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2022®
NATIONAL
PAINTING COST
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ESTIMATOR
By Dennis D. Gleason, CPE ev
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Howard Shahan,American Design Painting & Drywall,?^fPh20
American Society of Professional Estimators (ASPE),FWTPc^]<3
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Benjamin Moore Paints,BP]3XTV^20
Gordon H. Brevcort,Brevcort Consulting Associates,AXSVTf^^S=9
Luis Anguiano,CSI Paint,=P_P20
Scott Williams,CSI Paint, BP]5aP]RXbR^P]S=P_P20
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John San Marcos,Devoe Coatings,BP]3XTV^<PaX]T7PaSfPaTBP]3XTV^20
Ken Hogben, Dunn-Edwards Paints & Wallcovering,BP]5aP]RXbR^20
Randy Martin,Dunn-Edwards Paints & Wallcovering,;P<TbP20
Bob Langbein, East Bay Paint Center0[QP]h20
Hugh Champeny,Kelly-Moore Paint Company, BP]2Pa[^b20
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Eli Dominguez, Kelly-Moore Paint Company, ?[TPbP]c7X[[20
Dennis Cripe,R.W. Little Co, Inc., Sandblasting,BP]3XTV^20
Chris Rago, Mark’s Paint Mart>PZ[P]S20
Bruce McMullan McMullan & Son PaintingBP]3XTV^20
Joe Garrigan, Mr. PaintsBP]3XTV^20
PPG Industries, Inc., Pittsburgh PaintsCâaP]RT20
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Carlos Jeronimo, PPG PaintsBP]cP2[PaP20
Keith Braswell, Rent-X?[TPbP]c7X[[20
Richardson Engineering Services, Inc.<TbP0I
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Rust-Oleum Protective Coatings,;^b0]VT[Tb20

Squires-Belt Material Co.,BP]3XTV^20
Steel Structures Painting Council?XccbQdaVW?0
John Meyer, U.S. Government, Department of the Navy, Public WorksBP]3XTV^20
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Miguel Govea, Vista Paint Centers, BP]3XTV^20

Jerry Rittgarn, Waco-Arise Scaffolding & EquipmentBP]3XTV^20
Mark Janson,Warehouse Paint,0dQda]20
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©2021 Craftsman Book Company

ISBN 978-1-57218-375-9 ISSN 1092-6852
Published September 2021 for the year 2022

Introduction - How to Use This Book 5 Part II - Preparation Costs
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Paint estimating is more of an art than a science. enced paint estimator might not be able to do in hours.
There’s no price that’s exactly right for every job and Instead, this unit cost guide will aid you in developing
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for every bidder. That’s because every painting job is a good estimate of costs for any painting operation on
unique. No single material cost, no labor estimate, no any project. Think of this manual as one good estimat-
pricing system fits all types of work. And just as every ing tool. But it’s not (or at least shouldn’t be) the only
job varies, so do painting companies. No two painting estimating tool you’ll use.
contractors have the same productivity rates, the same
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labor burden, the same overhead expense and the For most jobs, I expect that the figures you see here
same profit requirements. will prove to be good estimates. But anyone who under-
in
stands paint estimating will understand why judgment

The best paint estimates are always custom-made
is needed when applying figures from this manual — or
for a particular job. They’re based on the contrac-
tor’s actual productivity rate, material cost, labor cost, any other paint estimating guide. It’s your responsibility
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overhead percentage and profit expectations. No esti- to decide which conditions on the job you’re bidding
mating book, no computerized estimating system, no are like conditions assumed in this manual, and which
estimating service can possibly account for all the vari- conditions are different. Where conditions are different,
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ables that make every job and every painting company you’ll need good professional judgment to arrive at a
different. Only a skilled estimator using professional realistic estimated cost.
judgment and a proven estimating system can produce
consistently reliable estimates on a wide variety of
painting jobs. '22
When the National Estimator program has been

installed, click Help on the menu bar to see a list of
topics that will get you up and running. Or, go online to
So, Why Buy This Book? www.craftsman-book.com and click on Support, then
That’s easy. This is the most complete, authoritative Tutorials, to view an interactive tutorial for National Estimator.
and reliable unit cost guide ever made available to paint
estimators. No matter what types of work you estimate,
no matter what your costs are, this book will help pro-
duce consistently accurate painting cost estimates in
dollars and cents. But it isn’t a substitute for expertise.
It’s not a simple way to do in minutes what an experi-
5
National Painting Cost Estimator
æ Labor Labor Labor Labor Material

Manhour Overhead
cost per burden burden cost plus price Profit
productivity percent
hour percent dollars burden discount
Slow (1P) Low $23.50 24.0% $5.64 $29.14 20% 19.0% 16%
Medium (2P) Average 30.00 28.9% 8.67 38.67 30% 25.0% 12%
Fast (3P) High 36.50 35.3% 12.88 49.38 40% 31.0% 7%
Notes: These rates are for painters. Hourly rates for wallcovering are different. See page 29. Slow, Medium and Fast jobs are defined
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on page 13. Labor burden percentages used in this book are summarized on page 31. National Estimator uses hourly rates in the Labor
cost plus burden column. National Estimator shows productivity rates (Slow, Medium and Fast) and copies the words Slow, Medium or
Fast to your estimate. It also copies the crew productivity code, either 1P (Slow), 2P (Medium), or 3P (Fast) to your estimating form.
National Estimator allows you to enter any percentage you select for overhead and profit.
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Figure 1
The basis for painting cost estimates in this book
How to Use the Tables

ev Your decision on the application rate to use (or which
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combination of rates to use) has to be based on your
The estimating tables in this book show typical costs evaluation of the job, your painters and your company.
and bid prices for every painting operation you’re likely That’s where good common sense is needed.
to encounter, whether paint is applied by brush, roller,
mitt or spray. Selecting the right cost table and the cor- Figure 1 shows crew codes, labor costs, labor bur-
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rect application method is easy. Tables are divided into dens, material discounts, and profit for each of the
four parts: three production rates for painting.
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Part I: General Painting Costs The “Slow” application rate in Figure 1 assumes
lower productivity (less area covered per manhour),
Part II: Preparation Costs a lower labor cost (due to a less skilled crew), a
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lower labor burden (due to lower fringe benefits), a

