Home › Forums › Open Discussion › Can I please get your opinions?
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July 4, 2012 at 6:38 pm #603861
phoenixParticipantWe’ve been taking bids to get the exterior of our house painted. The three bids we’ve received so far range between $3,500-$4,000, and were from WSB recommendations. We just received a bid for less than $2,000, but we would responsible for purchasing all the paint & equipment. I’m skeptical because the price seems “too good to be true.” I would appreciate any opinions and thoughts. Thanks!
July 4, 2012 at 6:46 pm #762869
DannyQMemberWhen it comes to house painting, I can say from experience that you get what you pay for. Generally people that are painting a house for that low will come through and spray it and maybe use a brush here and there or potentially just rollers.
When you pay the extra money, they generally hand paint with a brush if you ask them too. I know for myself I LOVE the glossy, thick look when paint is applied well.
I would say regardless of who you decide to go with, ask questions instead of assuming. Are they going to prime it, will they accept a half the money up front and half when it’s finished or all of it at the end? Are the license and bonded? Cover yourself and make that house look pretty! :-)
July 4, 2012 at 8:31 pm #762870
dhgParticipantIf you go with someone like Jim Knott of Paint the Town you are getting someone who takes pride in his work and in making the customer happy. If you go on price alone you may wind up crying bitter tears. There is a reason certain sayings endure, such as, “you buy it cheap, you buy it twice”.
July 4, 2012 at 8:56 pm #762871
MargLMemberTho’ no matter who you go with, even Paint the Town, uses contractors on occasion or may be too busy to check all the work in person – so it’s buyer beware – check the work is done to your satisfaction before you sign off on the bill! I had one side of our house painted in semi-gloss finish – and the rest not – because the folks (not PtT) hired bought the wrong kind of paint. We also had some holes under cabinets and in closets that we’d asked to have patched before painting and that’d didn’t happen until after our house was sold (we’d already moved out of town). It got done but it was a little frustrating it got missed in the first place… They were BIG holes.
July 4, 2012 at 10:15 pm #762872
WorldCitizenParticipantIts easy to paint a house cheaply if you do no prep work.
July 4, 2012 at 10:56 pm #762873
WSBKeymasterWe paid $1,500 to have our house painted … when we bought it almost 20 years ago. Given that, $2K sounds rock-bottom-low.
But FWIW that was the low bid and it’s lasted pretty well (OK, so it’s peeled in some spots, I’ll watch this thread b/c sooner or later it needs to be redone). I’m fairly sure we bought the paint.
So different in THIS day-n-age when you can browse recommendations, Better Business Bureau, and other ways of trying to get the best sense possible of someone’s track record and work style. Good luck! Let us know how it turns out, since one of these days we will HAVE TO give this old hovel a new look and this is probably where WE will ask for recs, too …
Tracy
July 4, 2012 at 11:34 pm #762874
KevinParticipantYou definitely get what you pay for! Case in point, we hired an an experienced painter (or so he said) and he spent quite a few days on the project.
A year or two later and there was some peeling, so I decided to do some touch up on my own, as said painter had since left town.
My “touch ups” have lasted FAR longer than what the original painter did – BECAUSE I spent MUCH more time than he did on the “prep” work. Scraping, sanding, priming, and finally painting!
The bottom line is that the prep work is everything!
In all fairness, the original painter charged $2 – $3K and told me that what I was looking for is an $8K painting job. He was probably right.
One tip for the DIY crowd is to paint ONE side of your house every year. Not a bad idea if you don’t mind doing the painting thing once a year. :)
Just remember – PREP work is where it is at! And don’t let someone talk you into a spray job!
Anyone remember “Earl Scheib Auto Painting” – same advice in this case too – you get what you pay for :)
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July 5, 2012 at 3:41 am #762875
acemotelParticipantI just went through this: for a 3000 sq. ft. home (2 stories in Eastern WA), I got bids ranging from 2500 to 5800. I used one of the higher ones because I knew the guy and he has done fantastic work in the past. He used sub-contractors and it was a good thing I was on site watching the whole process because I caught a few errors – using flat where it should have been gloss on the railings, wrong color on the eaves, etc. The low bid seemed too good to be true, but the guy looked like he had just tumbled out of bed after an all-night party. I think nothing beats personal recommendations.
Kevin – why do you suggest not spraying? My painters first brushed, then sprayed, the doors, and they looked ever so much better when sprayed.
July 5, 2012 at 6:14 am #762876
mike0323ParticipantIn our case the prepwork, and paint/primer were the major expenses. The actual painting went fast. Since you said the estimate does not include paint costs, I would figure out the paint & equipment cost. I doubt you’re getting a deal.
July 5, 2012 at 4:22 pm #762877
queseraMemberI know this isn’t the opinion you’re looking for, but 3-4k??? Good lord. I helped my parents paint their house last summer. It took about four people three weekends to paint a two story house for the cost of the paint and some brushes. Is it really worth paying someone else?
One tip on house painting: it is definitely, definitely worth buying paint samples and doing some patches. My parents did that and rejected most of the colors. They ended up with a really nice color. Their neighbors had professional painters come and I don’t think they really understood what that color was going to look like. They saw it for the first time when the painters were half done. You might be able to see their house from an airplane it’s so bright.
July 5, 2012 at 4:34 pm #762878
happy hourParticipantIf they don’t have the supply’s I doubt they are real painters. Go with a good referral. And spend the money. Why be stuck with supplies? You can still negotiate on cost of paint. I had a painter years ago who promised prep work and 2 coats. Hardly any prep and got 1 coat @ 4 k lowest bid. Get everything in writing. Plus their
I.D . ‘s. they tend to disappear after the job
July 5, 2012 at 5:51 pm #762879
KevinParticipantSeveral painters have told me that brushing and rolling is superior to spraying. I think it has to do with working the paint into all the little nooks and crannies.
As for your doors, spraying after brushing certainly does make sense.
Also remember that spraying is much less labor intensive, but that does not mean you are going to pay less.
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