Small interior paint job estimates: Last year by the worst painter in town: $2500+

[DemoTex]

Today by one of the best painters in town (too busy to bid last year): $675. Starts tomorrow.

[Fresh_Start]

1. thats good to know

if my husband gets a job maybe we'll be able to do somethings we've wanted to do for a long while

[Motown_Johnny]

10. Well, it looks like he will be competing with some painters for that job

since the guy doing the job was to busy to do it last year I am betting most everyone who had time to bid on the job is not out of work.

I don't see this as good news, sorry.

[Fresh_Start]

13. I didn't say it was good news

I said that I might, if my husband finds a job, afford to do needed work

[dugaresa]

2. what is being painted?

if I may ask.

what is a small job?

[DemoTex]

5. Here you go ..

One-coat kitchen walls and ceiling. Some prep and trim work.

Prep, prime, and paint two rooms (walls only) in the finished basement.

Remove, prep and re-paint four doors (original .. 1905).

Prime, paint, hang, and touch-up a new book case for the basement room.

[dugaresa]

14. thanks..

i paid $650 for a foyer to be painted but it is a larger foyer 17' ceilings (reason I did not paint it) and that included the entire upstairs hall and the downstairs foyer area. 1 coat of primer on ceilings and walls and 1 coat of paint on ceiling and 2 coats on walls. Took the guy 1.5 days to complete. I painted the rest of the house. I actually painted professionally before but hate climbing ladders to really high heights.


The stuff you listed takes time, so it is probably the equivalent.

[Oregone]

3. What defines worst and best painter?

[DemoTex]

8. Here you go:

The best:

Worked for me before. I paid $12,000 for an interior paint job from another "worst" before we moved in. Then I hired the best to re-paint. 1000% difference. Highly recommended by most decorators.

The worst:

Like a telemarketer. Pushy, pushy, pushy. No refs. Lotsa calls (still, 8 months after the estimate).

[Oregone]

11. Because....

Some people might see the best as those with a larger more popular organization. They procure materials cheaper by buying in bulk, use cheap labor, but still do a hell of a job and have a slick business front.

The worse may be a local independent contractor who does just as good of job painting with his buddies, who he pays well, and buys paint at a lower discount because its not in bulk. Yes, he isn't slick and smooth, is more expensive, but he does a hell of a job.

So I was just wondering.

[DemoTex]

15. Yeppers. To paraphrase the great writer Flannery O'Conner:

A good painter is hard to find.

[stevedeshazer]

4. That tells a lot, doesn't it?

Lots of painters and construction workers are flat out of work altogether.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

6. That's a sizable difference!

I'm seeing similar such price reductions in my area. It makes me glad, in a selfish sort of way, I had procrastinated on some of my needed repairs last year. Now I can get them done and I won't have to live off ramen to afford the work.

Hopefully my little jobs will also keep the contractors from having to live off ramen noodles to survive.

[TheCowsCameHome]

7. How things change

Back in the 70's I had certain contractors tell me they were too busy to take on a few home improvement jobs I needed done. Not long after that the bottom fell out and soon they were calling me to see if I needed any work done. My stock response: Sorry, fellas - you couldn't be bothered then, so I don't need you now.

The only ones that got the work were the ones that "had the time" the first time around.

[kestrel91316]

9. I'm probably gonna get a 12' stretch of wall drywalled for free.

Well, not technically free. I hope to spay a cat in exchange, along with microchipping and a parasite treatment and a minor blood test. My out-of-pocket will about equal his for the drywall. Works for me.

[ThoughtCriminal]

12. How much did Moe, Larry and Curly bid?

this year?