Cost to paint interior of house?

[displacedtexan]

Go to the local Sherwin Williams store and get a few painters #'s. You need to get 4 estimates

I don't know anyone in the entire residential sector of construction (my business) who would knowingly bid against 3 other people.

Shoot, I won't do competitive bids at all.

$9k sounds about right. Maybe even a little on the low side. If you think it needs a little drywall work, it needs a lot. New paint will show every flaw.

 

[*zap*]

Why would a homeowner tell a contractor how many bids he is getting.

 

[displacedtexan]

Why would a homeowner tell a contractor how many bids he is getting.

I get it regularly.

Probably because people who make good customers are honest and up front?

 

[*zap*]

Unless your asking a csr if he is getting other bids that csr can be honest and not give you that info.

 

[5MilesBack]

Why would a homeowner tell a contractor how many bids he is getting.

Why would a contractor not expect a homeowner to get several bids? That goes without saying on both sides IMO. It's always a competitive bid.

 

[Nine Banger]

I get it regularly.

Probably because people who make good customers are honest and up front?

Same here, I think they usually throw it out there because they don't trust the service industry and think its going to make us more competitive, but for busy guys it either is what is is or they don't bother to bid because it can imply the homeowner is going to hire the cheapest person if that's all they share about their decision making process.

If you ask for the other bids just to look at them they usually won't give them to you, which always comes off as sketchy to me.

 

[5MilesBack]

If you ask for the other bids just to look at them they usually won't give them to you, which always comes off as sketchy to me.

Sketchy? The first bidders didn't get to look at your bid before bidding. Why would blind bids be sketchy? In contracting it could be illegal to show other's bids to potential bidders.

 

[Nine Banger]

I meant after the bids are in...every once in a while someone will leverage lower bids in hand but still want us to do the job but they won't share the actual bids.

 

[TaperPin]

Clients showing bids to contractors happens all the time - my lawyer clients were probably the most eager to bring up other prices. I always try to close the job on the first meeting, but if they have other bids I ask them to bring me back last and I can explain why those other guys will cost them more money than the contract states.

Contractors are creatures of habit, and most have bad contracts, so without knowing which contractors they choose I could say if it was Company XYZ look at the assumption the existing walls don’t require any prep & their hourly rate for remediation. Company ABC omits prices for drywall work, so even touch ups require you to hire a separate company. Company 123 won’t give you a timeline, because they aren’t known for being dependable. Company 789 does good work and they are big enough to get it done quicker than anyone, but we’re usually 80% as fast, 2/3rds the price, higher quality and we don’t lock you in to the paint they spec out. Company JamakaMePaint uses as little paint as they can - ask to look at any of their previous jobs and you’ll see pin holes on textured walls. Company DontAskDontTell, well, I would clarify with them that no convicted felons will be working inside your house, because they are on the list of employers who participate on work release training. “Even though we are booked solid 6 months out I can start prepping trim and caulking this afternoon, and we can squeeze in one day of work each week until it’s done if you would like to get started, or you can wait and we’ll do it all at once starting on July 7th.“ That’s usually an easy close.

Tire kickers shopping all over town for deals are also a real thing - my go-to method of drumming up business if there’s an unexpected break in my work schedule is calling every contractor in town once a week to see if they need help. Contractors love talking about work and at the low point of the recession when very few new large jobs were popping up, one client shopped their building plans around for bids. I personally talked with 5 contractors with copies of the plans, and there were probably many more. It became fun to lead off the conversation with,”You probably have a set of plans from Joe Blow.” “How did you know that?!” Lol

 

[SWOHTR]

Contractors are creatures of habit, and most have bad contracts, so without knowing which contractors they choose I could say if it was Company XYZ look at the assumption the existing walls don’t require any prep & their hourly rate for remediation. Company ABC omits prices for drywall work, so even touch ups require you to hire a separate company. Company 123 won’t give you a timeline, because they aren’t known for being dependable. Company 789 does good work and they are big enough to get it done quicker than anyone, but we’re usually 80% as fast, 2/3rds the price, higher quality and we don’t lock you in to the paint they spec out. Company JamakaMePaint uses as little paint as they can - ask to look at any of their previous jobs and you’ll see pin holes on textured walls. Company DontAskDontTell, well, I would clarify with them that no convicted felons will be working inside your house. “Even though we are booked solid 6 months out I can start prepping trim and caulking this afternoon, and we can squeeze in one day of work each week until it’s done if you would like to get started, or you can wait and we’ll do it all at once starting on July 7th.“ That’s usually an easy close.

This is good to hear/read. I'm in the middle of a master bath remodel. Shopped around for bids and the only thing I sub'd out is the plumbing b/c that was signficiant enough and I don't have the tools or expertise to get the job done right. The rest of it though I am able to tackle slowly and learn quite a bit along the way.

An example of an unforeseen problem is the relocation and installation of a new vent fan. I'll get the job done for a few hundred whereas a contractor would likely cost an extra $1-2k. And this wasn't on the original bid/work scope.

 

[TaperPin]

This is good to hear/read. I'm in the middle of a master bath remodel. Shopped around for bids and the only thing I sub'd out is the plumbing b/c that was signficiant enough and I don't have the tools or expertise to get the job done right. The rest of it though I am able to tackle slowly and learn quite a bit along the way.

