Hi. I’m just starting out on my own to paint residential homes. My problem is I’m not sure if I’m charging too much. I’ve gotten some calls but they all grumble at my price. I’m good at what I do and I’m very clean. But I keep getting undercut by all these other painter’s. I like to charge by the sq/ft. It gives me a more accurate estimate when I’m dealing with new clients. I charge anywhere from 0.20cents to 0.35cents a sq/ft. Just wondering if this is too high?
Charging by the sq ft is NOT the way to go… my friend… you need to evaluate your own ability and experience at the trade… give estimates by: How long will it take to finish (how many days per one man) and what do you want to charge for a day for one man? … then add costs of paint and material then add a little overhead for equipment, advertising etc (perhaps 2-3%) … Good Luck!
Be sure the estimate lists every thing you will do even if it seems like an "of course." Be sure your customer reads it. They will understand the high quality work that you do and if they just want paint on the wall hire someone else. Remember that when someone sees the work they are not going to hear that they wanted the cheap job but the will remember your name.