Part III: Industrial, Institutional and lower discount on materials (because of low volume),
Heavy Commercial Painting Costs higher overhead (due to lower volume) and a higher
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profit margin (typical on small repaint or custom jobs).

Part IV: Wallcovering Costs Figures in this “Slow” application row will apply where
painters with lower skill levels are working on smaller
Each section is arranged alphabetically by opera- or more difficult repaint jobs.
tion. If you have trouble finding the tables you need,
use the Table of Contents at the front of the book or the Look at the “Fast” row in Figure 1. These estimates
Index at the back of the book. will apply where a skilled crew (higher hourly rate and
larger fringe benefits) is working under good supervi-
Once you’ve found the right table and the appropri- sion and good conditions (more area covered per
ate application method, you have to select the correct manhour) on larger (volume discount on materials) and
application rate. For each of the application methods more competitive jobs (lower profit margin). Figures in
(brush, roll, mitt or spray), the tables show three appli- the “Fast” application row assume high productivity and
cation rates: “Slow,” “Medium,” or “Fast.” That’s a very lower material coverage, (unpainted surfaces absorb
important decision when using this book, because more paint), like that of a residential tract job.
each application rate assumes different manhour pro-
ductivity, material coverage, material cost per gallon, Each of the three application rates is described
hourly labor cost, labor burden, overhead and profit. more completely later in this section.
6
How to Use This Book
¾
Pricing variables Unit cost estimate
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Labor Material Material Labor Labor Material Overhead Profit Total

SF per man- coverage cost per cost per burden cost per per per cost per
hour SF/gallon gallon 100 SF 100 SF 100 SF 100 SF 100 SF 100 SF
Walls, gypsum drywall, orange peel or knock-down, roll, per 100 SF of wall area
Flat latex, water base (material #5)
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Roll 1st coat
Slow 400 300 36.80 5.88 1.41 12.27 3.72 3.72 27.00
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Medium 538 275 32.20 5.58 1.61 11.71 4.73 2.84 26.47
Fast 675 250 27.60 5.41 1.90 11.04 5.69 1.68 25.72
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Your customized figures 3.93 .94 11.71 4.15 2.49 23.22
Figure 2
Customize the tables
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The Easy Case: No Adjustments This book is designed so you can quickly and easily
adjust estimates to reflect actual costs on the job you’re
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Let’s suppose the “Slow” application rate fits the

estimating. It’s important that you read the rest of this
job you’re estimating almost perfectly. Your crew’s
section before using the cost tables in this book. That’s
in
productivity is expected to be low. The labor cost will

the only way to get from this manual all the accuracy
be $23.50 per hour. Labor burden (fringes, taxes and
and flexibility that’s built into it.
insurance) will be 24.0 percent. Discount on materials
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will be 20 percent. Overhead will be 19 percent and

In the remainder of this section I’ll describe the
profit will be 16 percent. Then your task is easy. All of
assumptions I’ve made and the methods I used to
your costs match the costs in the “Slow” row. No modi-
compile the cost tables in this manual. Once you under-
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fications are needed. The same is true if your costs fit

the “Medium” or “Fast” rows. stand them, you’ll be able to combine and modify costs
in the estimating tables so your bids fit the job, your
But that’s not always going to happen. More often, crew and your company as closely as possible.
the job, your crew and your company won’t fit exactly
into any of the three rows. What then? More evaluation When you start using the cost tables in this book, I
is required. You’ll combine costs from several applica- suggest you circle numbers in the “Slow,” “Medium,” or
tion rate rows to reach an accurate bid price. I call that “Fast” application rate rows that best fit your company
customizing your costs and it’s nearly always required and your jobs. To improve accuracy even more, write
for an accurate estimate. your own figures in the blank row below the “Fast” row
in each table, like I’ve done in Figure 2.
Customizing Your Costs

