Here at Edmonton Painters Pro, we can tell you that new construction painting or painting for existing residential or commercial space is critical in building and sustaining our business. In addition, the success of your service (depending on who you are) quite possibly hinges on your ability to provide a reliable and fairly-priced service to your customers.
Using appropriate estimating techniques, can be more time consuming and costly, but the outfit you’ve chosen for a free quote will also be a much more professional and successful business. On the other hand, we want to avoid winning a job by entering the lowest bid which will result in losses.
While we are pleased to offer our potential customers, free quotes, many clients inquire as to how we estimate a paint job to ensure a reasonable profit while providing the best possible service and materials. So, let’s shed some light on this subject.
Contractors use a number of methods to calculate a rate for service. Most work with a base rate of about $2.00 to $4.00 per square foot. Others will charge for to five times the cost of paint used. Also, some contractors calculate a rough estimate based on the time and materials required o complete the job, while other’s place the lowest bid.
There are a few factors in preparing a final estimate for paint work. Please be aware that costs can also vary throughout Edmonton, even for buildings with duplicate square footage. Here are a number of factors we take into consideration when estimating a paint job.
The surface area of the walls and ceilings is the total space we will need to paint. Larger rooms will require more paint than smaller spaces.
When it comes to paint pricing and primer, costs will vary quite a bit. Some paint is of higher quality than other’s and that will cost more.
New construction will always require more coats of paint and primer. The higher the number of coats, the higher the paint cost.
For painting work, condition of painted surfaces is a significant factor. If the surface is in good condition, you may only require one or two coats of primer and paint. However, additional materials will be consumed if we first need to repair and prep the surface before painting.
Paint work will always cost more if time is required for proper preparation work and cleanup. We can determine the need for preparation and cleanup by conducting a site visit and assessing the current condition of the surfaces to be worked on.
We start by determining how much paint will be required and quantity of related materials. Consider square footage, area’s condition, whether it’s an interior or exterior job. Interiors require more paint than exteriors.
A site inspection is always recommended. Our experience will go a long way in spotting red flags, such as damaged trims and walls.
We may use paint cost estimator software to determine how much paint will be required and to add the costs of supplies to an estimate. Paint supplies may include primer, rollers, brushes, masks, caulk, painters tape, sandpaper, drop cloths, etc.
Ultimately, costs for supplies will vary depending on the size of the project at hand.
For the most part, we must take into consideration that while some items can be reused between jobs, many items, simply can’t be reused. So we take into consideration for procuring new items such as paint trays, painters tape masks, gloves, etc.
Required items, excluding paint, should only set you back $50 dollars for a 400 sq. foot interior. Exterior paint work will cost you more – about $120 for a 2000 sq. foot home.
When calculating hourly rate, we pair up job requirements and skill level. We verify labour check lists which include rate, taxes, insurance, travel time, preparation and cleanup.
We include a twenty-five, to thirty percent allowance for new construction requiring calking and priming. Also, consider that interior jobs take up double the hours as exterior jobs. Factor in electrical or plumbing delays, which will trickle down to your paint job. Lastly, include additional labour costs such as repairing walls or moving furniture.
We will also need to consider additional expenses such as overhead costs and a salary for our owners, who are often paid compensation and not business profits.
Overhead is the cost of doing business that is typically neglected by small business owners, because it’s complicated. We typically distribute among all the jobs in a year to ensure profitability. Overhead includes office rent, business equipment, marking costs, tools and insurance.
Overhead costs are typically monthly or annual and can be difficult to calculate for a specific job. To estimate your overhead for a particular job, first, determine your hourly overhead rate.
Total monthly overhead ÷ # of billable hours per month
For example, if your monthly overhead cost is $12,000 and your crew works 1000 billable hours monthly, your hourly overhead cost will be $12.
Therefore, if you work on a 20-hour paint job, your overhead for the specific project will be $200.
painters, residential, commercial, wallpaper, nock down, textured ceilings, varnish finishing, water damage, stain
removal, mold removal, paint restoration, drywall service, feature walls, taping and mudding, plaster repairs, Edmonton,
Crestwood, Riverdale, Garneau, Ritchie, Highlands, Westmount, Oliver, Glenora, Strathcona,
