# Exterior Hotel repainting



## ituen

Hi guys,
We are a painting company from Boston Ma. We are negotiating an exterior painting contract with Marriott hotels. There will be several ones to paint around the new England area. First one is a Cortyard Marriott, 60' high, dryvit walls. It is a repainting and virtually no prep needed but power washing the building. It will take two finish coats. I have figure out materials and lifts, and it comes about $30-35K. It will take 450-500gls and three colors. I am attaching a picture of the entrance with is one third of the entire length of the facade. 
I don't think would feel comfortable going under 80k. Any suggestion appraising this?


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## NEPS.US

I guess I know who the low bidder is. Congrats. 

I hope you enjoy bankruptcy court.


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## RCP

Here we go again!


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## ituen

Thanks, somehow helpful I guess. You seems to be a very knowledgeable professional on exterior painting of this magnitude, would you be up to throw in any other helpful comment, like a number to start with, not 911 or related. We are not as experienced as you on this kind of work yet, but we've been in business for 9 years, we're not starters. 
Good luck in your business!


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## StefanC

Just tell them you'll do it hourly and they have to rent the lifts, buy the materials and pay you cash every Friday.


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## [email protected]

How many guys on the site? 

How long will it take you?

Estimated material costs? 

Estimated equipment costs?

Overhead?

Profit margin?

I may be missing a few things but after all that is figured, add another 40% of your "estimated" figure to the bid. Commercial work is nothing like residential and when it comes to BIG Companies like Marriott, you need not shoot yourself in the foot. Go higher than what you think it should be. Don't try to land the job because it's a well known hotel. Land the job knowing you can do the work and make money at it. Don't hang yourself due to greed. 

I'm no commercial expert, but there is some common sense when it comes to business practices no matter how big or small the job is.


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## NEPS.US

[email protected] said:


> add another 40% of your "estimated" figure to the bid.


Where does the 40% come from?


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## tsunamicontract

NEPS.US said:


> Where does the 40% come from?


dudes got no idea how to bid a hotel and thats the part your worried about?


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## vermontpainter

NEPS.US said:


> Where does the 40% come from?


Thats what you do when you are not sure exactly how to price something but you price it anyways.


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## NEPS.US

tsunamicontract said:


> dudes got no idea how to bid a hotel and thats the part your worried about?


Not really ....I am just curious how Jason comes up with his formula.......


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## NEPS.US




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## vermontpainter

This actually raises a good point. I always show GC's/clients similar projects that we have done to the one we are estimating for them. It lends much credibility to be able to show and explain similar projects you have completed in the past. If you have never done a hotel, or a 10k sf custom home, how would you know how to price one?

One thing I can tell you for sure is that in high dollar contracts in this economy, our investors (yes, our GC's and their homeowners are investors in us) want to know that we can accurately predict and account for job costs and most importantly deliver them. Use this to your advantage.


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## ituen

vermontpainter said:


> This actually raises a good point. I always show GC's/clients similar projects that we have done to the one we are estimating for them. It lends much credibility to be able to show and explain similar projects you have completed in the past. If you have never done a hotel, or a 10k sf custom home, how would you know how to price one?
> 
> One thing I can tell you for sure is that in high dollar contracts in this economy, our investors (yes, our GC's and their homeowners are investors in us) want to know that we can accurately predict and account for job costs and most importantly deliver them. Use this to your advantage.


There is always a first time for everything. How did you know the price of your first big job? You just went for it, or lucky you if someone told you how or put food in your hand. Now it is just keeping the ball running. 
We have done couple of 6-7k sf homes. Nobody tough me how to appraise it. If you want to grow, risk is part of the equation.


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## tsunamicontract

ituen, read my post on your other identical thread


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## ituen

[email protected] said:


> How many guys on the site?
> 
> How long will it take you?
> 
> Estimated material costs?
> 
> Estimated equipment costs?
> 
> Overhead?
> 
> Profit margin?
> 
> I may be missing a few things but after all that is figured, add another 40% of your "estimated" figure to the bid. Commercial work is nothing like residential and when it comes to BIG Companies like Marriott, you need not shoot yourself in the foot. Go higher than what you think it should be. Don't try to land the job because it's a well known hotel. Land the job knowing you can do the work and make money at it. Don't hang yourself due to greed.
> 
> I'm no commercial expert, but there is some common sense when it comes to business practices no matter how big or small the job is.


