# How long to paint a hollow metal door w/frame?



## FLI

Hey everyone, trying to establish some baselines. How long to paint an installed hollow metal door with frame by brush/roller method, figuring pre-primed shop "gray" and, in my experience, at a minimum, 2 coats. Thanks


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## Oden

Six a hour.


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## Gough

Three fiddy.


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## Monstertruck

It shouldn't take long.


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## journeymanPainter

8 hours per door

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## Oden

Oden said:


> Six a hour.


I didn't see door and frame
I'll give you three a hour. 
One coat


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## Bender

"So you want to be a painting contractor"


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## mattpaints82

FLI said:


> Hey everyone, trying to establish some baselines. How long to paint an installed hollow metal door with frame by brush/roller method, figuring pre-primed shop "gray" and, in my experience, at a minimum, 2 coats. Thanks


:bangin:


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## Monstertruck

JP could do it alot faster than that.:blink:


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## FLI

Wow, that sure is a wide array of times, not to mention a few must have thought I was asking about price. No, I'm working on a formula for prevailing wage government jobs. Just trying to ask around and get a lot of answers, then do some math and, hopefully, get a steadily improving grasp of man hours as they relate to each type of task. Always trying to hone my estimating skills. Thanks to everyone that answered my question.


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## oldccm

FLI said:


> Wow, that sure is a wide array of times, not to mention a few must have thought I was asking about price. No, I'm working on a formula for prevailing wage government jobs. Just trying to ask around and get a lot of answers, then do some math and, hopefully, get a steadily improving grasp of man hours as they relate to each type of task. Always trying to hone my estimating skills. Thanks to everyone that answered my question.



How can you come up with an estimate if you have no parameters?

Are the doors flat? Windows? Are they pre hung? Door knobs? Mag locks? Finished site or new builds? What kind of paint? Government building so if it specs 62 coats you're going to have to do 62 coats. The list is endless but to say on the estimate 8 doors a day you could be in for some long or short days.


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## Lambrecht

12 minutes per door both sides including sanding. 15 minutes per frame both sides including sanding. This assumes the door are flat panel with minimal sanding needed. 6 panel doors will take about 16 minutes.


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## FLI

In the question I did say installed. I meant with the hinges, closer, knob, plate, etc.. I was not thinking a lighted slab, just flat, commercial, HM door w/frame. As far as paint, it's usually a DTM or even a Pro Mar 200 or Speedhide. They usually have a two coat requirement for a factory primed door. My guys can usually do one, with a professional outcome, no ropes or major flashes, etc., in about 2.5 - 3 hours, set-up to walk-away. Thanks


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## journeymanPainter

slickshift said:


> AaaaaaaaaH!!!!!!


My honest answer is 20 mins per coat, both door and frame (including sanding)

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## Lambrecht

2-3 hours to do a single door and frame 2 coats both sides????? They need to get their azzes in gear. In an 8 hour work day you will get about 6.5 actual "working" hours out of 1 person. So you are saying in 1 day that your guys will only crank out 2 doors per man.


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## Boco

Lambrecht said:


> 2-3 hours to do a single door and frame 2 coats both sides????? They need to get their azzes in gear. In an 8 hour work day you will get about 6.5 actual "working" hours out of 1 person. So you are saying in 1 day that your guys will only crank out 2 doors per man.


 There big doors and they use artists brushes.


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## Hines Painting

If they are smooth, roll them and lay/tip them off with a paint pad. 3/4 inch nap and you will dip once when you start and once in the middle of the door. Could probably stretch it out, but it's faster to dip. 

You can do both sides and the outer edge in about 4 minutes, assuming the flooring is masked and the hardware is removed.

I'm still not sure if it's faster to brush the inside edge or tape the hinges and roll + lay off.


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## Boco

4 min each thats 15 frames an hour with a long brake 6 working hours. Thats day thats 90 frames a day. Your hired.:jester:


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## Hines Painting

Boco said:


> 4 min each thats 15 frames an hour with a long brake 6 working hours. Thats day thats 90 frames a day. Your hired.:jester:


I was talking about smooth doors, not frames.


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## Boco

Your still hired. And i am just monkeying around.


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## Hines Painting

Deal, What's my starting pay?


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## daArch

journeymanPainter said:


> slickshift said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> AaaaaaaaaH!!!!!!
> 
> 
> 
> My honest answer is 20 mins per coat, both door and frame (including sanding)
> 
> Sent from my SGH-T989D using PaintTalk.com mobile app
Click to expand...

