How to Bid Painting Jobs - 6 Vital Things to Consider

Estimating house painting jobs is something that youmethod for bidding paint jobs and walk away smiling
develop over time. I can go into any house and goand not wondering if you might bite the bullet on that
from room to room and tell you by eye just howone.
much paint you will need to do the ceilings, walls and3.) Allowances
woodwork. I can also tell you just about how long itYou need to allow for fuel, travel time and even
will take to paint each room basically.giving Uncle Sam his cut. If your going to be driving
I can even tell you just about how long it will take tolong miles you definitely want to account for fuel and
paint each room in general. But estimating manytravel time, even overnight expenses if you get that
times goes a lot deeper than just eyeballing a fewradical in your painting business. Again, if you have
simple rooms. So here are 6 points to help you whenemployees you will need to account for their wages
figuring your bids or estimates.and benefits in your bids also.
1.) Know Your Target Market4.) Hidden Expenses
When getting prepared to do a painting estimate youYou need to be aware of hidden expenses or
first need to know your target market or markets.projects that add extra time and extra materials to a
Are you going to be painting in the mid-classjob. Things like hard to cover colors, excessive prep
neighborhoods or are you aiming for the high-endtime, high-work, down time due to outside sources
expensive neighborhoods? Or are you going afterthat are common in new construction, etc.
commercial or industrial accounts?5.) Cost of Materials
Now you can you gauge how high you are going toYou need to know how much paint and materials
set your bid rates. You can have have high-end ratesyou will be using. (Note: A good estimating system
for larger homes, or for commercial or industrialwill automatically include all your paints and materials.)
painting, and mid prices for the rest.6.) Flexible Methods
Personally, when it comes to painting for residentialYour estimating system should have several ways of
customers, I keep my rates the same. I do not carefiguring your bids. Just like a set of golf clubs, some
if it's high-end or middle class. If they cannot affordtimes you need a different driver to make it on to
my painting services, I am out of there. Once youthe next green. Different jobs require different
have painted at a higher price, it's hard to go lowerpainting estimating techniques.
unless of course, you are hard up.For example: painting ceilings, walls and woodwork
If you are estimating painting jobs for big businessestimating can change if you have excessive
you can and should aim competitively high withoutwoodwork like walk-in closets with tons of shelving.
worrying about much competition as you would inOr rooms with high walls.
residential painting. Plus larger commercial customersThe same goes for exterior work in residential
have deep pockets. Also to consider, if you arepainting. Are the surfaces smooth and clean or is
tackling those types of accounts you will need extrathere stucco or shingles that require extra time and
painters anyways so you definitely need to aim highmaterials? When you have an accurate system in
in your bidding to cover their wages and benefits.place you can build up an estimate to meet the type
2.) Fool-Proof Systemof project you are bidding on.
You need an accurate estimating method that worksMany times on larger estimates, I will cross-check my
perfectly every time without fail. Whether inside orpainting bid from different angles by using two
outside. You can stand and stare at a project all daydifferent estimating techniques just to make sure I
and try to guesstimate exactly how long it will takehave it all together and did not leave anything out of
you to paint something or you can use an accuratethe big picture.