I'd love to get ballpark guesses at the cost to paint my house.

I believe my painter is waaaaaaay over-priced and the GC is unconcerned.

I'd love a guess for the inside and the outside so I can get an idea whether
or not I'm being ripped off.

We are restoring an old house which was completely gutted. There are about
4000 sq feet of finished space. We will paint each room a different color
and stain some of the trim and doors instead of painting.

We expect a high quality job.

The outside is easier. The old paint is in pretty good shape but it needs
to be re-painted. The house is pretty easy to get at...it is a box-like old
farm house with basic wood siding....two stories.

Thanks for the help,

Matilda Z

get some bids nobody can bid without seeing it

get some bids nobody can bid without seeing it


My GC got bids and hired a painter. Now, in mid-job, he is jacking up his
costs 50% despite minimal changes. We are livid and the GC is not helping.

He knows we will have a hard time getting someone new on short notice....but
we are working on it.

I just want some knowledgeable folks on this board to take a stab at it the
cost...

"Matilda Zuckerman" wrote
get some bids nobody can bid without seeing it


My GC got bids and hired a painter. Now, in mid-job, he is jacking up
his
costs 50% despite minimal changes. We are livid and the GC is not
helping.

He knows we will have a hard time getting someone new on short
notice....but
we are working on it.

I just want some knowledgeable folks on this board to take a stab at
it the
cost...

Painters are usually very easy going types. I can imagine but... what
happened just before he raised the price? And, what do you know about
house type painting?

"Matilda Zuckerman" wrote in message
...
I'd love to get ballpark guesses at the cost to paint my house.

I believe my painter is waaaaaaay over-priced and the GC is unconcerned.

I'd love a guess for the inside and the outside so I can get an idea
whether
or not I'm being ripped off.

We are restoring an old house which was completely gutted. There are
about
4000 sq feet of finished space. We will paint each room a different color
and stain some of the trim and doors instead of painting.

We expect a high quality job.

The outside is easier. The old paint is in pretty good shape but it needs
to be re-painted. The house is pretty easy to get at...it is a box-like
old
farm house with basic wood siding....two stories.

Thanks for the help,

Matilda Z



I hate to see people get jerked around by the neck.

If you hired a real contractor, then you have a real contract. A real
contract cannot be altered unilaterally. There needs to be a "change order"
that describes what additional work, changes, or variations from the
original contract will be done, and what they will cost. They must be
agreed upon by both parties. They can be initiated or refused by either
party. If both sides agree, then the change order has to be signed by both
parties, and constitutes a new and separate contract.

I would consult with your GC to see if he is really a licensed contractor.
If he is and can provide you with a copy of his license, then you will have
power to negotiate change orders with him. Or he can just finish the work
he promised to do at the price he quoted. Or he can take his tools and
quit. You and only you have the power to authorize additional work at a
higher price.

In any case, if he is a licensed contractor, you will have recourse with
your state's contractor board for mediation and arbitration from them to
settle it. For someone to jack you up after a contract is made is illegal
in many states. Even car shops in most states have to notify a person if
the repairs will exceed the estimate, and get approval from the owner.

If he is not a contractor, you might just ask him what he wants to do. You
are secretly in power, but don't tip your hand. If you are behind him in
money (as in you have paid him for work not done), he may have you in a
corner temporarily. If you are ahead of him in money (as in he has done
more work than you have paid him for), you have leverage. If he is not a
contractor, and you can arrive at a compromise, good. the work gets done,
he gets paid, everyone's happy. In any event, DO NOT pay in advance for ANY
work, but only as it gets done. If you pay for supplies, they stay at your
place. If you cannot arrive at a compromise, mention to him that you would
like to have your state's Contractor Board mediate and arbitrate it so that
a fair resolution is the result. He may change his attitude right then.
Most unlicensed contractors do. Go figger

Bottom line is ........... you don't take advantage of him, and you do not
let him take advantage of you. You made an agreement, and both sides should
honor it. And if both sides don't honor it, you go to the authorities. If
you didn't pay him, he would haul you to small claims court. If you are not
satisfied, the contractor's board is the agency to contact for you to get
resolution.