A Practical Example
Every company has a different combination of work-
er speed and experience, taxes, benefits, spread rates, Figure 2 is part of an estimating table taken from
equipment needs, percentage for overhead, and profit page 228 of this book, General Painting Costs. I’m going
margin. These are the cost variables in paint estimating. to use it to show how to customize estimates to match
7
your actual costs. In Figure 2 I’ve circled some of the In column 7, Overhead per 100 SF, I’ve calculated
costs I plan to use in a sample estimate and calculated the overhead dollar value by adding the labor cost,
others. labor burden and material cost then multiplying that
sum by the “Medium” overhead at 25 percent: $3.93 +
In column 1, Labor SF per manhour, I’ve circled 675
because I feel the journeyman painter assigned to this $.94 + $11.71 = $16.58 x .25 = $4.15.
job can paint walls at the “Fast” rate of 675 square feet
per hour. That’s the number I plan to use for my esti- In column 8, Profit per 100 SF, I’ve calculated the
mate. profit dollar value by adding the labor cost, labor bur-
den, material cost and overhead then multiplying that
In column 2, Material coverage SF/gallon, I’ve sum by the “Medium” profit at 12 percent from Figure 1.
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reviewed my past performance and I expect coverage
The result is $3.93 + $.94 + $11.71 + $4.15 = $20.73 x
will be about 275 square feet per gallon of paint. So I’ve
circled that figure. .12 = $2.49.
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In column 3, Material cost per gallon, I’ve circled Column 9, Total cost per 100 SF, is the bid price — it’s
32.20 for my cost per gallon for flat water base latex the sum of columns 4 through 8 for each row. Because
(including tax and an allowance for consumable sup- I’ve circled costs that fall in more than one row, I can’t
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plies), based on a 30 percent discount from the retail
use any figure in column 9. Instead, I simply add the
price.
circled or calculated figures in columns 4 through 8:
So far, so good. That completes the first three $3.93 + $.94 + $11.71 + $4.15 + $2.49 = $23.22.
coumns, what I call the pricing variables. Now we can That’s my bid price per 100 square feet on this job.
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begin on the unit cost estimate, columns 4 through 9. It’s the combination of costs that fit my company, my
Each of these columns show a price per 100 square painters and the job.
feet of wall.
We’ll start with column 4, Labor cost per 100 SF.

Using Your Good Judgment
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Notice that I’ve entered 3.93 for this column. Here’s
why. Look back at Figure 1 and the “Slow” labor rate at Of course, judgment is required when using these
$23.50. (See Figure 13 on page 29 for the wage rates
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for wallcovering.) Since I’m in a part of the country tables, as it is when making any estimate. For example,
where prices, and wages, are lower than the national if your journeymen painters earn the top rate of $36.50
average, my experienced painters work for $26.50, but work at the “Medium” production rate or slower,
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closer to the “Slow” labor cost, though they produce your labor cost per unit will be higher than the highest
at the “Fast” rate of 675 SF per manhour. This gives cost listed in column 4. An adjustment will be required.
me an advantage because my labor costs are lower
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than those in Figure 1. To calculate the labor cost per

Because figures in columns 7 and 8 are percent-
100 SF, divide $26.50 by 675 and multiply by 100:
26.50/675 = .0393 x 100 = 3.93. ages of figures in columns 4, 5 and 6, you have to be
careful when you blend costs from different rows. Let’s
In column 5, Labor burden 100 SF, I’ve entered .85. look at an extreme (and unlikely) example.
This figure is a result of my labor cost at $3.93 x 24.0
percent, my labor burden (taxes, insurance and ben- Suppose you use costs from the “Slow” applica-
efits) from the “Slow” row of Figure 1. Even though the tion row for columns 4 (5.88), 5 (1.41) and 6 (12.27)
labor rate is “Fast” and the labor cost is higher than the of Figure 2. The total of those three costs is $19.56.
“Slow” rate, for this example labor burden at $0.94 will Then you decide to use overhead from the “Fast” row
be more like work done at the “Slow” rate because this because your overhead is about 31 percent of cost,
company doesn’t offer many benefits.
not 19 percent of cost as in the “Slow” row (Figure 1).
In column 6, Material cost per 100 SF, I’ve circled “Fast” overhead is listed as $5.69 in Figure 2. The cor-
11.71, the number in the “Medium” row. Since I’ve used rect overhead figure is $6.06, 31 percent of the sum of
numbers in the “Medium” row in both columns 2 and “Slow” costs in columns 4, 5 and 6. Be aware of this
3, I can take the figure in column 6 for material costs small discrepancy and calculate figures for all the cat-
directly from the table, without any calculations. egories yourself if extreme accuracy is essential.
8
Converting Unit Prices adjacent surfaces, and do any extensive setup,

cleanup, or touchup. (See the discussion of
The last column in Figure 2 shows the total cost per SURRPTUCU on the next page.)
100 square feet of wall. Some estimating tables in this
book show a total cost per 100 linear feet (such as for ■ Mobilization or demobilization
baseboard) or total costs per unit (such as for doors).
To convert a cost per 100 square feet to a cost per ■ Supervision
square foot, move the decimal point two places to the
left. Thus the cost per 100 square feet for the “Fast” rate ■ Material handling, delivery, or storage
in Figure 2 is $25.72 or about 26 cents per square foot.
■ Sample preparation
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■ Mixing coatings
General Qualifications
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It’s important that you understand the conditions ■ Excessive material waste or spillage
the tables are based upon. I call these conditions the
job qualifications. A qualifications statement follows ■ Equipment rental or placement costs
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each estimating table to help you understand what’s
included and what’s excluded. Please read those ■ Scaffolding rental and erection costs
qualifications before using costs from this manual in
■ Subcontract costs
your estimates. The following points apply to all tables
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in this book:
■ Contingency allowance
■ Owner allowances
Included Costs
■ Minor preparation, both time and material. ■ Commissions, bonuses, overtime, premium pay
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Normal preparation for new residential construc- for shift adjustments (evening work), travel time
tion is included in the “Fast” row and for new or per diem.
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commercial jobs in the “Medium” row. Minimal

■ Bonds, fees, or permits
preparation is included for repaint jobs in the
“Slow” row.
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■ Additional insurance to meet owner requirements

