Average rates for painting - Resene

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Resene Professional development programme55Estimating and preparing quotations forwork is critical to the success of any paintingbusiness and a proper understanding of all thecostings is essential.Once your quote is accepted you have a contractualobligation to complete the works to your customer’ssatisfaction. It is a common misconception thatthe market is dominated by incomplete and ultracompetitive pricing. It is not. Your costings mustbe sufficient to provide enough cash to carry onyour business.There are differing methods of quoting, butpainters with skill and experience can, and do,assess a particular job against their intuitiveexperience. This system is most commonly used toassess repainting work.The obvious problem with estimating is that it isvisual only and by that very nature tends towardsoptimism because although time and materialsmay well be judged properly the general overheadsand profits are often overlooked.Measuring the areas of work and using the totalsof each painting task is obviously more accurate(and time consuming to undertake) but hasseveral advantages. You get to properly survey theconditions, have time to think about everythingand by using unit rates for each area that suits yourparticular operation, can allow properly for all yourpotential costs.Do not, however, underestimate the value ofexperience and the most reliable process ofsuccessful quoting is a combination of visualestimates compared to calculated schedules.Remember always the painting trade is dominatedby labour costs and you are selling time!Because painting is a surface application it ispractical to develop “rates” (that is the costsof most painting tasks) that can be attached tomeasured areas. The “Average rates for painting” isan example where the average of painters costingsare collated as a guideline.There is also given alongside each rate a factor,which is a percentage of the time the averagepainter needs for each unit of area. This guidelineactually historically precedes the built up rateswhich include time, material and overheads andprofit. Yesteryear painters were far more interestedin timelines to estimate their work – firstlybecause materials were simplistic and cheap andsecondly because labour costs were much higherproportionally because of slow applications – thepaints difficult to manage and almost alwaysbrushed out. Using the factors alongside the ratesprovides an excellent tool to manage the paintingprocess because a realistic time allowance isprovided for.Measuring off plans necessitates a systematicapproach – you will need an architectural scalealthough for most measurements the 1 to 100 scaleis best suited for painting.The plans (i.e. Viewed looking down or up will givethe areas of roof, ceilings and floors.Elevations are side views and most exteriorelevations will give all four sides, often interiorsare also drawn room by room.Sections are cross sections taken on an axis (A –A etc) through the structure and provide goodheight references.Schedules doors and windows are commonlydrawn and are easily measured by adding up thevarious numbers of each type and giving them a‘lump sum’ value. (See Ave. Prices earlier).Details the specific details of each structure suchas, for example, fittings and fixtures are usuallydrawn to a larger scale – often 1:50 or 1:25 todetail particular features.Prices for buildings and structures yet to be builtare calculated by measuring the plans and studyingthe specifications describing the works.
Resene Professional development programmeThe plans are similar in that a scale drawing of theplans and elevations are supplemented by crosssection views and details of all the components asnecessary.Because most housing startups are similar the plansand specifications are usually pretty minimal, oftenwith little or nothing describing terms of contractoffered or details of payments etc!House plans do show the gross floor area in squaremetres. Larger building proposals are mostlycontrolled by professional designers and includemore detailed specifications.Occasionally a schedule of quantities is provided,making it easy to put your rates against eachmeasured area of work, and add them up to a total.AreasPainters mostly simply measure the length x heightof walls, both externally and internally and do notexclude the area of doors and windows, but add inthe appropriate rate for these items. The reason isthat ‘cutting in’ takes time so is allowed for in thegross area. This is ok when measuring yourself butremember a Quantity Surveyor or builder providinga formal measure will provide a nett area of actualwall surface!This is a serious problem for painters who are notwell experienced in QS takeoffs, in fact the paintersoften feel cheated by the measurements becausethe actual measures by the Quantity Surveyorare significantly less than the trade overallmeasurements.Call 0800 RESENE (737 363), visit www.resene.co.nzor email us at advice@resene.co.nz56
Page 6 and 7: Resene Professional development pro
Page 82: In Australia:PO Box 924, Beenleigh,

Average rates for painting - Resene

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?