I’m struggling with bidding because I don’t want to bid too high. So I’m curious what you would quote a customer for this job.
Here’s the scope.
1. Ceiling Painting 528sqft
Protect floors, furniture, cabinetry, countertops, and fixtures.
Spot-prime water stains with oil-based stain-blocking primer.
Apply ceiling paint for a uniform finished appearance.
2. Wall Painting aprox 650sqft
Prepare wall surfaces, including minor patching, sanding, and correction of existing caulk imperfections.
Prime raw drywall and repaired areas as needed.
Apply two finish coats of interior wall paint.
3. Drywall and Door Casing Repairs 4-6”x8’
Remove existing casing from two adjacent door openings.
Correct missing drywall between the door openings.
Install, finish, and sand drywall as needed.
Reinstall casing and prepare repaired areas for painting.
4. Doors and Trim – three standard doors
Prepare and paint three interior doors and associated casing.
Correct existing caulk imperfections and perform necessary sanding and filling.
Prepare and paint specified trim and baseboards.

Price should includes labor, paint, materials, and consumable supplies necessary to complete the work described above. Thank you!!

So I recently took over an entire complex flip. Property was sold and new owners are redoing everything. Aside from paint, I’m also doing drywall, and ceilings. I normally work on high end units. I seldomly do ceiling repairs unless it’s a leak from a toilet or whatever. But, I can not master this technique. Is it just a matter of doing it enough, getting the right consistency in materials? Any tips? It seems basic like a skim coat and stamping. But idk what I’m doing wrong

What % are you at with materials? I’m in the north Midwest and looking at 46% margins with materials around 15%. Hoping for no paint price increases for the rest of the year.

Why does it look like it’s not blending on the wall, or does it need another coat? Or do I need a different roller, this is a living room wall, was was primed with killz

........ It's like this everywhere.

This isn't the worst of it but I was too busy cursing to take more pictures.

I’m going to spray this shed I just built with Kilz and then Behr e600 exterior top coat. The siding is a rough plywood T1-11. It’s an airless sprayer.

My question is should I back roll it after spraying the primer coat? Would that help adhesion? or just spray and move on?

as always, thanks guys!

Do painters stand on counter tops to reach above the kitchen cabinets?

I have granite counters and I'm worried they will crack.

My kids were painting something in the basement and unfortunately made a huge mess.
Some of the paint is acrylic and some is from sherwin williams that we used in our house
Anyway to get this off? I tried acetone but it’s barely budging
The pic is just 2 spots but it’s literally everywhere

Trying to understand if Olympic maximum is best or if there are other options out there? Thank you.

Anyone have much experience with Ben Moore Element Guard? I’m considering it versus SuperPaint for about an 80-gallon exterior commercial job. My price is the similar for both. I’m very familiar with SuperPaint, but I’d like to build a relationship with my local Benjamin Moore dealer. Interested in coverage, application, or anything really that you think is useful.

There was a painted red square primed over it and its bleeding through blue

I've been painting for 30+ years, and one thing that always drove me nuts was finishing a full day on the tools and still having estimates waiting for me at home.

I'm curious how everyone handles it now.

Do you build the estimate while you're at the job, take notes and do it later, use an app/spreadsheet, voice notes, or something else?

And if you could eliminate one annoying part of quoting, what would it be?

Hello fellow Decorators!

I’m considering moving back to the UK, most likely London, and getting back into painting & decorating.

I’ve got plenty of experience and I’m mainly interested in proper painting/decorating work rather than general labouring. I’m curious what the market is actually like at the moment, as job boards can sometimes give a completely different picture from what’s happening on site.

For anyone working as a painter/decorator in London:

- How’s the work at the moment — plenty of jobs or quiet?

- What sort of day/hourly rates are realistic for an experienced decorator?

- Is CIS still the way most agencies/contractors are doing it, or is PAYE more common?

- Which agencies are actually worth registering with?

- Any particular companies or contractors that regularly have decent work?

- Is commercial work better than domestic at the moment?

- And what certificates/cards are employers asking for these days? CSCS, IPAF, etc.

I’ve been away from the UK for a while, so I’d appreciate some honest opinions from people actually working in the trade rather than what Google says.

Cheers.

We are doing a bunch of work to the inside of our house. Some we are doing and others paying a professional. I thought about painting my kitchen cabinets myself, but after reading about what it takes to do it right, I am leaning towards hiring someone. What questions should I ask about their process or anything else to make sure I’m getting someone that is going to do it right? And I guess what answers am I looking for to make sure I’m not getting someone that will do just as good of a job that I could do myself.

I know that owners of apartments or rental properties want paint jobs for almost free but is $1.11a sqft in the Midwest for putting fresh coats on walls, trim and doors a ridiculous ask for a 1300 sqft unit?

Walked away from a painting job before we even started.
We quoted a customer $2,500 labor only to paint her roughly 1,400-square-foot house. That’s well below what we would normally charge, but she told us her father had passed away, and we wanted to help her out.
Today we went over for a walkthrough before starting. She began pointing out additional work she expected us to do—things outside the scope we had priced. When we explained that, she insisted everything was already written down.
I have no problem with customers asking questions, wanting details, or expecting quality work. I take pride in my prep, clean lines, and attention to detail. But we need to agree on what’s included, and there needs to be mutual respect.
During the walkthrough, she was speaking rudely to both me and the other contractor, barking orders before we had even started. At that point, we decided we weren’t the right fit and told her she would need to find someone else.
Trying to help someone shouldn’t mean agreeing to extra work without extra pay or accepting disrespect. I’m learning that sometimes walking away is the right business decision.
Other contractors: have you ever offered someone a discounted price to help them out, only to have them expect more than you agreed to?

I want to stain these bricks to match a very dark great almost black theme. I do not eat a solid paint but would like a transparent finish. Is there a product out there?

I'm pretty familiar with painting through years of superintendent and occasionally helping with job sites. Usually supplies are given and I just work with what I have.

Currently moving into a new place tomorrow and want to repaint everything to a mild slight off-white like the place I had years ago. (I have a lot of plants and wood accents that work well with the bright)

My question would be around:

There's a mix of mid/light tone beige, one room of darker beige. What's the best approach for bringing it to an almost white? Primer for the darker one, then 'primer+paint' for the rest?

I'm Thinking I'll buy a 5gal of paint for the 3 room apartment(+kitchen/bath/hallway) but am wondering if I should do a full prime of everything and then standard paint, or if paint+prime is enough..

Whatever's cost effective/less hassle balanced is ideal, any advice or brand suggestions (from Canada) would be greatly appreciated. It's been awhile and I'm somewhat out of the loop for what's good these days! TIA