■ Minimum setup and cleanup
■ Work at heights above 8 feet or beyond the
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■ Equipment such as ladders, spray rigs and reach of a wand or extension pole. (See the
table for High Time Difficulty Factors on page
brushes are included in overhead for the “Fast”
139.)
rate (residential tracts) or “Medium” (commercial)
work. Add equipment costs at their rental rate for
“Slow” (repaint) jobs.
Surface Preparation
The Preparation estimating tables that follow Part I:
Excluded Costs General Painting Costs, apply to both interior and exte-
rior surfaces.
■ Equipment costs such as ladders, spray rigs, etc.
for “Slow” (repaint) jobs. Add these at their rental Surface preparation is one of the hardest parts of
rate whether or not you own the equipment. the job to estimate accurately. Any experienced painter
can make a reasonably good estimate of the quantity of
■ Extensive surface preparation. Add the cost paint and time needed for application. But the amount
of time and materials needed for more than of prep work needed will vary widely — especially for
“normal”preparation work. Also add time to remove repaint jobs. Some will need very little work. Others will
and replace hardware and accessories, protect take more time for prep than for painting.
9
Preparation work for new construction jobs is rela- 1) Setup includes unloading the vehicle, spreading
tively standard and consistent. You’ll have to mask the tarp and setting up the tools — everything
cabinets before spraying sealer on wet area walls, that has to be done before prep or painting can
caulk at the baseboards, putty the nail holes in wood begin.
trim, and occasionally use a wire brush to smooth and
clean a surface. The time required for this work is fairly 2) Remove and replace everything that will interfere
predictable. with painting, including door and cabinet
hardware, the contents of cabinets, light fixtures,
Labor cost for normal preparation of unpainted sur- bathroom accessories, switch covers and outlet
faces in new residential construction is included in the plates, among others.
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“Fast” labor costs and for new commercial construc-
tion in the “Medium” labor cost. The cost of materials 3) Protection for furniture and adjacent surfaces
for normal surface preparation on unpainted surfaces such as floors, cabinets, plumbing or electrical
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is included in the sundries allowance that’s part of the fixtures, windows, and doors. Protection meth-
“Fast” or “Medium” material cost. ods include masking, applying visqueen, laying
drop cloths and applying a protective coating on
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But if more than normal surface prep work is windows.
needed, estimate the extra manhours and materials
required and add these costs to your estimate. 4) Touchup time varies with the speed and quality of
the painting job and how fussy the owner is. The
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more careful your painters are, the less touchup
Add for Repaint Preparation
time needed. You can estimate touchup time
The “Slow” unit costs include no surface preparation accurately only if you know how well your crews
other than a quick wipedown. Preparation on a repaint perform. The Touchup table in this book is based
job may take longer than the painting itself. That’s why on a percentage of total job cost.
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you have to estimate surface prep as a separate item

and add that cost to your estimate. 5) Cleanup time is usually about the same as setup
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time, about 20 to 30 minutes each day for repaint

A misjudgment in estimating preparation work can jobs. Cleanup time begins when work stops for
be very expensive. That’s why I recommend that you the day and ends when the crew is back in the
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bid surface preparation by the hour, using your shop truck and ready to go home. It includes cleaning
rate for “time and material” jobs, or some other speci- tools, dismantling the paint shop and loading the
fied hourly rate. That protects you against cost overruns vehicle.
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if the preparation takes longer than anticipated. But

there’s a danger here. Owners may be angry about the
cost because they don’t understand what’s involved in Subcontractors
preparation and why it takes so long. You can avoid
this with a “not to exceed” bid that contains a maxi- Painting contractors don’t hire many subcontractors.
mum price for the prep work. Your bid should define But once in a while you’ll need a specialist for sand-
the scope of preparation work in detail and list exactly blasting, waterblasting, wallcovering, scaffolding or
what’s included and excluded. Be sure to consider all pavement marking. Subcontract costs are not included
the labor, material, and equipment costs involved. in the estimating tables. Add the cost of any subcon-
tract work that will be required.
If you have to bid repaint work, be sure to include
all the miscellaneous costs. The acronym I use to Figure 3 shows some typical rates quoted by sand-
identify these miscellaneous costs is SURRPTUCU: blasting subcontractors. Of course, prices in your
Setup (SU), Remove and Replace (RR), Protection (P), area will probably be different. You could also figure
Touchup (TU) and Cleanup (CU). Add these costs to sandblasting unit costs from the sandblasting estimat-
your repaint estimate if they require anything beyond ing tables included in Part II, Preparation Costs, in this
minimum attention. book.
10
Minimum charges: $611.00, scaffolding not included Epoxy coated - add 1.34 to 1.48/SF
Additional insurance: May be required to cover adjacent personal With portable equipment - add .78 to 1.12/SF
and real property which may not be protected.
Commercial blast - 67% white stage
Sandblasting water soluble paints $1.12 to 1.28/SF
Field welded, new, uncoated
Sandblasting oil paints 1.19 to 1.34/SF
ground runs 1.19 to 1.41/SF
Sandblasting heavy mastic
above ground 1.48 to 2.33/SF
(depends on coating thickness) 1.54 to 1.69/SF
Previously painted surfaces - add .71 to 1.28/SF
Sandblasting brick - light blast 1.12 to 1.28/SF
Epoxy coated - add 1.28 to 1.48/SF
Sandblasting masonry block walls
With portable equipment - add .91 to 1.12/SF
Clean up & remove grime - light 1.05 to 1.12/SF
Near white blast - 95% white stage
- heavy 1.61 to 1.76/SF
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Field welded, new, uncoated
Sandblasting structural steel
ground runs 1.41 to 1.62/SF
Pricing rules of thumb:
Pipe up to 12” O.D. 1.61 to 2.39/SF above ground 1.62 to 2.47/SF
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Structural steel up to 2 SF/LF 1.48 to 1.71/SF Previously painted surfaces - add .71 to 1.28/SF
Structural steel from 2 to 5 SF/LF 1.76 to 1.97/SF Epoxy coated - add 1.28 to 1.48/SF
Structural steel over 5 SF/LF (depends on shape) With portable equipment - add .91 to 1.12/SF
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Tanks and vessels up to 12’0” O.D. 2.33 to 2.69/SF White blast - 100% uniform white stage
Tanks and vessels over 12’0” O.D. 2.33 to 2.69/SF Field welded, new, uncoated
Brush off blast - light blast (loose mill scale) ground runs 2.12 to 2.47/SF
Field welded, new, uncoated above ground 2.33 to 2.74/SF
ground runs
Pr .71 to .91/SF Previously painted surfaces - add .71 to 1.19/SF
above ground 1.05 to 1.97/SF Epoxy coated - add 1.28 to 1.48/SF
Previously painted surfaces - add .71 to 1.28/SF With portable equipment - add .71 to 1.06/SF
Figure 3
Sandblasting pricing table
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in
Figure 4 shows typical subcontract bids for pave- overhead and profit. Add your overhead and profit per-
ment marking. Again, prices in your area may be dif- centage to the subcontractor’s bid price when you enter
that item on the estimate.
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ferent.
If you do much repainting, you’ll probably want to

