[tlcinbelgium]

I need some advice from some experience painters. I am looking for someone to paint the exterior of my house (3100 sq.ft), but cannot afford what the businesses are asking. So with the economy in the dumps, I posted an ad on Craig’s List for out of work painters to cut out the middleman, and was overwhelmed with responses. One guy actually wanted to camp in my yard while he painted the house. Anyway I chose 5 folks that responded that I felt from the e-mails were legitimate painters. I was quoted from $600 - $2300 for labor.

The $600 painter seemed very knowledgeable and had pictures of his work. Says he is a retired painter, but now subs during school time, but in summer does a few jobs for extra money. He does not want any money up front as long as I provide paint. Says the job will take about 5 days. He uses a sprayer, but also says he does not tape off because he can handle a sprayer good enough to avoid over spray. IS THIS POSSIBLE?
He also says he does not caulk; says he just adds more paint in seams and on nail heads where needed. WHAT? Shouldn’t seams and nail heads be caulk/spackled?

The more expensive painters are similar. One rolls and one sprays. WHICH IS BETTER?
Both say about 6 – 8 days. One uses Kwal, the other uses Behr.

So my main questions are; How can the price be so different? Should I be leery of the cheaper painter? Should I try to negotiate a better price from the more expensive painters?

Thanks for your help.

 

[jarheadoo7]

not familiar with Kwal but behr is something to run from... this is your exterior thou.. if you want to be doing it again in 5 or 6 years.

what type of sprayer is this guy using? hlvp? airless? hlvp overspray can be controlled pretty darn good.. airless can be controlled...but if he is THAT good hes worth way more then hes quoting (which could be a good thing!)

no caulk? ummm... :no: but it depends on what YOU told him.if you said cheap cheap cheap then shooting a good aount of paint will dull the gaps a little.. but its a ghetto way to get by.


its craigslist that both kills and helps out us small painting companies.. usually it leaves customers hiring the big companies after some Homeowner hack comes in with a wagner and dollar store brush and makes a mess..

aside from price who gave you the best "feeling". remember if they fall off a ladder and impale themselves on YOUR fence you pay their burial fee.

where do you live can i put a bid in??

 

[Leah Frances]

I know money is tight. But If one of the cheap guys (no bond, insurance, etc) hurts himself on your property then he will sue you. This adds quite a bit of potential cost to the project.

 

[ltd]

ok i dont want to go off or anything and i dont know what your house looks like,trim, shutters ,garage doors ,doors,windows , prep,scraping, priming,caulking,1 coat 2 coat how old your house does it have lead paint ? you get my drift. 600 hundred dollars,:huh:is this man insured ,does he have ladders,i mean you seem like a smart person. what do you think? call some painters for an estimate .talk to the boss at local paint store and ask for a name of a painter who does good work at a reasonable price .their are good painters that will work for fair price.

 

[tlcinbelgium]

Jarhead...On my add, I stated I wanted a quality job at a fair price. I even stated I wanted the house power washed and caulked. I had good feelings about all three; I elliminated the other two before thwy left the driveway. The two more expensive guys do have insurance. Colorado...how close are you?

ltd...The house was built in 2004. No shutters, 3 car garage, and a 10 ft shed. Builders used SW paint, but I'm pretty sure it was not applied properly. One of those spray and go jobs; build as fast as you can. Nail head are showing, seams are spreading, and a few bare spots. Not chaulking yet. All painters agreed this is not a hard job, just preventive measures. He does have his own ladders, sprayers and other equipment. He did state he has insurance, but I will verify with whoever we pick that it is current.

 

[mustangmike3789]

wow! what kept you from hiring the guy that wanted to camp in your yard. i dont think that i would go with any of these people from the info that you have given. paint is not a subsitute for caulk and trying to put on extra mills to hide nails holes is ridiculous. imo, behr is a low to mid grade paint at best and im not familuar with the other brand. trying to find a reputable painter on craigs list is a shot in the dark. i would go to a paint store and get some references from there. the people that run these stores get feed back from contractors and home owners on the workmanship of good and bad painters. store managers will also know the knowledge and work habits of specific painters from dealing with them on a daily basis. i see no need to hire a large painting company for your project when there are plenty of good independent painters that can do this with one or two helpers and save you money. a good painter will use good products and tools depending on the cost expectations and specifications that you are looking for. a good paint contract should list surface preperation: sanding, washing and caulking, materials types and # of coats and warranties. the best contract is not always the lowest or highest bid.

