that minor a remodel. With the large master shower, it ended up with demolition of both the 1-yr old porcelain tiles which were put in by the sellers and the granite underneath it. We were aware of some water damage caused by the sellers' DIY shower remodel and they have to cut away some drywall to fix the water damage. We are replacing the toilets in both the bathrooms.

ack, repairing water damage definitely changes the picture!

Paying for design expertise matters, too.

The important thing is that YOU are comfortable with the deal. "Forever Home" does call for high quality, "we don't want to have to revisit this in a year" pros.

We will of course be wanting pictures when complete!!

 

[TravelTime]

We met with 8 different people/contractors and selected them. They are very professional and top notch. Their distant second competition was half the price on the labor but really only want to be responsible for the work but not the design and material selection. We are definitely getting "The Property Brothers" experience here. Since this is our forever home, we want the best quality work for the home. BTW, it is not that minor a remodel. With the large master shower, it ended up with demolition of both the 1-yr old porcelain tiles which were put in by the sellers and the granite underneath it. We were aware of some water damage caused by the sellers' DIY shower remodel and they have to cut away some drywall to fix the water damage. We are replacing the toilets in both the bathrooms.

Gosh, hearing your quote has me worried about when we finally get restarted on our pool and outdoor deck remodel. I suspect prices have gone up a lot in the last 12-18 months. I may have sticker shock.

 

[VacationForever]

Gosh, hearing your quote has me worried about when we finally get restarted on our pool and outdoor deck remodel. I suspect prices have gone up a lot in the last 12-18 months. I may have sticker shock.

We also did several things with our pool - new variable speed pump, new gas heater with gas line pulled from the fireplace at home through the attic, salt water cholorinator and LED light, and added a large (300K BTU) custom firepit. Other things that we did: New garage door openers with MyQ (WIFI) and garage doors; Ring security system with flood cams and re-connected the whole house speaker system which the sellers had trashed. After the bathroom remodel is completed, we should be done!

 

[geekette]

We also did several things with our pool - new variable speed pump, new gas heater with gas line pulled from the fireplace at home through the attic, salt water cholorinator and LED light, and added a large (300K BTU) custom firepit. Other things that we did: New garage door openers with MyQ (WIFI) and garage doors; Ring security system with flood cams and re-connected the whole house speaker system which the sellers had trashed. After the bathroom remodel is completed, we should be done!

Wow.

Doesn't seem like that long ago that you decided to move, so what a list you have checked off in what seems (to me) to be a short period of time. Less than a year, right? Was it last summer that you decided to move??

 

[VacationForever]

Wow.

Doesn't seem like that long ago that you decided to move, so what a list you have checked off in what seems (to me) to be a short period of time. Less than a year, right? Was it last summer that you decided to move??

We moved into our new home on January 19, 2021.

 

[TravelTime]

We also did several things with our pool - new variable speed pump, new gas heater with gas line pulled from the fireplace at home through the attic, salt water cholorinator and LED light, and added a large (300K BTU) custom firepit. Other things that we did: New garage door openers with MyQ (WIFI) and garage doors; Ring security system with flood cams and re-connected the whole house speaker system which the sellers had trashed. After the bathroom remodel is completed, we should be done!

We need to resurface our pool. That is absolutely needed. The original owner tried to balance the chemicals herself and did not do it right. But the pool is also 12 years old now so many plaster pools need resurfacing at this age.

I would also like to replace the tile and coping. It’s not in bad condition. I just do not like it.

I would also like to re-seal the stamped concrete around the pool so it looks new again.

The final thing I’d like to do is update some of the chipped tiles on the stairs.

If I still think it’s worth it, I might replace the flooring in the outdoor kitchen but that is just a preference.

When we purchased this house in 2014-2015, we automated the pool so we could heat it up on the way home from skiing. So that’s done. We also replaced the pump as part of the automation and that saves us $300 a month on energy.