Contingencies
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buy a waterblasting rig. Even if you own the blaster,

include a charge in each estimate for the equipment Occasionally you’ll add a contingency allowance
on bids for repaint projects where there are unknowns
as though you rented it from a rental yard just for that
that can’t be forecast before work actually begins.
job. Figure the unit costs for waterblasting from Part II
Contingency allowances are rarely needed when esti-
of this book, Preparation Costs. mating new construction. When necessary, the con-
tingency amount is usually from 3 to 5 percent. It can
Consider using a waterblasting subcontractor if you go higher, however, if there are unusual conditions or
don’t need the service often. Figure 5 shows some unknowns that make it hard to produce an accurate
typical rates for waterblasting. Make up a table like estimate. Include a contingency allowance in your esti-
this based on quotes from subcontractors in your area. mates only if you have reason to expect:
For a more detailed table, see Sandblasting in the
■ An uncertain scope of work (unknown job condi-
Preparation section, page 303.
tions)
When you hire a subcontractor, make sure the quot- ■ An inexperienced owner or general contractor
ed price includes everything that contractor has to do
— all labor, material (with tax, if applicable), equipment, ■ Incomplete drawings
11

Number of parking spaces: Figure on one space per 300 SF of pavement
Single line striping with light graphics application $11.00 per space
Single line striping with heavy graphics application 19.20 per space
Single striping, light graphics and 3’ wheel stop 27.30 per space
Single striping, heavy graphics and 3’ wheel stop 35.40 per space
Equipment pricing:
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Simple “inverted spray can” approximate cost $248.00
Professional striping machine cost range 5,100 to 5,620
Professional road/highway striper 284,000
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Subcontractor pricing:
Move on: $167.00 to 204.00
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Striping prices:
Single line striping $.50 to .65 per lineal foot
Bike lane striping
Pr .65 to .76 per lineal foot
Fire lane, red curb .65 to .76 per lineal foot
Symbol pricing:
Templates - 8'0" template $192.00 to 229.00 each
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Arrows 43.50 to 51.00 each

Handicap symbol, one color 17.90 to 24.20 each
in
two color 32.00 to 38.30 each

No parking fire lane stencil 3.45 to 4.21 each
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Wheel stops:
3'0" stops $24.20 to 30.70 each if pinned on asphalt
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32.00 to 38.30 each if glued and pinned

6'0" stops 38.30 to 46.00 each if pinned on asphalt
46.00 to 52.50 each if glued and pinned
(add for stops pinned to concrete)
Signs and posts:

Sign only 12" x 18" $53.60 to 75.40
Post mounted 12" x 18" 141.00 to 194.00
Pavement markers:
One way pavement markers $11.40 each
Two way pavement markers 15.30 each
Figure 4
Pavement marking pricing table
12
Minimum charges: $638.00, scaffolding not included

Additional insurance: May be required to cover adjacent personal and real property
Up to 5,000 PSI blast 4 hour minimum $141.00/hour
5,000 to 10,000 PSI blast 8 hour minimum $204.00/hour
10,000 PSI blast 8 hour minimum $252.00/hour
Wet sandblasting 4 hour minimum $162.00/hour
Figure 5
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Waterblasting pricing table
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■ Delays in beginning the project heading are divided according to coating material,
then by application method, and further into the “Slow,”
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■ Owner involvement in supervision “Medium,” and “Fast” application rates.
■ Below-standard working conditions

Column 1: Labor Productivity
Pr
Don’t use contingency allowances as a substitute for
This column shows units of work completed per
complete estimates. Include contingency only to cover
manhour. My estimates assume that painters are
what can’t be estimated, not what you don’t have time
experienced and motivated professionals. The labor
to estimate accurately. productivity categories are shown in Figure 6.
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My experience is that a painting company that can

handle larger projects will have highly skilled, better
in
Column Headings Defined qualified and more productive painters. The estimating
tables also assume that repainting a surface usually
Take another look at Figure 2. The heading takes about 35 percent more time than painting newly
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describes the surface to be coated: the type, texture, constructed surfaces. Much of this extra time is spent
and often, condition. Sections within each surface protecting adjacent areas.
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Slow Medium Fast

