Garage Apt. / My 1st

I just uploaded 2 photos of my first Garage Apartment. Yesterday I posted these photos at the local S-W paint store with a note attached that I was looking for a pro painter to paint the exterior only of this building.

Yesterday a painter showed up and took some quick measurements. I asked him for a labor only quote since I would supply all paint including the primer. His labor only quote was $2,000.00. I asked if he had any scaffolding. His method of 'scaffolding' is two 14 ft. ladders with a walk board between them. He claims to have insurance in case one of his helpers falls off the walk-board. Should I be concerned here?

This garage apartment will require pressure washing, a primer coat and a top coat. What would YOU pay to have this 2-story garage apartment painted?

Painter #2 is coming this morning. I plan on taking quotes from 4-5 pro painters on this project.

--68.63.xxx.xxx

Garage Apt. / My 1st (by plenty [MO]) Posted on: Aug 16, 2018 4:39 AM
Message:

I did not look at your pic but $2000 plus product...couldn't you have vinly siding put on? --99.203.xx.xxx

Garage Apt. / My 1st (by Roy [AL]) Posted on: Aug 16, 2018 4:53 AM
Message:

Plenty,

Thanks for the vinyl siding suggestion. That will give me another option to consider. Last week, I painted the house in front of the garage apartment and had several gallons of paint left over,..which I would like to use. I would like to have the main house and garage apartment to have to same paint color.

I will upload a photo of the house which has my signature S-W color called "Latern-Light". Most of my rental houses are painted this same color. --68.63.xxx.xxx

Garage Apt. / My 1st (by S i d [MO]) Posted on: Aug 16, 2018 5:41 AM
Message:

Roy... I love this house! It's exactly the kind of junker I like to get into and transform. The weeds and vines hanging all over are a great "vintage" look. ;-)

If you plan on keeping the place, go with vinyl. My guess is you'll pay maybe 30-50% more up front especially since they'll have to drill into the concrete walls of the basement/garage, but you'll never have to screw with paint again. A decent paint job will last you maybe 6-8 years before it starts to look faded, shabby, peeling...IF the painter does it right. And if he doesn't...you'll never find him again to make any "warranty" claim, if he even offers one.

I have a little 2 car garage next to a house that was converted into an apartment, so it's similar to what you've got except only a single story. $900 to paint just the FRONT with a sprayer. For $1100, I could have had vinyl. *sigh....

My new motto is do it ONCE, and do it RIGHT. Class C will eat us alive if we do patchwork repairs. --173.19.x.xxx

Garage Apt. / My 1st (by Richard [MI]) Posted on: Aug 16, 2018 5:54 AM
Message:

Roy, If a painter could not go around this place in one day with two coats of paint (primer and topcoat), I'd fire him. One half day to pressure wash, let it dry, prime then top coat in 8 hours or less. Most likely about 1 to 1.5 hours per coat.

1.5 days labor at $20 per hour= $240.00 maybe another $60 for insurance.

That $2000 bid is rediculous.

He will use an airless with an extension tip. They make these tips in many lengths. He could easily spray the entire second story and even the eaves from the ground.

When I used to do stuff like this we would paint 4 to 5 houses a day, gable ends, eaves and all.

Don't believe a thing he says about how hard it is. --66.188.xx.xxx

Garage Apt. / My 1st (by WMH [NC]) Posted on: Aug 16, 2018 6:11 AM
Message:

The pressure wash job would be $500 here. They've got to pay for their equipment. Then the paint job would probably be another thousand. --50.82.xxx.xx

Garage Apt. / My 1st (by Vee [OH]) Posted on: Aug 16, 2018 7:11 AM
Message:

I seem to be the hands on person, rent the power washer, then the airless stuff - do it yurself and then you will know what is fair to spend from here on out. Watch the HD ads, I got a 1400PSI washer last fall for 85bux - but that is when my ankle was wiped out so I have hot yet put it together... --76.188.xxx.xx

Garage Apt. / My 1st (by Roy [AL]) Posted on: Aug 16, 2018 7:48 AM
Message:

Sid,

I expect to get $700.00 for the main house and $500.00 for the furnished garage apartment. I will have to pay the water bill for both but the electricity and gas are metered separately.