In terms of our garage, we already have it on WiFi and we have a back up in case the generator does not turn on. We installed a whole house generator about two years ago after some big fires and the peace of mind is so worth it.

We are lucky that our house is really well made with great finishes so we have not spent much money doing any work yet. We have not spent anything on the interior. The things we have improved in the past 6 years have cost us about $5000 or so. I am sure it would cost more now.

 

[VacationForever]

We need to resurface our pool. That is absolutely needed. The original owner tried to balance the chemicals herself and did not do it right. But the pool is also 12 years old now so many plaster pools need resurfacing at this age.

I would also like to replace the tile and coping. It’s not in bad condition. I just do not like it.

I would also like to re-seal the stamped concrete around the pool so it looks new again.

The final thing I’d like to do is update some of the chipped tiles on the stairs.

If I still think it’s worth it, I might replace the flooring in the outdoor kitchen but that is just a preference.

When we purchased this house in 2014-2015, we automated the pool so we could heat it up on the way home from skiing. So that’s done. We also replaced the pump as part of the automation and that saves us $300 a month on energy.

In terms of our garage, we already have it on WiFi and we have a back up in case the generator does not turn on. We installed a whole house generator about two years ago after some big fires and the peace of mind is so worth it.

We are lucky that our house is really well made with great finishes so we have not spent much money doing any work yet. We have not spend anything on the interior. The things we have improved in the past 6 years have cost us about $5000 or so. I am sure it would cost more now.

It does make a difference between a new vs. an old house. Our house was built in 1999 but the last owner/seller really abused the property. But we wanted the home because we had a very narrow window to find a home which we like and we love this home's location. We were already facing severe shortage of inventory of homes for sale and lucked out when we found out that this home was going to be on sale, and we bought it before it hit MLS. We offered at full asking price and basically bought it "as is" because the few items that we asked the owners to fix, per inspection report, they refused.

The backyard faces Lake Mead Recreation Area/National Park. The view is expansive and very peaceful, with no neighbors behind us. We knew we would have to spend a bunch of money to get this home up to where we want it to be. We did replace the tile coping around the pool to make it look newer/cleaner. It also leaked and we had to pay to locate the leak and fix it, even though the leak was supposed to have been fixed by the sellers. We are about 4 to 5 years from needing to re-seal the stamped concrete in the backyard. There are things in the house which were done well by previous owners, including hardwood floors and neutral color interior stone walls in the living room and master bedroom which look like fossils. The 2 fireplaces have been nicely updated as well. While we may grumble about terrible previous owners and the mess that they left us with, we feel fortunate to own this home. This is about as perfect a home and location as we could want.

 

[billymach4]

For some reason I love painting. From prepping the area to painting it, I don't mind it. We moved to Florida and rented a condo sight unseen, unfortunately when we arrived the place smelled of garlic and curry. So we had to paint. Went out, bought four gallons and all the stuff to prep it. They weren't coming to unload our truck until the next morning, so I started painting.

It's easy to paint when there is no furniture to move around. Painting can be therapeutic. However it's no fun when you work full time and have to clean up in-between coats, days off, etc.

 

[geekette]

It's easy to paint when there is no furniture to move around. Painting can be therapeutic. However it's no fun when you work full time and have to clean up in-between coats, days off, etc.

Yes. Since I ended my career, it is so much easier to do a project from start to finish.

 

[geekette]

....The backyard faces Lake Mead Recreation Area/National Park.

drool

 

[billymach4]

I almost forgot. There is this guy from Idaho
The Idaho Painter!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnrhmEmvA_bIRYkBVPqJ4zg

 

[billymach4]

 

[Tank]

This is a good read on

How much should it cost ,,,

A CONVERSATION ABOUT PERCEIVED VALUE:

A customer asked a contractor friend of mine how much it would cost to do this project.

My friend gave him a proposal: $4500

The customer responded: That’s seems really high.

