[PatsPainting]

As a manager of a paint retail store, I find it frustrating when, after two price absorptions, usually within a two year span, we have to give in and raise prices. (Usually a buck or two at the MOST.) Then ALL the painters bitch and moan, saying we're ripping them off, so on and so forth. Most painters don't get it, we're in the business to MAKE MONEY!!!!! I have to cover colorant costs, shipping costs, ect. On the interiors, we only make 5-7 dollars a gallon from the contractors, and exterior from 5 to 10 bucks. That's decent, but I'll be damned if it's less than that. Everyone in town now carries Cabot, so we're only making three to five bucks a gallon on stain!!! We're we DO make money is the average homeowner buying a gallon or two. No discounts for a small amount, and we're usually spending a half hour matching their damned home depot paint. When there's more demand or shortages on raw materials like titanium dioxide, ofcourse the prices goes up. But don't blame the local paint store. We're just trying to earn a living, and at the same time, not OVER-PRICING the guys and ripping them off.

Well when gas went up to 5 bucks a gallon, prices increased due to transporting. Never went back down. so your ripping us off..

Pat

 

[hammerheart14]

Well when gas went up to 5 bucks a gallon, prices increased due to transporting. Never went back down. so your ripping us off..

Pat

prices never drop in paint. so if you're being sarcastic, it's cool. but if you are calling me a ripoff, screw you!!!! i take pride in being a good, honest person, who doesn't lie. i take pride in the fact that i give my customers 110% everyday, the best advice i can give, i look out fo rboth the homeowner and th epainter, i call it down the line, and the i try to have best prices while still making money. so if you're serious (i couldn't tell) how DARE you call me a ripoff!

 

[hammerheart14]

p.s. yeah, and don't you think that BM is a little over-priced?

 

[PatsPainting]

p.s. yeah, and don't you think that BM is a little over-priced?

Nope - well worth it in my opinion.

Pat

 

[PatsPainting]

prices never drop in paint. so if you're being sarcastic, it's cool. but if you are calling me a ripoff, screw you!!!! i take pride in being a good, honest person, who doesn't lie. i take pride in the fact that i give my customers 110% everyday, the best advice i can give, i look out fo rboth the homeowner and th epainter, i call it down the line, and the i try to have best prices while still making money. so if you're serious (i couldn't tell) how DARE you call me a ripoff!

relax - just saying that was lame, to raise the prices saying cost of transport is the reason cuz of the high prices in fuel. Then fuel drops and nothing changes.

Pat

 

[hammerheart14]

relax - just saying that was lame, to raise the prices saying cost of transport is the reason cuz of the high prices in fuel. Then fuel drops and nothing changes.

Pat

no, prices were raised due to raises in paint cost. if you read what i said, we had TWO paint increases before we finially had to raise prices on paint. shipping costs haven't gone up, that was always included in our total cost, along with colorant. the shortages on titanium dioxide is probally what caused the most recent price raises. but it seems like every year, paint companies are raising their cost.

 

[VanDamme]

Any expense to business that the homeowner is not willing to spend, slows down business.

That's true John.....to a point.

While I feel the original question is somewhat silly, add in some of the other expenses that "just get passed on" and, at some point, part of our customer base is not going to pay it.

 

[hammerheart14]

Nope - well worth it in my opinion.

Pat

I can sell a top line product from P&L, save you money, and guarentee it will perform as good as any BM top line product.

 

[Brian]

Because they have no idea what their numbers are.

I think that that is certainly part of it. But I think a more basic reason is the belief that price wins jobs. Anything that increases the price of the job is then seen as a threat to getting that job. In reality, an increase in the cost of paint has a minimal impact on the price of the job.

As an example, let's say your average job is $2K and you spend 10% on materials, or $200. A 10% price increase in paint means you spend another $20 on that job. I would argue that if $20 is going to break this deal, you have other issues to address besides the cost of paint.

Some seem to dismiss Harry's claim that an increase in the cost of paint means more money in your pocket. This implies that they aren't marking up materials, which is a huge mistake.

Paint does not magically appear on the job site. You have to drive to the store, place the order, wait for it to be mixed, and then return to the job. (I am not going to address the fact that this is inefficient and there are better ways to get materials. But this is what most contractors do.) Let us say that this takes an hour. That is an hour of lost production time, and if you aren't being compensated for that, you are playing delivery driver for free.

Let us also assume that your average purchase is $100 and that you charge $40 an hour. Your hour of lost production has cost you $40. However, if you mark up materials 40% or $40 in this example you recover that cost.

If you believe that price wins jobs, then this 40% markup is another threat to winning the job. In the above example, this is only an additional $8. If $8 is going to kill the deal, you really have other issues that you need to address.