Repaint jobs New commercial projects New residential production
Custom painting Industrial painting Repetitious painting
Tenant improvements — —
Small jobs Medium-sized jobs Large projects
Single units Two to four units Five or more units
Low production Average production High production
High difficulty Average difficulty Low difficulty
Poor conditions Average conditions Good conditions
High quality Average quality Minimum quality
Semi-skilled crew Skilled crew Highly skilled crew
No supervision Some supervision Good supervision
Figure 6
Labor productivity categories
13
To establish your company’s production levels, ask Thus the project foreman is a working supervisor. Part
your field superintendent to monitor the time needed of the foreman’s time will be productive (applying coat-
to complete each task and to keep records of crew ings) and part will be nonproductive (directing the work).
productivity. You can use the Field Production Times
and Rates form on pages 419 and 420 to track your If you have more than three or four jobs going at
painters’ productivity. Make copies of the blank form one time, you need a field superintendent. The field
and have your field superintendent or job foreman give superintendent is the foreman’s supervisor. His or her
one to each painter on every job. Your superintendent primary responsibility is to be sure that each foreman
should check the forms frequently to insure they are has the manpower, materials and equipment needed to
accurate and kept up to date. Your best guide to pro- get the job done. The field superintendent should moni-
ductivity on future jobs is productivity on jobs already tor job progress to be sure manhour productivity and
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completed, and this form will help you keep track of materials used are in line with estimates. Field super-
your production time. Refer back to Figure 2 on page intendents usually are not working supervisors; all their
7. You can use the results collected on these forms to time is nonproductive. Figure the field superintendent’s
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complete the customized figures row under the “Fast” salary as overhead expense, because you can’t charge
operation in Figure 2 for every operation in the National his salary to a specific job.
Painting Cost Estimator. Examples of how to use Figure
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2 are on pages 7 through 9. The more you know about Your project foremen and field superintendent can
your painters’ performance, the more accurate your make or break a job. The better they are, the more
estimates will be. But don’t expect your estimates and work will be done. You want a field superintendent who
actual production to always match exactly. Painters are assigns the right painters to the right foreman, and a
Pr
human beings, not robots. You can’t expect them to foremen who puts the right painters on the right tasks.
work at the same rate at all times. The most experienced tradesmen should work on tasks
that require more skill. Other painters should be used
where less skill is needed. The project foreman is also
Reduced Productivity responsible for job safety and quality control.
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The tables in this book assume no overtime work.
Excessive overtime puts a strain on your craftsmen and Your estimates will be more competitive if you can
assume high productivity. That’s only possible when
in
reduces productivity. A few consecutive days of over-

time can drag productivity down to well below average. you have good supervision, from both foremen and
It’s good practice not to assign overtime work on more superintendent, and motivated crews.
than two consecutive days.
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Work efficiency is also lower when men, materials Allowances for Supervision
and equipment are confined in a small area or required
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Supervision isn’t considered productive labor. A

to work in cluttered, poorly lit or dirty rooms. Painters foreman isn’t painting when he’s scheduling, organizing
need elbow room to work efficiently and get maximum a job and instructing his workers. Here are my rule-of-
productivity. They’re also more productive in a clean thumb allowances for nonproductive labor on painting
environment where they can see what they’re doing. jobs.
It’s easier — and safer — to work in a well-lighted area
that’s relatively clear of debris. If the work area is con- Custom homes. Allow 2.5 hours of nonproductive
fined or dirty, reduce estimated productivity accordingly.
supervision for a home up to 1,500 square feet, 3 hours
on a home between 1,500 and 2,000 square feet, 4
hours on a custom home between 2,000 and 2,500
Supervision
square feet, and 5 hours on a larger home.
Supervision expense is not included in the cost
tables. Add the cost of supervision to your estimates. Model homes in a tract. One hour of nonproductive
supervision for each day your crew will be on the job.
Most supervision is done by foremen. Every crew
should have a project foreman designated, usually the Most tract homes. One hour per house.
most experienced and reliable painter on the job. When
not supervising, project foremen should be painting. Higher-quality tract homes. Two hours per house.
14

Slow application Medium application Fast application
and light coverage and medium coverage and heavy coverage
(Repaint jobs) (Commercial projects) (Residential tracts)
Repaint jobs Commercial projects Residential production
Light usage Moderate usage Heavy usage
Low absorption Moderate absorption High absorption
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Light application Medium application Heavy application
Low waste Moderate waste High waste
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Quality paint Standard paint Production paint
Semi-skilled painters Skilled crew Highly skilled crew
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Figure 7
Pr Material coverage rates
Apartments and condos. Allow 1 hour per unit if coverage is typical on “Slow” (repaint) jobs because
there are 10 units or less. For 11 to 30 units, allow 0.75 previously painted surfaces usually absorb 10 to 15
hours of nonproductive time per unit. If there are more percent less paint than an unpainted surface. All cov-
than 30 units, allow 0.5 hour per unit. erage rates are based on paint that’s been thinned
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according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Nonproductive labor on commercial, industrial, insti-
tutional and government projects varies considerably.
in
Of course, coverage varies with the paint you’re

More complex jobs will require proportionately more using and the surface you’re painting. Paint manufac-
nonproductive labor. Use your knowledge based on turers usually list the recommended coverage rate on
past experience to estimate supervision either as a
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the container label. I’ve listed estimated coverage rates

percentage of job cost or by the square foot of floor.
in the tables throughout this book.
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Column 2: Material Coverage Calculating Film Thickness