An example of an unforeseen problem is the relocation and installation of a new vent fan. I'll get the job done for a few hundred whereas a contractor would likely cost an extra $1-2k. And this wasn't on the original bid/work scope.

I’ve spent an entire career on nicer than average and custom houses, and some of the best work has been done by clients, because they can take their time. Sounds like you’ll save a bunch of money.

 

[KsRancher]

I don't know anyone in the entire residential sector of construction (my business) who would knowingly bid against 3 other people.

Shoot, I won't do competitive bids at all.

$9k sounds about right. Maybe even a little on the low side. If you think it needs a little drywall work, it needs a lot. New paint will show every flaw.

I dont understand not doing competitive bids. Do you do all cost plus work? We have a few guys around here that build custom homes. They won't even think about doing bid work. All cost plus. And they are booked out for years. So I guess if you can stay busy without bid work, why do it.

I just recently got started doing some walnut timber cutting. I called several people about buying my logs. A few came right out and said "if your having several people come out and bid on them, I am not interested". All that says to me is that they want to put the screws to me. But I could be wrong. I am currently selling them to a guy that said he would bid on them. But would prefer not to. He said he will treat me fair and buy every log I cut. I trust him for now.

 

[Drenalin]

Back 2009-ish I was working with a guy and we got $1 per foot to paint houses - 2 coats of cheap paint. Your 2,000 SF house would have been $2,000. With inflation and such, $2-$3/ft would not seem unreasonable and be $4,000-$6,000. High ceilings add complexity. We use a ladder to cut it in and extend-a-pole technique for rolling - do the same on exterior.

Surely you mean $1 per square foot of painted area, not the square footage of the house?

What I'm seeing currently is up to around $1.25 per square foot of painted area, plus trim, plus doors, plus a little on ceilings. This is generally for an appropriate type of SW paint, a crew of 2-3 guys, spraying and backrolling.

 

[displacedtexan]

I dont understand not doing competitive bids. Do you do all cost plus work? We have a few guys around here that build custom homes. They won't even think about doing bid work. All cost plus. And they are booked out for years. So I guess if you can stay busy without bid work, why do it.

I just recently got started doing some walnut timber cutting. I called several people about buying my logs. A few came right out and said "if your having several people come out and bid on them, I am not interested". All that says to me is that they want to put the screws to me. But I could be wrong. I am currently selling them to a guy that said he would bid on them. But would prefer not to. He said he will treat me fair and buy every log I cut. I trust him for now.

I do a chunk of cost plus stuff, maybe 50% verses stuff I bid. The stuff I do cost plus is stuff for designers, without enough scope of work to bid.

I don't do competetive bids because I'm uninterested in being the low bid. Or spending the time chasing it. I have a reputation and relationships, usually by the time someone calls me they know they want me to do the job.

If you're looking for the low price, I'm not your guy. If you don't know why you should chose me over the low price, I'm not your guy.

 

[displacedtexan]

Why would a contractor not expect a homeowner to get several bids? That goes without saying on both sides IMO. It's always a competitive bid.

Because in the world I work in, by the time people are talking to the me and the guys I work with/around, they know what they want, and who they want to do it.

Let's not waste anyone's time.

 

[5MilesBack]

Because in the world I work in, by the time people are talking to the me and the guys I work with/around, they know what they want, and who they want to do it.

If that's the case, then those particular folks won't be taking any bids anyway so not even an option for competitive bids. Just because it's a competitive bid doesn't mean that the low cost bid is the one that gets selected. Every detail should matter.

 

[Rich M]

Surely you mean $1 per square foot of painted area, not the square footage of the house?

What I'm seeing currently is up to around $1.25 per square foot of painted area, plus trim, plus doors, plus a little on ceilings. This is generally for an appropriate type of SW paint, a crew of 2-3 guys, spraying and backrolling.

No if it was a 2,000 SF house it would have been $2.000 - included SW paint, travel, etc. We did mostly rolling so we didn't spend as much time prepping. Just 2 of us guys who had found ourselves out of work for awhile - I was the underpaid helper for a while.

Worst thing we painted was a kid's Nemo mural, talk about vivid colors....ugh.

 

[James K]

Absolutely in the ballpark. Vaulted ceilings they add additional onto as well as drywall work (which you probably don't need). Friend had about that size house painted, inside, for $10k here in NJ. Little pricier.

I had my family room with vaulted ceiling, stairs, open concepted diningroom, and upstairs hallway (sort of a balcony hallway) painted. They threw in my son's small front playroom as well. All for $3000 in 2022 and I found that reasonable.

The key really is, how good of a job will they do? For $10k for an entire interior of a 2000 sq ft house I'd expect to have some nail pops and imperfections repaired in the drywall as well.

 

[TaperPin]

No if it was a 2,000 SF house it would have been $2.000 - included SW paint, travel, etc. We did mostly rolling so we didn't spend as much time prepping. Just 2 of us guys who had found ourselves out of work for awhile - I was the underpaid helper for a while.

Worst thing we painted was a kid's Nemo mural, talk about vivid colors....ugh.

If I had a house with 10’ ceilings, lots of glossy trim and crown, 28’ vaulted great room ceiling, and a number of small rooms, you would be the low bidder for sure.

 

[displacedtexan]

If that's the case, then those particular folks won't be taking any bids anyway so not even an option for competitive bids. Just because it's a competitive bid doesn't mean that the low cost bid is the one that gets selected. Every detail should matter.

For planning purposes...