*20 points for quoting Slickshift* :thumbup: :notworthy: :thumbup:


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## journeymanPainter

daArch said:


> *20 points for quoting Slickshift* :thumbup: :notworthy: :thumbup:


Yeah, not sure how that happened, I thought I was quoting the OP :what:

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## Bender

I'm calling Shenanigans
Sure a painter can paint a million frames an hour, but at the end of the day if he has 22 done its a good day.


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## Boco

22 is a good day . 100 a week would be some good jingle. The most we ever did was 209 doors in a day. Of course they were sprayed and the GC was responsible for set up. 4 floor hotel with them lined up hallways. All we had to so was flippem. The frames we were doing only 50 a day but they were sprayed and tipped in as requested. Ya I would like that check again.


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## Hissing Cobra

I could do one coat on two in an hour and that would include removing door handles and latches. For starters, I would paint the 2" sides of the door first and wipe the excess off the faces. I would then use a 9" Purdy 1/4" thickness roller to roll the face and back brush it for a smoother finish. From there I would brush the casings out. Twenty minutes on each casing, ten minutes on each door, and you have 30 minutes total for each coat on each door/casing. They would be super smooth, dirt free, and have an even sheen to them. Since I don't really take breaks, 16 in a day would be the norm for me.


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## TJ Paint

does it matter how long it takes me? 

I'm not painting them. I have my own to paint. I budgeted 5 mins on this thread. Thats all I got.


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## journeymanPainter

Hissing Cobra said:


> I could do one coat on two in an hour and that would include removing door handles and latches. For starters, I would paint the 2" sides of the door first and wipe the excess off the faces. I would then use a 9" Purdy 1/4" thickness roller to roll the face and back brush it for a smoother finish. From there I would brush the casings out. Twenty minutes on each casing, ten minutes on each door, and you have 30 minutes total for each coat on each door/casing. They would be super smooth, dirt free, and have an even sheen to them. Since I don't really take breaks, 16 in a day would be the norm for me.


Why back brush? 

Wouldn't that leave an uneven finish and an ugly sheen?


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## ridesarize

Yeah, no back brushing here, we're talking commercial doors, even retail spaces look better when just rolled evenly, before paint tacks up, make tight stipple, brush jambs maybe.

No hardware removal needed. 

On one new commercial job we did about 10 doors and sprayed them and the jambs quite quickly and effortlessly. The super said I was the first foreman to spray his doors and they looked great and it was fast.


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## HJ61

They look so much better sprayed. Funny, my check looks better when more doors are sprayed as well. I budget 1 hour per door/frame for setup, washing, sanding, masking hinges and painting 2 coats. But then we just spray all the doors/frames in a day, be it 20 or 60. And then the electricians hit the wet paint, and the hardware installers mar the finish, and the tenants dent the doors...


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## akrause

Ahhhh, ....the classic "What can I charge this customer" saga. All depends on the customer my lad but for GC work, ...it's unlikely your gonna get more than $30-$35 (per unit) to prep, caulk and 2 coat a door and case set.


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## 6126

I've done thousands and thousands. Literally. If I'm working hard, I can do one every 15 minutes. 32 in an 8 hour day. Thats cookin. (My record is 50 in 8 hours) Very few guys are going to put out that kind of production on a daily basis. I would figure 30 minutes per coat per door and frame (if you have good painters)


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## Workaholic

daArch said:


> *20 points for quoting Slickshift* :thumbup: :notworthy: :thumbup:


I was thinking the same thing. I hope he is well.


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## LaserLines

akrause said:


> Ahhhh, ....the classic "What can I charge this customer" saga. All depends on the customer my lad but for GC work, ...it's unlikely your gonna get more than $30-$35 (per unit) to prep, caulk and 2 coat a door and case set.


I get alot more than that. Alot.


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## Chicago Handyman

oil based paint? takes me 3 hours.


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## daArch

Chicago Handyman said:


> oil based paint? takes me 3 hours.



methinks the OP moved on to another door within the last 10 months. :whistling2:


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## Chicago Handyman

what? now i have to check dates and relevance? i thought i was working the roller, you can cut in.


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## pvtgloss

The door is fast, Cut in and roll with a mole hair nap. 4 minutes a side, tops. The frame, 15 minutes a coat. 1.5 man hours, maybe. But if it takes you or your help longer that's ok, AS LONG AS IT'S DONE RIGHT. Don't try to bid down to the quickest possible time. Give your self some "fluff".


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## daArch

another thread that won't die, even after the OP is loooooong gone


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