# Apartment painting



## 1stchoice

Evening everyone.
I have an opportunity to bid on some apartment painting. 
After the tenant moves out go in and re-paint.
Walls are flat -Taupe in color. Ceilings white- although normally no painting to ceilings unless water damage occuried. trim in white semi-gloss.
Semi in baths and kitchens taupe in color 
All painting will be (1) coat- all units are painted the same color scheme no changes.
The property manager stated that the units are usually in pretty good shape and will not require a total re-painting.
I am going to quote a price for a full repaint and a partial- 
How will I determine price for a partial to be fair to both of us? Time and material? 
Walls are normal wear - nail holes, no drywall repairs over 6" larger than a fist hole as stated by the manager.

My normal painting is residential painting. Not quite sure how to bid this.
I am thinking a flat out price per unit. (1) br 787 sq' (2) br 989 sq' 
(3) br 1229 sq' 

I know my costs and my labor times to complete so I will cover the expenses of traveling about 100 miles one way. I already confirmed that there will be a volume- (45) to be completed first, ready and waiting. After this will average (5) per week and I stated that when coming up to do the work I would like to have at least (5) to do not just (1) unit it wont be worth my time and travel to do just (1).
I am supplying the paint so this bid will be for Labor & Material.
The units can be sprayed or brush and roll which ever I prefer. If I am going to be able to spray than I am sure she will expect a better price.

Any help will be appreciated.
Thanks


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## timhag

1stchoice said:


> I have an opportunity to bid on some apartment painting.
> I know my costs and my labor times to complete so I will cover the expenses of traveling about 100 miles one way.


Do you think your added expenses of traveling is going to win over, say, a local guy?


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## johnpaint

Yeah, good luck with that Apt painting crap, that is what hell is going be like, all you do all day long is paint apts for penny's, and be mistreated, and insulted by people that are making min wage.


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## RCP

http://www.painttalk.com/f2/apartment-repaints-2203/


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## wje

I feel guilty making $2200 on an apartment repaint after a minor kitchen fire as an insurance resto.


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## nEighter

tell you what. You get to doing them, they are Effin nasty, you slowly loose contact with your homeowners and one day could find your butt without work. Do it if it is convenient and you have the time/crew to do it. Or if you can juggle both those and regular painting. Otherwise pass it up. You could be doing some nice exteriors during the summer, but will be stuck (their busy season) with TONS of work for not that much money.. also when they get slow during the winter.. contacts you would have normally made during the spring/summer/fall for interior jobs won't be there.. cause you were painting units with fleas and dog hair.. that haven't been cleaned from the previous tenant yet.


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## [email protected]

Damn... someone had to bring this up again.... I hate Appartment painting... I spent too much time loosing my ass to that market....


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## nEighter

:lol: jason. no doubt.


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## johnpaint

[email protected] said:


> Damn... someone had to bring this up again.... I hate Appartment painting... I spent too much time loosing my ass to that market....


Yeah, the ones I see always have some bum that lives on the project or paints a room for 30 bucks, no lic, no nothing and your going to compete with that.Push 1 for english.


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## onthecoast

I am not sure if everyone does it like this, but what I do for apartments is ask the landlord:

"Do you want a paint job?, Or a paint job?"


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## PaintingContractor

haha... This article went from someone asking for help with painting an apartment to completely trashing that line of work... I love it!!!


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## michfan

I have some advice for apartment painting:

RUN!!! Don't even think about it. I have tried all sorts of apartments, low-end, high-end, middle-end, etc, etc. They are all the same. You'll be lucky if you get 150 per apartment...Now I have heard of some guys doing ok at it, but you have to have a MAJOR quantity to do that. Doing just a few here and few there is waste, I think. 

Concentrate your energy, and valuable time in a market where a profit can actually at least be attempted to be made. Just my .02!


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## vermontpainter

PaintingContractor said:


> haha... This article went from someone asking for help with painting an apartment to completely trashing that line of work... I love it!!!


The majority of this thread took place in 04/09. Its not that way around here anymore. :no:


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## NEPS.US

Are you sitting on a toilet?


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## vermontpainter

:laughing::w00t::icon_lol::lol:


NEPS.US said:


> Are you sitting on a toilet?


Oh bastid.


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## vermontpainter

Why must everything go to the lowest common denominator in every single thread. I swear to god if there was a portalet on painttalk someone would be sitting inside writing:

Here I sit broken hearted...


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## NEPS.US

shake or dance the last drop always ends up in your pants


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## vermontpainter

Closing the lid does not cause brain cancer


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## michfan

Hahahahaha

Good to have VP here, cuz I never checked the date on the OP...I still stand by what I said though. Dang, I haven't even had a beverage yet either.


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## Seal2010

The apartment market is never fun! But in my area it is the only thing keeping my head above the water.


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## jmda

I recently started working for an individual who owns 75 units. We were fortunate to find a price that works for both of us. I make a little and they get it done quickly and professionally. They don't have a ton of turn over, so we are not painting for them every week.

It is fill in work and I am very grateful to get it, especially this time of year.

If I were bidding for a lot of apartment work that would be more consistent, I would have to look at my business and where I want to go with it. I could always hire a crew of so so painters that always do the apartment work. Then I could focus on other things. It would have to be worth it.


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## jdp2012

This is a very old thread. Too bad no one really could help the guy out.


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## RPS

I wonder what happened? Probably got tired of waiting to get paid. Or maybe he hooked up with one of the tenants. :hang:


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## Metro M & L

Average house repaint is 4-6k and up in my area.

Average apartment repaint is 150.00.

You have to paint 45-60 apartments in a week or 1 fing house. Me and a helper can paint a house in a week. Often I can do it myself in that time. That works out to an apartment every 2 hours or less to stay at a 40 hour week. 

Now I've painted apartments this way and that. Spray or brush and roll. Touch up some areas and try to fake it. I've read threads where a 3 man crew can knock one out in an hour and some change. Which pushes labor on the unit to about 4-5 hours. 

Working your ass off for peanuts. You really are better off flipping burgers; at least they are required by law to give you a break every two hours.


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