Painters - What Am I Missing Here?

[Tim Crosby]

Hey BP!

So, I'm currently talking to a few painters about taking care of one of the units at my duplex in Winter Haven, FL. Some people I've reached out to have simply provided me with a price per sqft, but 2 of them have asked to come to the house to see it in person. Naturally, I invited them over and the quoted me.

The first guy seemed really knowledgeable and had a portfolio of work to backup his talk. I was impressed with his understanding and professionalism, but there was one issue - the price.. for this 650sqft unit, he was asking $2,400 to paint the walls, ceiling, trim and doors of the intetrior!

The second painter seemed to be working for a much smaller outfit. If I had to guess, C&L (the name of their company) stood for Craig & Lindsey (the names of the people quoting me). Still, they were very professional and understanding about what I was looking for, but for the same job they were only asking for $800.

Now, to me, this looks like a pretty simple choice. I currently rent the other side for $750 a month. It'spossible I could get $800 with a fresh paint job, but even then, spending 3 months worth of rent for paint !? Why not just pay the $800 and then, even if I can't up the rent, at least I'm not out another $1,600. Right?

Let me know what you guys think. Is there really a big difference in an $800 paint job vs a $2,400 paint job? I understand you get what you pay for, but this seems like I might be paying for a bit too much with the first guy. Some of my friends say it's worth it, others think the opposite, but none of them have any experience, so I leave it to you.. what should I do? What would YOU do?

If you want to know more about this estimate, he did provide me scope of work, but it seems like pretty standard stuff. Feel free to ask for more details, I'm here on BP every day now!

[Gary Siver]

There are a few unanswered questions.  Is it labor only, you supply material?  What brand and type of paint?  Are they doing prep work?  Does it need to be primed?  How many different colors?  $2400 is high for a vacant property, he probably is busy and doesn’t need/want the job.  $800 is a little low but they might have a gap in their schedule they are trying to fill.  Ask for references and photos.