The Dangers of Cheap Painting Quotes
If two painting quotes differ by more than 10% then DIFFERENT WORK is being quoted. Cheap quotes are not the same quotes.
Most people think that the craft of painting is pretty straightforward and the only difference from one painter's quote and the next is profit (and maybe materials).
This is a reasonably assumption, but unfortunately its wrong.
If two quotes differ by more than 10% then different work is being quoted.
For example a $5k quote will NEVER cover the same work that a $10k quote will. It just cant be done!
The only way to be significantly cheaper is to cut corners.
Here are 16 ways that can happen:
1. Hire cheap unskilled workers (eg. back packers).
2. Don't sand or wash trim.
3. Don't use masking tape where the skirting meets the floor.
4. Don't wash kitchen walls to remove grease.
5. Don't wash bathroom walls to remove mould.
6. Don't protect your floors and furniture properly.
7. Use cheap paint.
8. Put cheap paint in Dulux cans.
9. Water down good paint.
10. Only apply one coat of paint instead of two. (the job can be done in half the time!)
11. Don't seal old or new plaster.
12. Don't fill gaps or cracks.
13. Don't repair old peeling paint properly.
14. Rush through the job. Fix (or maybe not) any stuff-ups later.
15. Quote low. Win the job. Find unseen problems that need more money to proceed.
16. There are plenty more. But I think you get the idea.
By following some or all of the tricks above, a super low quote can be achieved.
You will pay thousands for a messy, stressful, paint job that fails far faster than it should.
THEN you will need to start again and hire a quality painter costing you even more.
A huge part of my painting work is fixing up cheap and nasty PAINT WORK THAT HAS FAILED because people went for the cheap quote.
Or ... Cheap price + Price for a quality painter to do it properly = Much more than the quality painter in the first place.
I don't mind if you don't use me, but PLEASE don't go for the lowest quote because I can guarantee you'll get a result that disappoints.
You can start to see the difference by asking each painter:
"HOW MANY MAN HOURS DO YOU PLAN TO SPEND ON YOUR PROJECT?"
If the $5k guy plans to spend 50 hours and the $10k plans to spend 130 hours, there's your answer.
This is a reasonably assumption, but unfortunately its wrong.
If two quotes differ by more than 10% then different work is being quoted.
For example a $5k quote will NEVER cover the same work that a $10k quote will. It just cant be done!
The only way to be significantly cheaper is to cut corners.
Here are 16 ways that can happen:
1. Hire cheap unskilled workers (eg. back packers).
2. Don't sand or wash trim.
3. Don't use masking tape where the skirting meets the floor.
4. Don't wash kitchen walls to remove grease.
5. Don't wash bathroom walls to remove mould.
6. Don't protect your floors and furniture properly.
7. Use cheap paint.
8. Put cheap paint in Dulux cans.
9. Water down good paint.
10. Only apply one coat of paint instead of two. (the job can be done in half the time!)
11. Don't seal old or new plaster.
12. Don't fill gaps or cracks.
13. Don't repair old peeling paint properly.
14. Rush through the job. Fix (or maybe not) any stuff-ups later.
15. Quote low. Win the job. Find unseen problems that need more money to proceed.
16. There are plenty more. But I think you get the idea.
By following some or all of the tricks above, a super low quote can be achieved.
You will pay thousands for a messy, stressful, paint job that fails far faster than it should.
THEN you will need to start again and hire a quality painter costing you even more.
A huge part of my painting work is fixing up cheap and nasty PAINT WORK THAT HAS FAILED because people went for the cheap quote.
Or ... Cheap price + Price for a quality painter to do it properly = Much more than the quality painter in the first place.
I don't mind if you don't use me, but PLEASE don't go for the lowest quote because I can guarantee you'll get a result that disappoints.
You can start to see the difference by asking each painter:
"HOW MANY MAN HOURS DO YOU PLAN TO SPEND ON YOUR PROJECT?"
If the $5k guy plans to spend 50 hours and the $10k plans to spend 130 hours, there's your answer.