 

[mustangmike3789]

Jarhead...On my add, I stated I wanted a quality job at a fair price. I even stated I wanted the house power washed and caulked. I had good feelings about all three; I elliminated the other two before thwy left the driveway. The two more expensive guys do have insurance. Colorado...how close are you?

ltd...The house was built in 2004. No shutters, 3 car garage, and a 10 ft shed. Builders used SW paint, but I'm pretty sure it was not applied properly. One of those spray and go jobs; build as fast as you can. Nail head are showing, seams are spreading, and a few bare spots. Not chaulking yet. All painters agreed this is not a hard job, just preventive measures. He does have his own ladders, sprayers and other equipment. He did state he has insurance, but I will verify with whoever we pick that it is current.

that is a pretty generic specification. we can debate these points all day after i have your money.

 

[Workaholic]

I know this is a DIY site but this thread is insulting to us professionals that run legitimate businesses. I get wanting to save a buck but a true professional will provide you with more than just a satisfactory job, they will provide peace of mind and professionalism to just name a couple things that are on my mind. A guy telling you he will replace caulking with paint is a hack and will do nothing more than produce a hack job. Price is one point out of many to choose from but you will get what you pay for in this case and do you want your asset to be taken care of poorly?

I suggest you meet with some more contractors and see if you cant find one that is going to provide you with a good combination of professionalism and value.

What city are you in?

 

[Gymschu]

I know this is a DIY site but this thread is insulting to us professionals that run legitimate businesses. I get wanting to save a buck but a true professional will provide you with more than just a satisfactory job, they will provide peace of mind and professionalism to just name a couple things that are on my mind. A guy telling you he will replace caulking with paint is a hack and will do nothing more than produce a hack job. Price is one point out of many to choose from but you will get what you pay for in this case and do you want your asset to be taken care of poorly?

I suggest you meet with some more contractors and see if you cant find one that is going to provide you with a good combination of professionalism and value.

What city are you in?

Workaholic, that is one outstanding post! Right on the money. These guys (although cheap) better have insurance, workman's comp, licenses, and proper bonding, otherwise comparing the quotes is pointless.

P.S. ........"and all the painters agree that this is not a hard job." Wow, how insulting. Painting is a very strenuous job even if there is very little prep to do. Pressure washing alone about makes your arms fall off after several hours. Sanding is no joy.....priming is not glorious work. To be honest, I'd rather do it myself than hire one of these "sketchy" painters.

 

[klmeenan]

Um... I think you are crazy to consider $600 for someone to paint your house and won't caulk, just put extra paint there. Caulk is critical to maintaining your home. Prepping your house for paint is also critical.

I was raised that you don't always go with the cheapest person. I could understand it if you were selling your house. We powerwash our house, but pay for people to sand, paint and caulk windows and trim.

We all love bargains, I leave my bargains for furniture, clothes etc and prefer to pay to make sure the job is done right when it comes to my house.

 

[user1007]

P.S. ........"and all the painters agree that this is not a hard job." Wow, how insulting. Painting is a very strenuous job even if there is very little prep to do. Pressure washing alone about makes your arms fall off after several hours. Sanding is no joy.....priming is not glorious work. To be honest, I'd rather do it myself than hire one of these "sketchy" painters.

I missed your ad on CL. And ignore the comments from these girly men complaining about the wear on them from the tools of their trade.

I use the patented suspended on angel wing spray system and combination Behr premium primer and paint in one, dilluted because using it full strength is a waste of money. I will prep, caulk and paint your house for $325, including all materials if I can stay on your lawn when out your way. I will need keys to the house and petty cash on a regular basis for personal needs.

I teeder/wobble a bit until noon and would not try a ladder until two. The paint fumes sometimes make me nauseous so I might have to quit by 4. I will get your place done sometime this summer, I promise.

I should let you know I am sensitive to some colors and cannot paint them as well as others.

Do you have an exterior outlet on the house? I plan to bring my laptop. I meet lots of interesting women on CL and some even have their own teeth.

Get back to me if you can soon. I book up with jobs fast. My collar bone and knee break from the last job are almost healed enough to take on new work.

I will need first class air or train fare.

:thumbup:

 

[tlcinbelgium]

So what I am to get from this site; is that all "So Called" professional painters are *******s! This IS a DIY site, so I thought I was asking the so called professionals for adviced. And Workaholic; if you are such a professional, why are all your post in the middle of the day? Can you not get a job painting? Or is it; "If you can't do; teach?" If you so called professionals wouldn't charge so damn much, maybe more folks wouldn't turn to handy men to do their house painting.

