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I posted recently asking for recommendations here for painters, and got nowhere. I had about 6-8 guys in my rolodex and called, but some had disappeared and some were just too booked up. This was a small job, just painting two rooms, but I ended up having four guys in for estimates and I was amazed at the price disparity, from $800-$2200, from 1 guy with 3 gallons of paint, to 3 guys with six gallons of paint.
But what bugs me - with apologies to anyone here who's a professional painter - is that it's not a highly skilled job. That's why a lot of people do it themselves. Even with the cheaper guys, they're basically figuring on something in the vicinity of $100/hour, and I just don't think it's worth that. I'm surprised that more enterprising people don't come along and undercut those prices. On the other had, the funny part was that every single guy, which they saw the look on my face, immediately lowered the price.
I went with the cheapest guy, who did a fine job, but what I did afterward, was call the next two highest, which were around $1100-$1400, and told them truthfully that I liked them a lot, but as I'd said, money was a factor, so I went with someone cheaper. I'm trying to do this in various fields, and I urge all of you to do this, too. When we don't call these guys back, they never know the outcome. If they have a handful of people calling to say, sorry, I found someone 30% cheaper, it gives them the opportunity to re-think their prices. In fact, the $1100 guy was so upset, he said - although he'd originally started at $1400, that he would have lowered it further if he'd known.
I really think we should always be providing feedback, even if it takes a little extra time or effort.
Your calls will most likely fall on deaf ears. The reason they are bidding such high rates is likely because they are booked solid and have no trouble in finding higher paying, longer term projects. To make it worth it to them, they bid high on small jobs. If you pay it, it makes the small project comparable in terms of profit to the larger jobs. If you don't use them, they don't care because they are booked with larger projects.
I use to paint apartments and rooms on the side. First of all, if you want a legit painter, they have to be licensed and insured. If not, and they fall and break their neck in your apartment, YOU are liable and they can sue the crap out of you! Getting licensed and insured is expensive in NYC.
Although painting is not rocket science, you do need to know what you are doing and it is a lot of work! That's why noone likes painting apartments. I had people begging me to come paint their place. Also, NYC apartments suck! Hard to find parking, as you need to drive in your supplies, and then you get to haul everything up stairs. Then the walls in the apartment are all warped and not at 90 degree angles. Taping up the walls was always a pain because of this.
These days, I too would charge the rates you were quoted, at least!
I posted recently asking for recommendations here for painters, and got nowhere. I had about 6-8 guys in my rolodex and called, but some had disappeared and some were just too booked up. This was a small job, just painting two rooms, but I ended up having four guys in for estimates and I was amazed at the price disparity, from $800-$2200, from 1 guy with 3 gallons of paint, to 3 guys with six gallons of paint.
But what bugs me - with apologies to anyone here who's a professional painter - is that it's not a highly skilled job. That's why a lot of people do it themselves. Even with the cheaper guys, they're basically figuring on something in the vicinity of $100/hour, and I just don't think it's worth that. I'm surprised that more enterprising people don't come along and undercut those prices. On the other had, the funny part was that every single guy, which they saw the look on my face, immediately lowered the price.
I went with the cheapest guy, who did a fine job, but what I did afterward, was call the next two highest, which were around $1100-$1400, and told them truthfully that I liked them a lot, but as I'd said, money was a factor, so I went with someone cheaper. I'm trying to do this in various fields, and I urge all of you to do this, too. When we don't call these guys back, they never know the outcome. If they have a handful of people calling to say, sorry, I found someone 30% cheaper, it gives them the opportunity to re-think their prices. In fact, the $1100 guy was so upset, he said - although he'd originally started at $1400, that he would have lowered it further if he'd known.
I really think we should always be providing feedback, even if it takes a little extra time or effort.
Contrary to your belief professional indoor and outdoor house painting *is* a skilled job. True you can get any slop artist to throw paint up (or do it yourself) but then you get what you paid for (or didn't).
As with other construction trades painters are supposed to be licensed and carry insurance. As another poster mentioned you bring in someone and they fall/injury themselves in your home but do not carry insurance, you (or your landlord) are going to get sued.
The steady flow of illegals has killed the painting business to the point professionals won't bother with low bid jobs. They can get their money right now in the booming construction market. Plus most have learned years ago low ball bidding jobs are often more trouble than they are worth.
You got your work done at rate you wanted to pay, congrats. But don't begrudge honest professionals their right to earn.
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