Thank you Jason, that's a helpful friendly replay. We r all professionals. I believe this forum is to help out each others. 
I am thinking on 35-40 days work and around 45k on labor, 14k on lifts and 18k materials. If I bid just under 100k could get a decent return, but would like to push it up to 100-115k. 
We have done few jobs over 100k before but it has always been prevailing wage projects, so cannot compare any of them with this. 
We r plenty of work now, no need of getting in trouble with this big monster. Will bid hard. If it comes, safely welcome, if not, next time.


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## tsunamicontract

I know its a big project but a 15k $$ difference in bid is a big difference. There is a difference in bidding competitively and bidding willy nilly.


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## vermontpainter

ituen said:


> There is always a first time for everything. How did you know the price of your first big job? You just went for it.


I did so many small homes (3k) and learned how to estimate from plans 3 different ways, that the first time a big opportunity came I knew what I was looking at and what questions to ask. I wouldnt have been asking them on a forum. The mistake that guys make on their first go round out of their league is that they say "crap, we've done dozens of 3k sf houses, a 9 k house is 3 times as big so we'll multiply our average 3k price by 3 and add 15% for the quality level and we're there." There are 9k sf homes that cost as much to paint as 12 3k sf homes. Its not that simple. When you leave your comfort zone, you really need to research and dissect what you are getting yourself into. In your case its even scarier. Large commercial can hand you your butt in a hurry.


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## ituen

tsunamicontract said:


> I know its a big project but a 15k $$ difference in bid is a big difference. There is a difference in bidding competitively and bidding willy nilly.


Tsunami, it is not going willi nilly. Remember the magic formula; If you'r not sure about your bid, double it (Not literally speaking). You may not get the job, but you do not shoot yourself, and the best case, get the job and make decent bucks. 
These big jobs are always a risk. Better play safe ;-).


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## vermontpainter

If you are not sure about your bid, the responsible thing to do is not to bid.


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## ituen

vermontpainter said:


> I did so many small homes (3k) and learned how to estimate from plans 3 different ways, that the first time a big opportunity came I knew what I was looking at and what questions to ask. I wouldnt have been asking them on a forum. The mistake that guys make on their first go round out of their league is that they say "crap, we've done dozens of 3k sf houses, a 9 k house is 3 times as big so we'll multiply our average 3k price by 3 and add 15% for the quality level and we're there." There are 9k sf homes that cost as much to paint as 12 3k sf homes. Its not that simple. When you leave your comfort zone, you really need to research and dissect what you are getting yourself into. In your case its even scarier. Large commercial can hand you your butt in a hurry.



Totally agree Scott. That's somehow my story as well. But in any case, no risk no game. I ask the forum to have debates like this, and to get general points of view for each others. I believe it is very helpful for everyone. At the end the final decision belong to me.


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## NEPS.US

18k on materials ....500 gallons on dryvit ..... What are you using? With a $36 per gallon budget for paint .....not a lot of room for error ....at a 125 per gallon pread rate too.... hate to tell you but by that pic it is not 60' high ...more like 95-105'.


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## NEPS.US

What compay are you with?


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## daArch

ituen,

You may have noticed by now, that no one is about to offer you a number for your proposal. There must be a gazillion painters before you on this foum who have asked "How much would you charge for........". 

The direction of such a question can go most anywhere, but a price is never given.

There are too many variables. Location, profit margin, quality of work, supplies, payroll, etc etc etc. Having been in this profession, you know how different two bids can be, even when the job description appears to be very similar.

I would strongly suggest that you use this forum for technical help and not one in which to pick brains about pricing. 

and thus since I haven't locked a thread today and my finger is getting a little restless, I gotta do this because there is nowhere helpful this can go - BTDT:


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