I did not say I was using the cheapest! I ask if this guy was legit with his painting style. Can painters not read also? Maybe I wasn't going for the nargain painter. Read my damn post. Maybe I am trying to help someone out that just needs work, because all you pros are to overprice to keep your painters employed.

So thanks for your help. And have a lovely day....beeeeaatches!!

 

[Workaholic]

So what I am to get from this site; is that all "So Called" professional painters are *******s! This IS a DIY site, so I thought I was asking the so called professionals for adviced. And Workaholic; if you are such a professional, why are all your post in the middle of the day? Can you not get a job painting? Or is it; "If you can't do; teach?" If you so called professionals wouldn't charge so damn much, maybe more folks wouldn't turn to handy men to do their house painting.

I did not say I was using the cheapest! I ask if this guy was legit with his painting style. Can painters not read also? Maybe I wasn't going for the nargain painter. Read my damn post. Maybe I am trying to help someone out that just needs work, because all you pros are to overprice to keep your painters employed.

So thanks for your help. And have a lovely day....beeeeaatches!!

Belive it or not some painters take vacations, some painters have employees. What do you think I should be holding a brush or spray gun all day? If I did that I would not have time to take on new jobs.

I gave you solid advice if you hire a guy that does not believe in proper prep your house will look like ass. Even the paints you listed to be used scream Hack, well I believe Kwal makes some decent stuff but they do not sell it near me. I personally shoot for premium materials such as BM's Aura or SW Duration, if the budget does not allow for that I drop it down a notch or two but one can only compromise on materials so much because cheap material will sometimes cost you more than the money it saves.

Good luck with your project and if you were really interested in helping someone less deserving out then you should hire the guy that wants to live in your yard so that you can help provide him with a place to live.

 

[chrisn]

So what I am to get from this site; is that all "So Called" professional painters are *******s! This IS a DIY site, so I thought I was asking the so called professionals for adviced. And Workaholic; if you are such a professional, why are all your post in the middle of the day? Can you not get a job painting? Or is it; "If you can't do; teach?" If you so called professionals wouldn't charge so damn much, maybe more folks wouldn't turn to handy men to do their house painting.

I did not say I was using the cheapest! I ask if this guy was legit with his painting style. Can painters not read also? Maybe I wasn't going for the nargain painter. Read my damn post. Maybe I am trying to help someone out that just needs work, because all you pros are to overprice to keep your painters employed.

So thanks for your help. And have a lovely day....beeeeaatches!!

If you cannot take constructive criticism, go somewhere else and ask. You came here to ask us experienced painters if the people you want to hire from posting on Craig's list are qualified to paint you're home.Also you say you cannot afford a "real" contractor. Come on, get real.
I hope you hire the guy that is going to spray( with no taping), no caulk, no insurance, no license, using Behr paint for $600. Good luck.:whistling2:
You deserve every bit of it.

 

[Gymschu]

Overpriced? Hahahaha, I think you may just find that $600 is OVERPRICED for what you're gonna get for a paint job. When it peels in 6 months, you will be wishing you hired the pro with a guarantee for 5 years...........which is the bargain? The $600 job that lasts a year or the $3,000 job that lasts 6 or 7 years with a guarantee?

 

[ratherbefishin']

This IS a DIY site, so I thought I was asking the so called professionals for adviced. !

THAT is correct! So why do none of your posts contain questions about how to DO IT YOURSELF!!!!

I'll refrain from your style of name calling, difficult though it might be...:whistling2:

 

[klmeenan]

There are many pros on here who have given you their opinion. I'm a regular DIY gal. Remember that you will get what you pay for. Sorry to have inferred that you were going with the cheapest one.

Personally I would want a guarantee that it will last 5 years. No one wants to repaint yearly or biyearly. I personally would go with someone who would caulk not apply extra paint.

The choice is yours to make as it's your home.

 

[user1007]

Gentlemen/Ladies. You have calmed me at times.

Pursuing this further helps neither the OP or others reading this.

But let's move on. Some have thanked us for helping?

We cannot help this person.

 

[edpainting]

Nope, paint is no substitute for caulk or patch. You have to do it properly, I know you are in bad situation but think of it, your home might be the biggest investment you have is that where you want to cut costs by 5-10 times the real value?
The biggest problem might not even be that, if one of those painters gets hurt and they don't have workers comp then you could be reliable for their medical and disability.


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