Brian Phillips

 

[Dave Mac]

I dont like it when the price of anything goes up. And neither do the people I sell to., its one more hurdle to overcome when selling. Real world experience, in todays market, price weighs in as one of the many factors when selecting a painting contractor. I will say when I brake out the price of paint in a estimate and give them several lines of paint to choose from the most expensive being the best they usually go for the most expensive lol

 

[aaron61]

I'm handing out thanks in this thread like an out of work painter with door hangers!

 

[Wolfgang]

I don't mind the small increases, that can be accounted for. It is the waste of paint that bothers me.

To "borrow" a phrase from Orson Wells: "We will waste no paint before it's time." LOL

 

[Wolfgang]

I think that that is certainly part of it. But I think a more basic reason is the belief that price wins jobs. Anything that increases the price of the job is then seen as a threat to getting that job. In reality, an increase in the cost of paint has a minimal impact on the price of the job.

As an example, let's say your average job is $2K and you spend 10% on materials, or $200. A 10% price increase in paint means you spend another $20 on that job. I would argue that if $20 is going to break this deal, you have other issues to address besides the cost of paint.

Some seem to dismiss Harry's claim that an increase in the cost of paint means more money in your pocket. This implies that they aren't marking up materials, which is a huge mistake.

Paint does not magically appear on the job site. You have to drive to the store, place the order, wait for it to be mixed, and then return to the job. (I am not going to address the fact that this is inefficient and there are better ways to get materials. But this is what most contractors do.) Let us say that this takes an hour. That is an hour of lost production time, and if you aren't being compensated for that, you are playing delivery driver for free.

Let us also assume that your average purchase is $100 and that you charge $40 an hour. Your hour of lost production has cost you $40. However, if you mark up materials 40% or $40 in this example you recover that cost.

If you believe that price wins jobs, then this 40% markup is another threat to winning the job. In the above example, this is only an additional $8. If $8 is going to kill the deal, you really have other issues that you need to address.

Brian Phillips

Totally agree with you on this Brian. How many here would actually pass on a job if the price of their paint increased a couple bucks a gallon? There were plenty of times I upgraded paint on a job which "cost" me a buck or two a gallon. Well worth it and a great selling tool....especially when the HO sees a Mfg 15yr paint upgraded to a 25yr paint. This is why I never "threw" in a free room; instead I upgraded the product. Made more sense to me to absorb the few bucks a gallon as opposed to a few hours labor. All depends on how it's presented.

As far as being ticked off at the paint store, that doesnt make alot of sense either. You wanna complain, contact the Mfg.

 

[aaron61]

Last heavy SW increase was blamed on the increased cost of fuel.Funny how it never went down went fuel costs went down.Then it was blamed on raw material costs. We do not all pay the same price for our paint so a % increase translates differently across the board.If you dont think a difference of a few hundred dollars on your price of say $3,000 to a prospective customer matters you need to stop kidding yourself.

 

[Roamer]

I can sell a top line product from P&L, save you money, and guarentee it will perform as good as any BM top line product.

P&L in our market is only just barely less expensive than Aura. The BM Regal line beats it hands down in price.

 

[Harry]

I think that's pretty much bs. not even close to being that simple. maybe on paper it would appear that way, but not in the real world..

Pat

What is the real world? I'm giving you real world examples...

 

[plainpainter]

Have you guys ever wondered what would happen if materials cost became 90% of our estimates? And we all have to pay the same pricing? Imagine a 50% price swing in labor from one company to the next would only translate to a 5% swing in total price!

I pray for the cost of materials to go up all the time, it's the only thing that will remove all the warts and leave behind the guys that know their numbers. l could care less what a homeowner pays to Benjamin Moore, I only care I got the contract with my profit margins.

 

[Dave Mac]

Their is a huge difference between using $45 a gallon of paint and $25 a gallon of paint when bidding jobs that take 25 gallons of paint, how many point this out when doing estimates?? I never use to brake out labor and paint, but now adays Im thinking a little differnt

 

[M.Pillow]

I think maybe the price of anything going up reminds us of how we, as everyday hard working Americans, are coughing up more and more money to keep ourselves and loved ones sheltered and fed, while making the same income each year.

I agree, it is disheartening to have the prices raised so much, to be told it was due to rising fuel costs, (and I recall the letters from Ben Moore stating that as the reason in 2007-08) only to keep seeing price increases even when the price of fuel has dropped.

However, anyone believing they would readjust their pricing lower when it did, is a bit naive if you ask me.

Also, I think showing our customers that larger number is somewhat stressful, and no one looks forward to that conversation when everyone is already stretched so thin financial wise.

So when a gallon of my favorite paint is now $3-$5 bucks more, my first reaction is "Oh,come on!".

 

[WisePainter]

For one thing you know where paint comes from right?

When a Daddy paint loves a Mommy paint veeeeerrrry much....


lol.


The price I am charged is always far less than retail anyways so it don't be matter much in WiseneyLand.
I don't mark up my materials on contracts, the client receives my price 100% of the time. I love it when they do the math and realize I am the only contractor they (and 5 of their freinds) will ever need!

Raise away!!