I am just starting a painting business and I'm trying to figure out how to charge for painting for example a mantle or cabinets. I know wood cabinets will need a primer and two coats of finish. Also on how to charge for windows that have several rows of mulls that need to be painted like a 4 over 4. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

I would charge by the square foot for large, flat areas. And charge by the linear foot for things like window sills and trim that I might use a brush on rather than a roller.

Where is the location where you will be painting? The location can make a huge difference in how much you will charge.

I was online here at the same time as you, responded to your question and was really looking forward to discussing painting with you, since one of the things I do for a living is that I am a house painter. Now, you are gone. Hopefully, maybe we might be online at the same time again.

Here are some links on this site where painting is discussed. You might find the information to be helpful to you. The links are mostly for interior painting. If you go to Exterior Home Improvement, you will find exterior painting discussed.

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/interior-home-improvement/painting-kitchen-cabinet-doors-154746.html

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/interior-home-improvement/textured-wall-ceiling-155384.html

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/interior-home-improvement/painting-cost-154242.html

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/interior-home-improvement/preparation-painting-knotty-pine-table-149712.html

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/interior-home-improvement/charging-interior-painting-148942.html

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/interior-home-improvement/bidding-interior-house-painting-148193.html

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/interior-home-improvement/painting-cabinets-oil-based-water-based-146062.html

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/interior-home-improvement/matching-trim-bedroom-111672.html

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/interior-home-improvement/paint-color-small-condo-133403.html

Well I live in North Carolina. The house is much older so the windows have all the wooden mulls going through separating the panes of glass and these are very time consuming to paint. Much like a french door. I charge by linear ft on the molding surrounding the windows but I'm trying to get a system for estimating the wood separating the panes of glass. They are very difficult to paint.

Also they have wooden cabinets that are going to need an oil primer and two coats of finish. These also are very time consuming to paint and can be difficult to get to. I figure the paint alone is going to be costly not to mention the money it takes to send a painter out to paint them. I mostly do interior painting and so far its been a problem estimating these types of jobs.

Hello, Jack!

I am online now.

Clough

Are you hiring people who will be doing painting for or with you?

No, I have employees they are not sub contractors. They work directly for me. Basically I have 2 painters that all they do is paint and a lot of times I paint with them. I however do all the estimates and figure all the paint and deal with the customers and marketing (everything else).

Are these other painters considered your employees for insurance and tax purposes? If they are truly your employees then you would be doing withholding for taxes on them and you would also have workers' compensation insurance coverage.

How are you paying these other painters? Is it by the hour, by the job, or in some other way? Knowing those things would help in figuring out how to estimate the job.

Yes they are my employee's and I am aware of what an employee is and what is involved with having them. I have employee's that I pay hourly to paint.

How long do you think that it would take to paint say the area of one window (two panes of glass) wooden mulls going through and separating the panes of glass?

Are you talking about a single window with a wooden mull separating the top from the bottom? To paint that along with the molding on the outside I'd say about 15-20 minutes if its about 5' height by 3' across.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JackButler84

Are you talking about a single window with a wooden mull seperating the top from the bottom? To paint that along with the molding on the outside I'd say about 15-20 minutes if its about 5' height by 3' across.

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Either that, or those that separate the panes of glass into four or even six panes.

How much are you paying a painter per hour? And, how are you figuring what you make on a job if you aren't doing the painting all of the time but are doing the owner part of the business?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Clough

How much are you paying a painter per hour? And, how are you figuring what you make on a job if you aren't doing the painting all of the time but are doing the owner part of the business?

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I take it you're not a business owner :) .

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Clough
How much are you paying a painter per hour? And, how are you figuring what you make on a job if you aren't doing the painting all of the time but are doing the owner part of the business?

Originally Posted by JackButler84
I take it you're not a business owner :).

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You can give a customer an estimate for painting the mulls by figuring how much total time it will take to prep and paint them based upon what you are paying the painters per hour. You could arrive at an average price that you would simply use with all customers then, no matter the window sizes, (there would be exceptions of course, but these would have to be extreme) since word does get around as to how much a painter will charge for certain jobs. This would help to alleviate any confusion, should there be any referrals for you from previous customers to their friends or others.