In my state, contracting without a license may be punished with a fine of
$10,000, and only OFFERING to do specific work for a specific price legally
constitutes contracting. Hourly work is different because the owner has the
right and ability to end the work at any time. It is always best when
dealing with contractors to ask to see a copy of their license, and request
that the STATE INDUSTRIAL INSURANCE SYSTEM mail YOU a certificate direct
that this person or company has coverage that is in force. DO NOT accept
one from them. CYA because if one of them falls off a ladder, you will be
seriously liable.

HTH. Some of this may not apply in your state. YMMV also.

Steve, an ex-steel erection contractor in Nevada

Maybe a hundred questions ,and 100 pictures would be an intelligent
start. You have given 0 details on the house But if you cant
understand it would take someone probably 4 hrs to bid it Being at your
house , I sugest you have some coffee to wake up, than I suggest you
call some people for bids, Nobody can give you an honest answer,
without alot of details and effort, and even then it would be a half
assed bid

"Matilda Zuckerman" wrote in message
...
Yes, I have a reputable contractor, working on cost +15% basis. He has
done
many homes in the area and came highly recommended...but we are a bit
unhappy at his failure to keep the subs moving and competitive.

Seems to be a bit of the good old boy network....sometimes thay are more
interested in keeping the subs happy a than the homeowner.

No one has even taken a stab at the price of the paint job ...

What more do you need to know ?

Matilda Z



Matilda:

A reputable contractor will say, "I will paint your house with XYZ paint, do
two coats, and paint the trim for $XXXX."

Cost plus 15% is what? Cost of the paint? Cost of the sub? Cost of the
paint and sub and clean up and markup and a new ladder and dropcloths and
brushes and on and on and on?

Just as you want a price for something we cannot see, your contract of 15%
plus costs is an ethereal thing.

I will say that I will paint your house unseen for $138,000. If I come and
look at it, and can actually see what is involved, the price MIGHT go down,
but just a little. You will pay me 1/3 when I have painted the outside, 1/3
when I have painted the inside and 1/3 when the job is done. I can start
work tomorrow.

There is no way to give you an accurate price or even a guess.

I think the problem is not with your contractor.

Steve

"mark Ransley" wrote in message
...
You have given 0 details on the house

Not true, read original post.



Nobody can give you an honest answer,
without alot of details and effort, and even then it would be a half
assed bid

That's all I'm asking for...a wild guess....the more the better.

Forget it.

All I asked for was a guess at the cost to paint the house.

If you won't give one or take a stab at it, then at least be polite about
it.

You folks are even more full of **** than my bait and switch painter and my
lazy GC.

"Matilda Zuckerman" wrote in message
...

"mark Ransley" wrote in message
...
You have given 0 details on the house

Not true, read original post.



Nobody can give you an honest answer,
without alot of details and effort, and even then it would be a half
assed bid

That's all I'm asking for...a wild guess....the more the better.





$6,128,355.94 and you buy the paint.

It is a wild guess, and it is more than your current bid. I can start in
the morning.

Steve

"Matilda Zuckerman" wrote in message
...

Forget it.

All I asked for was a guess at the cost to paint the house.

If you won't give one or take a stab at it, then at least be polite about
it.

You folks are even more full of **** than my bait and switch painter and
my
lazy GC.





You could have at least offered a prize for the best guess. Like the "how
many beans in the jar" guesstimate. You probably would have gotten some
replies.

STeve

Matilda how can you be so stupid, everyone tried to help except you,
NOT enough INFO on the house, get it....

Nevermind....end of thread.

Like Rosanna Rosannadanna would say It just goes to show you its always
something, Never Mind

Why do you even post ? You provide no info and you aren't funny.

"Matilda Zuckerman" wrote in message t...
Like Rosanna Rosannadanna would say It just goes to show you its always
something, Never Mind

Why do you even post ? You provide no info and you aren't funny.

at least you got a response from mark ransley! :-)

Thanks Linda...

That's what I've been looking for !

"Matilda Zuckerman" wrote in message ...
Thanks Linda...

That's what I've been looking for !

My parents got a bid to pain interior of their 2000 sqrt feet house;
$2000 for two coat, 1 color, no trim.