never never never never never never give an itemized estimate
spell out what the project involves, but never give numbers
there's so many reasons
spell out what the project involves, but never give numbers
there's so many reasons
Estimate form?
When you give an estimate form to a customer do you show itemized pricing or just a total price for all items?
Example:
Paint front of home body= 500
Paint back windows= 100
Paint front door=100
material=300
total=1000
or
Paint front of home body
Paint back windows
Paint front door
material
total=1000
Example:
Paint front of home body= 500
Paint back windows= 100
Paint front door=100
material=300
total=1000
or
Paint front of home body
Paint back windows
Paint front door
material
total=1000
1 - 14 of 14 Posts
I agree with the above.
I mark up materials 60%, so if I show that to the customer they are going to scream.
I'm bidding the project, not individual items. Many times the sum of the individual items is not the same as the entire project.
I will give options when it is appropriate, such as individual rooms.
Brian Phillips
I mark up materials 60%, so if I show that to the customer they are going to scream.
I'm bidding the project, not individual items. Many times the sum of the individual items is not the same as the entire project.
I will give options when it is appropriate, such as individual rooms.
Brian Phillips
I only break it down if that's what is requested. If I were to price out 5 rooms and knew that they were going to be done as one job it "may" be cheaper that way as if I needed to break it out to 5 separate bids, meaning it could be done over a time period.
But from reading the post a quote thread a lot of guys break down labor and show separate line for materials??
But from reading the post a quote thread a lot of guys break down labor and show separate line for materials??
For the customer?But from reading the post a quote thread a lot of guys break down labor and show separate line for materials??
Painters?
I wouldn't
Well, to be fair, some good commercial accounts, they can get a state sales and use tax break if I break it down for them
So I should say "on occasion for good commercial accounts that know about the tax break thingie"
But these guys are in business so they understand how much labor actually costs
Joe and Sally Homeowner usually don't
Total only with a detailed description of whats included. Breaking down the bid into individual items only invites headache from the home owners.
I don't break down bids for each item, but do break them down as a room to room price. I price out each individual area as its own separate job. If they choose 1 room, I make money. If they choose to pick all the rooms at once, I make more money (larger profit margin due to the mobilization/set up overhead $$$ built in to each room is spent once instead of multiple times).
Generally unless asked otherwise we price the entire job out we do not itemize each cost. If a customer wants an itemized quote you may need to mark up each item by 5-15% to cover the things they don't done. We never mrk up material im not to sure if thats too fair. I advice you to purchase the 2007 National Painting Cost Estimator it has helped our guys a great deal. If they ask for an itemized quote give them one. If you do what people like thy like you... on the other hand if you do what people dont like they dont like you. You are in business to serve your clients and their needs as well as making a profit. Like I said if a client asks us for an itemized quote we usually mark up each item around 10%
tell me you're jokingWe never mrk up material im not to sure if thats too fair
you realize everyone else is, right? pays for time in store, gas, etc.
you may want to reconsider your theory, your missing out on a trade standard my friend
tell me you're joking
you realize everyone else is, right? pays for time in store, gas, etc.
you may want to reconsider your theory, your missing out on a trade standard my friend
Im just saying we dont itemize the cost out for the customer to see. Ofcourse we do whie estiamting. Im sorry I may be slighty confused. The way we do it is we mark up labor. I go on $45-$65 per hour + raw material cost maybe slightly rounded off to our advantage room for error, add that up and times that number by 40% overhead and thats the cost. We normally dont mark up material. We add supervision hours for time in store, traveling, job management, and gas comes from overhead.
if theres a trick
If there is a trick to estimating, its this. Identify every cost item and estimate the cost of every item you identify. The most successful estimators are always the most thorough. They find every cost item and pust a number down beside it. The estimated cost of something you forgot is always zero. I include mark ups on materials, a certain percentage to help cover my overhead, hourly profit on each employee, then I mark up the total bid by 20 percent if a customer saw all of that id never get any work.
I give them a total amount on my proposal with a detailed description of what work will be performed. Thats all they need to know.
If there is a trick to estimating, its this. Identify every cost item and estimate the cost of every item you identify. The most successful estimators are always the most thorough. They find every cost item and pust a number down beside it. The estimated cost of something you forgot is always zero. I include mark ups on materials, a certain percentage to help cover my overhead, hourly profit on each employee, then I mark up the total bid by 20 percent if a customer saw all of that id never get any work.
I give them a total amount on my proposal with a detailed description of what work will be performed. Thats all they need to know.
Im just saying we dont itemize the cost out for the customer to see. Ofcourse we do whie estiamting. Im sorry I may be slighty confused. The way we do it is we mark up labor. I go on $45-$65 per hour + raw material cost maybe slightly rounded off to our advantage room for error, add that up and times that number by 40% overhead and thats the cost. We normally dont mark up material. We add supervision hours for time in store, traveling, job management, and gas comes from overhead.
EXACTLY!!!!!!!!!!!Total only with a detailed description of whats included. Breaking down the bid into individual items only invites headache from the home owners.
Then the customer wants to pick and choose like a restaurant menu. "I think we'll only do this, and this, and this, and this, but we'll forget about this and this right now." Problem is that they omit the easy high-profit stuff and leave you with the harder stuff.
Or they complaint that Homeboy Painting will do these items for this price, can you match it? If not, I'll have them paint those items and you paint these."
or--
"You paint these difficult and hard to reach areas, and we'll have Uncle Charlie paint the easy stuff."
It would be funny if not so true....
Oh, I had that happen so many times when I first started my business. Now I don't break it down unless they specifically ask and then I have to add to the cost.EXACTLY!!!!!!!!!!!
Then the customer wants to pick and choose like a restaurant menu. "I think we'll only do this, and this, and this, and this, but we'll forget about this and this right now."
1 - 14 of 14 Posts
- This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Professional Painting Contractors Forum
A forum community dedicated to professional painters. Come join the discussion about the industry, safety, finishing, tools, machinery, projects, styles, scales, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Top Contributors this Month
View All
finishesbykevyn
61 Replies
jennifertemple
42 Replies
Holland
37 Replies
Recommended Communities