The second column in the cost tables shows the Many project specifications for commercial, industrial
estimated material coverage in units (usually square and government jobs identify the coating (film) thick-
feet or linear feet) per gallon. Figure 7 shows the condi-
ness you have to apply to each surface. The thickness
tions likely to apply for each of the three material
is given in mils, or thousandths of an inch. One mil is
coverage rates. Every condition listed in each of these
0.001 inch.
categories won’t necessarily occur on every paint-
ing operation. For example, it’s possible to have high
The thickness of the dry paint film depends on the
waste and use low quality paint on a repaint job. But
it’s more likely that waste will be low and paint quality percentage of solids in the paint. If you apply a gal-
high on jobs like that. lon of paint containing 100 percent solids over 1,600
square feet, the dry film will be 1 mil thick — that is,
The “Slow” (repaint) application rate assumes light if 100 percent of the paint adheres to the wall. But if
coverage, “Medium” (commercial project) application there’s 10 percent waste (because of paint that’s left in
rate assumes medium coverage and “Fast” (residential the can, on brushes, or spilled), only 90 percent of the
tract) application rate assumes heavy coverage. Light material ends up on the surface.
15

Slow application Medium application Fast application
Repaint jobs Commercial projects Residential tracts
Low volume Medium volume High volume
20% discount 30% discount 40% discount
Figure 8
Material price discounts
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Here’s a formula for coverage rates that makes it Changes in Paint Formulation
easy to calculate mil thickness, including the waste
In the late 1970s, the California State Air Resources
factor. Coverage rate equals:
Board established a “model rule” for lowering the
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% of solids x 1600 solvent in oil-based paints. They mandated replacing
x (1.00 - waste factor) solvent-based paint with water-based formulas. The
mil thickness
objective was to lower the amount of solvents escaping
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into the air. This change in the formulation of oil-based
Here’s an example. Assume you’re applying paint
paints is being adopted nationwide.
with 40 percent solids (by volume), using a roller. The
waste factor is 10 percent. You need a thickness of 5
Changes in paint formulation will affect coverage
mils.
Pr
rates and the cost for non-flat paints. Review actual
Here’s the calculation for the coverage rate: coverage rates and paint prices and make adjustments
where necessary before using the estimates in this
.40 x 1600 book.
x (1.00 - .10) = 115.2 per gallon
5
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You may have to apply several coats to get a thick- Column 3: Material Pricing
in
ness of 5 mils. In any case, you’ll have to use one gal- The third column in the cost tables shows the cost
lon of paint for each 115.2 square feet of surface. of materials. The “Slow,” “Medium,” and “Fast” prices in
each table are based on the discounts usually offered
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by suppliers for volume purchases by contractor cus-

Waste Factors tomers. The material discounts used in this book are
Be sure to consider waste and spillage when you defined in Figure 8.
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figure coverage rates. Professional painters waste

very little paint. They rarely kick over a five-gallon paint The more paint a contractor buys over a given
bucket. But there’s always some waste. My material period, the greater the discount that contractor can
coverage formulas include a typical waste allowance expect. Most paint contractors get a discount of at
for each application method, whether it’s brush, roller least 20 percent off retail. Contractors buying in heavy
or spray. Of course, actual waste depends on the skill volume usually get discounts that approach 40 percent
of your painters no matter what application method off retail.
they use.
These are the waste factors I’ve built into the tables: Material Pricing Tables
Figures 9, 10 and 11 show the material prices I’ve
Brush ................................................................3 to 5%
used for each of three application rates throughout
Roll ................................................................. 5 to 10% this book. In the cost estimating tables each coating is
identified by a material number. To find out more about
Airless spray ................................................. 20 to 25%
the cost of any of these coatings, refer to the material
Conventional spray ....................................... 25 to 35% number listed in Figure 9, 10 or 11.
16
Material prices at 20% discount

All pricing is based on production grade material purchased in 5 gallon quantities.
Retail Contractor Add 15% Price with Estimating

price price at a sundries & 10% sales tax prices
guide 20% discount escalation at 8% with tax
Interior:
Sealer, off white (wet area walls & ceilings)
#1 - Water base 34.55 27.64 34.55 37.31 37.30
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#2 - Oil base 43.40 34.72 43.40 46.87 46.90
Undercoat (doors, casings and other paint grade wood)
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#3 - Water base 37.65 30.12 37.65 40.66 40.70
#4 - Oil base 47.35 37.88 47.35 51.14 51.10
Flat latex (walls, ceilings & paint grade baseboard)
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#5 - Water base latex paint 34.10 27.28 34.10 36.83 36.80
Acoustic spray-on texture
#6 - Primer 26.85 21.48 26.85 29.00 29.00
#7 - Finish 32.20 25.76 32.20 34.78 34.80
Pr
#8 - Dripowder mixed (pound) 1.40 1.12 1.40 1.51 1.51
Enamel (wet area walls & ceilings and openings)
#9 - Water base enamel 51.20 40.96 51.20 55.30 55.30
#10 - Oil base enamel 60.15 48.12 60.15 64.96 65.00
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System Estimate (cabinets, bookshelves, molding, interior windows)
#11a - Wiping stain, oil base 56.00 44.80 56.00 60.48 60.50
in
#11b - Sanding sealer, lacquer 48.25 38.60 48.25 52.11 52.10

#11c - Lacquer, semi gloss 50.90 40.72 50.90 54.97 55.00
#11 - Stain, seal & 2 coat lacquer SYSTEM
Average cost (11a + b + (2 x c)) 41.21 51.51 55.63 55.60
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#12 - Shellac, clear 65.20 52.16 65.20 70.42 70.40

#13 - Penetrating oil stain 53.95 43.16 53.95 58.27 58.30
#14 - Penetrating stain wax (molding) 48.85 39.08 48.85 52.76 52.80
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#15 - Wax, per pound (floors) 18.95 15.16 18.95 20.47 20.50
#16 - Glazing (mottling over enamel) 47.40 37.92 47.40 51.19 51.20
#17 - Spray can, each (HVAC registers) 11.70 9.36 11.70 12.64 12.60
Exterior:
Solid body/color stain (beams, light valance, fascia, overhang, siding, plant-on trim, wood shelves)
#18 - Water base stain 45.00 36.00 45.00 48.60 48.60
#19 - Oil base stain 58.00 46.40 58.00 62.64 62.60
Semi-transparent stain (beams, siding, T & G ceiling)
#20 - Water base stain 44.85 35.88 44.85 48.44 48.40
#21 - Oil base stain 55.40 44.32 55.40 59.83 59.80
#22 - Polyurethane (exterior doors) 80.40 64.32 80.40 86.83 86.80
#23 - Marine spar varnish, flat or gloss (exterior doors)
Interior or exterior 84.15 67.32 84.15 90.88 90.90
Figure 9
17
Material prices at 20% discount (cont.)