My friend asked: What do you think is a reasonable price for this job?

The customer answered: $2500 maximum

My friend responded: Ok, then I invite you to do it yourself.

The customer answered: I don't know how to.

My friend responded: Alright, then how about for $2500 I'll teach you how to. So besides saving you $2000, you'll learn valuable skills that will benefit you in the future.

The customer answered: Sounds good! Let’s do it!

My friend responded: Great! To get started, you are going to need some tools. You will need a chop saw, table saw, cordless drill, bit set, router, skill saw, jig saw, tool belt, hammer, etc..

The customer answered: But I don't have any of those tools and I can't justify buying all of these for one job.

My friend responded: Ok. Well then for an additional $300 I can rent my tools to you to use for this project.

The customer answered: Okay. That’s fair.

My friend responded: Great! We will start the project on Monday.

The customer answered: I work Monday through Friday. I’m only available on the weekends.

My friend responded: If you want to learn from me then you will need to work when I work. This project will take 3 days so you will need to take 3 days off work.

The customer answered: That means I’m going to have to sacrifice my pay for 3 days or use my vacation time!

My friend responded: That’s true. Remember, when you do a job yourself you need to account for unproductive factors.

The customer answered: What do you mean by that?

My friend responded: Doing a job completely from start to finish includes time spent to plan the project, pick up materials, travel time, gas, set up time, clean up, and waste disposal amongst other things. That’s all in addition to the actual project itself. And speaking of materials, that’s where we will start on Monday so I need you to meet me at the lumberyard at 6:00am.

The customer answered: At 6am?!! My work day doesn’t usually start until 8am!

My friend responded: Well then you’re in luck! My plan is to start on the deck build by 8am. But to do so we have to start at 6am to get materials picked up, loaded and delivered to your job site.

The customer answered: You know, I’m realizing that a lot more goes in to a job than what a customer sees in the finished project. Your proposal of $4500 is very reasonable. I would like you to handle the project.

CONCLUSION:

When you pay for a job, especially a custom job, (whether it’s a physical project or digital project) you pay not only for the material and the work to be completed. You also pay for:

Knowledge
Experience
Custom Skills
Tools
Time to plan
Time to prepare
Professionalism
Work Ethic
Excellence
Discipline
Commitment
Integrity
Taxes
Licenses
Sacrifices
Liabilities
Insurance

If you request a proposal for custom work to be done, please don’t disrespect a service provider by trying to get them to lower their prices.

If their proposal exceeds your budget, there’s nothing wrong with getting other proposals.

Just remember.. you get what you pay for.

SERVICE PROVIDERS: Know your worth and be confident in it.

CONSUMERS: Recognize their worth and be respectful of it.

Sharing this to support all my friends, family and clients who are Entrepreneurs, Business Owners and Tradesman.

 

[Gypsy65]

The cost is $9,000. He told me that material costs are $4K.

I figures that 8 rooms X 3 gallon a room = 24 gallons. Lets say a 30 gallons with trim and doors. $45 (price of a BEHR Marquee gallon) X 30 = $1,350.

I am not sure of the linear feet of the rooms to trim. one is 48lf and the other is probably the same. Lets say the bedroom is 100 LF. Plus 50 LF of base trim in the office. So - lets say 250LF of trim. Crown molding of the style his is buying is $3/LF at Lowes. Lets say $4 - he buys better stuff. That is $1000.

So, I calculate the cost is around $2,350. A 70% markup or maybe his molding is from a more expensive place that home depot/lowes.

I was expecting $5K - $6K, so I was a bit shocked to hear $9K. We are not painting any hallways or anything downstairs- except for Angela's office.

And this painter is busy... we were trying to schedule the rest of the house (before I got his price) and isn't open until September.

Joe

The busier he is may be a sign he’s better than most others

We were in the contracting business and booked out months in advance
Repeat customer’s would wait for our crews and the further out we were booked the higher the estimate was for new customers