I paid $15K for the 1,200 sq.ft. 3/1 house, the 450 sq.ft garage apartment and 2 vacant lots in the fenced-in backyard! This may have been the deal of the century and was a direct result of my Handyman Ad that I ran after returning from the St. Louis convention. --68.63.xxx.xxx

Garage Apt. / My 1st (by Roy [AL]) Posted on: Aug 16, 2018 7:59 AM
Message:

Richard,

Last week, using my own Wagner pro airless sprayer, I primed (Kilz) the main house in less than 2 hours. Three days later, I top-coated it in 1 hour using only 3 gallons of paint.

If I had scaffolding, I would hire a $10.00/hour guy to spray the garage apartment (I do not climb ladders or scaffolding anymore,..too old and much wiser now). Again, I am taking quotes from pro painters as what they would charge to paint the 2-story garage apartment to match the main house I painted last week.

What would you consider to be a reasonable quote for this job? And this is 2018,..not 1980.

--68.63.xxx.xxx

Garage Apt. / My 1st (by Old Tex [TX]) Posted on: Aug 16, 2018 8:22 AM
Message:

Roy. I am a long time poster here under different names. I sure wish I could stop by and see your empire and current project. I’ve been in Cartersville a few days, and will be in Rome a day or too until I decide to head back to Texas. I’ve been following you here since you first started posting here what seams like a least 10 years with your $5000 houses. Unfortunately though my time in Rome will be mostly at Redman. I will Probely go through G on the way to 20, but may be the middle of the night. --166.137.xxx.xxx

Garage Apt. / My 1st (by Old tx [TX]) Posted on: Aug 16, 2018 8:28 AM
Message:

Oh , and I am a diyer. I have painted both of my two story houses with a roller and super long extension pole. Very little has be taken care of with a 32 foot extension latter. I can’t stand paying someone a fortune when I can diy. Otherwise I wouldn’t have anything to do. --166.137.xxx.xxx

Garage Apt. / My 1st (by Ken [NY]) Posted on: Aug 16, 2018 10:59 AM
Message:

Roy,if you don't mind doing it yourself buy a set of scaffolding,probably still cheaper than paying a painter.My concern with hiring someone would be workers comp for employees and lead certification,if he doesn't have those 2 items he is not worth a pro price --72.231.xxx.xxx

Garage Apt. / My 1st (by Roy [AL]) Posted on: Aug 16, 2018 1:35 PM
Message:

Today, painter #2 quoted $1,500.00 for his labor only. I can tell these people are just quoting prices out of thin air.

--68.63.xxx.xxx

Garage Apt. / My 1st (by Roy [AL]) Posted on: Aug 16, 2018 1:37 PM
Message:

Old tx,

Why do you post under different names? --68.63.xxx.xxx

Garage Apt. / My 1st (by NE [PA]) Posted on: Aug 16, 2018 1:37 PM
Message:

Did you start on it this morning around 8am? You could've had most of it done by now. --50.32.xxx.xxx

Garage Apt. / My 1st (by Old Tex [TX]) Posted on: Aug 16, 2018 2:44 PM
Message:

Roy, having become well off with rent houses, I don’t want people to find out who I am. I’ve had at least 6 screen names over the past 15 years. --166.137.xxx.xx

Garage Apt. / My 1st (by Roy [AL]) Posted on: Aug 16, 2018 3:39 PM
Message:

Old Tex,

Is Homer one of your screen names by any chance?

NE- I am considering rolling it on with long extension poles. --68.63.xxx.xxx

Garage Apt. / My 1st (by Old tex [TX]) Posted on: Aug 16, 2018 3:55 PM
Message:

Roy. You are a sharp LL. Perhaps time for a new handle. Lol --166.137.xxx.xx

Garage Apt. / My 1st (by cjo'h [CT]) Posted on: Aug 16, 2018 8:11 PM
Message:

Roy, I still use my rea name,even when writing a check, Around here you'd never get a dealike that.With prices like that for painting,he should at least throw in a Barbecued chicken,but I doubt that he will.After all how is he going to spend the Winter in Florida,But what are you going to do with all that extra paint........................charlie..................................................... --32.214.xxx.xx

Garage Apt. / My 1st (by cjo'h [CT]) Posted on: Aug 16, 2018 8:19 PM
Message:

Roy,don't know what I was going to say,Will call you on the phone at 1 in the morning,If I can't get your number I'll call Alexa,she'll know.........charlie................................................................. --32.214.xxx.xx

Garage Apt. / My 1st (by cjo'h [CT]) Posted on: Aug 16, 2018 8:25 PM
Message:

Sid, is that what you call all those things in the front yard,always wondered......charlie ..............sounds good.......................................real sofischated.............

...........

--32.214.xxx.xx

Garage Apt. / My 1st (by cjo'h [CT]) Posted on: Aug 16, 2018 8:31 PM
Message:

Roy,think what I was going to say,I'm retired now,but when I was working only used one ladder and s good grade scaffold plank.think they're Spruce......charlie.......................................... --32.214.xxx.xx

Garage Apt. / My 1st (by Roy [AL]) Posted on: Aug 17, 2018 3:22 AM
Message:

Charlie,

Question - why is it that no one here wants to answer my original question - 'What would you pay a pro painter to paint this garage apartment?' Is it because everyone here is a DIYer and can't even imagine hiring someone else to paint for them?

To answer my own question, I think $1,000 is a reasonable price for pressure washing, primer coat and top coat. If I can't find a pro willing to take my money, I will do this myself using my $8.00/hour helpers. I can roll the paint on the 2nd story asbestos tiles and then use the airless sprayer on the bottom concrete blocks. --68.63.xxx.xxx

Garage Apt. / My 1st (by WMH [NC]) Posted on: Aug 17, 2018 4:20 AM
Message:

Roy I did answer your question. Locally, the pressure wash would be about $500 (maybe less, but close) and the paint job would be about $1500. --50.82.xxx.xx

Garage Apt. / My 1st (by Ken [NY]) Posted on: Aug 17, 2018 4:22 AM
Message:

Roy, I don't do any of the work myself anymore but have in the past,if I tried to spend a whole day painting I would be bored and how many calls would have I miss that could have made more money than the cost of that paint job? I would consider the $1500 price probably acceptable if he really was a pro and did the job properly and had insurance and lead certification which is very hard to find in my area otherwise he is just a helper quality.You can get guys for $8 an hour? I think minimum wage is higher than that in my state,i cant get guys good enough to even be helpers less than $15 an hour,my decent handyman guys are $25 an hour now but my rents have gone up over the past few years dramatically so it is working out ok.I cant even find high school kids who would work for $8 an hour --72.231.xxx.xxx

Garage Apt. / My 1st (by Roy [AL]) Posted on: Aug 17, 2018 4:47 AM
Message:

Ken,

The helpers I am referring to get government checks/food stamps and just need money for beer/cigs/or whatever. In every neighborhood where I have a house these people live nearby. They love working for me but I have to babysit them just any other low-skilled worker. Actually, I pay these people by the job, in cash and it usually works out be less than min. wage. --68.63.xxx.xxx

Garage Apt. / My 1st (by Ken [NY]) Posted on: Aug 17, 2018 5:04 AM
Message:

Roy,I know who you are talking about,they are here also and they wont even work for $8 an hour ,I wont hire them anymore,they will rob your house as soon as you leave the job for the night and they live 2 doors away,they will sit all day if you aren't there with them.I have deals to chase,office work etc.I prefer to hire skilled men now who aren't drug addicts or alcoholics and actually have a vehicle and drivers license. --72.231.xxx.xxx

Garage Apt. / My 1st (by Roy [AL]) Posted on: Aug 17, 2018 5:30 AM
Message:

Ken,

The people who I hire have just enough sense not to 'bite the hand that feeds them'. In all of the 12 years that I have rehabbed 25 plus houses, I only been robbed once,..and that was in a low class 100% white trash neighborhood where my only MH is located. I left a lawn-mower in the backyard and it was gone the next morning.

Now, I do hire legit low-medium skilled workers who have vehicles and can stay sober for an entire 8-10 hour day. In addition, I have 3 licensed pros which I use on every job (plumber, electrician & HVAC). My HVAC man is working today on replacing some duct-work in crawlspace. --68.63.xxx.xxx

Garage Apt. / My 1st (by Roy [AL]) Posted on: Aug 17, 2018 5:32 AM
Message:

WMH,

You did answer my question,...my apologies. --68.63.xxx.xxx

Garage Apt. / My 1st (by Oregon Woodsmoke [ID]) Posted on: Aug 18, 2018 8:27 AM
Message:

I think $2,000 sounds like an awful lot for a small building when the painter isn't supplying any of the paint or materials.

I suggest at least 2 more bids. --174.216.x.xxx

Garage Apt. / My 1st (by Steve [MA]) Posted on: Aug 19, 2018 4:32 AM
Message:

Roy, even in my area I think $2,000.00 for labor only is high. I would expect to pay $1,200.00 - $1,500.00 for a decent job by a legitimate painter. --71.174.xx.xx

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Garage Apt. / My 1st

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