Exterior enamel (exterior doors & trim)

#24 - Water base 51.90 41.52 51.90 56.05 56.10
#25 - Oil base 59.50 47.60 59.50 64.26 64.30
Porch & deck enamel - interior or exterior
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#27 - Oil base enamel 52.05 41.64 52.05 56.21 56.20
#28 - Epoxy, 1 part, water base 70.60 56.48 70.60 76.25 76.30
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#29 - Epoxy, 2 part SYSTEM 114.25 91.40 114.25 123.39 123.40
System Estimate (exterior windows)
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#30b - Sanding sealer, varnish 60.80 48.64 60.80 65.66 65.70
#30c - Varnish, flat or gloss 79.30 63.44 79.30 85.64 85.60
#30 - Stain, seal & 1 coat varnish SYSTEM
Average cost (30a + b + c)) 51.48 64.35 69.50 69.50
Pr
Masonry paint (masonry, concrete, plaster)
#31 - Water base, flat or gloss 42.70 34.16 42.70 46.12 46.10
#32 - Oil base paint 61.35 49.08 61.35 66.26 66.30
#33 - Block filler 35.15 28.12 35.15 37.96 38.00
#34 - Waterproofing, clear hydro seal 39.35 31.48 39.35 42.50 42.50
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Metal primer, rust inhibitor

#35 - Clean metal 56.60 45.28 56.60 61.13 61.10
in
#36 - Rusty metal 71.90 57.52 71.90 77.65 77.70

Metal finish, synthetic enamel, gloss, interior or exterior
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#37 - Off white 60.60 48.48 60.60 65.45 65.50

#38 - Colors (except orange/red) 64.75 51.80 64.75 69.93 69.90
Anti-graffiti stain eliminator
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#39 - Water base primer & sealer 46.90 37.52 46.90 50.65 50.70
#40 - Oil base primer & sealer 56.75 45.40 56.75 61.29 61.30
#41 - Polyurethane 2 part SYSTEM 168.50 134.80 168.50 181.98 182.00
Preparation:
#42 - Caulking, per fluid ounce 0.55 0.44 0.55 0.59 0.59
Paint remover, per gallon
#43 - Light duty 41.00 32.80 41.00 44.28 44.30
#44 - Heavy duty 50.00 40.00 50.00 54.00 54.00
#45 - Putty, per pound 7.40 5.92 7.40 7.99 8.00
#46 - Silica sand, per pound 0.65 0.52 0.65 0.70 0.70
#47 - Visqueen, 1.5 mil, 12’ x 200’ roll 49.30 39.44 49.30 53.24 53.20
#48 - Wood filler, per gallon 51.85 41.48 51.85 56.00 56.00
Figure 9 (continued)
18

Industrial:
#49 - Acid wash (muriatic acid) 19.50 15.60 19.50 21.06 21.10
#50 - Aluminum base paint 102.00 81.60 102.00 110.16 110.20
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Epoxy coating, 2 part SYSTEM
#51 - Clear 152.40 121.92 152.40 164.59 164.60
#52 - White 148.70 118.96 148.70 160.60 160.60
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Heat resistant enamel
#53 - 800 to 1200 degree range 142.50 114.00 142.50 153.90 153.90
#54 - 300 to 800 degree range 140.25 112.20 140.25 151.47 151.50
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#55 - Industrial bonding &
penetrating oil paint 65.75 52.60 65.75 71.01 71.00
Industrial enamel, oil base, high gloss
#56 - Light colors 60.70 48.56 60.70 65.56 65.60
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#57 - Dark (OSHA) colors 76.05 60.84 76.05 82.13 82.10
#58 - Industrial waterproofing 49.65 39.72 49.65 53.62 53.60
#59 - Vinyl coating (tanks) 137.70 110.16 137.70 148.72 148.70
Wallcovering:
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Ready-mix:
#60 - Light-weight vinyl (gal) 14.60 11.68 14.60 15.77 15.80
in
#61 - Heavy weight vinyl (gal) 16.00 12.80 16.00 17.28 17.30
#62 - Cellulose, clear (gal) 16.00 12.80 16.00 17.28 17.30
#63 - Vinyl to vinyl (gal) 26.45 21.16 26.45 28.57 28.60
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#64 - Powdered cellulose, 2 - 4 ounces 7.95 6.36 7.95 8.59 8.60

#65 - Powdered vinyl, 2 - 4 ounces 9.30 7.44 9.30 10.04 10.00
#66 - Powdered wheat paste, 2-4 ounces 7.40 5.92 7.40 7.99 8.00
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Note: Typically, powdered paste is in 2 to 4 ounce packages which will adhere 6 to 12 rolls of wallcovering.
19

Interior:
#1 - Water base 34.55 24.19 30.24 32.66 32.70
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#2 - Oil base 43.40 30.38 37.98 41.02 41.00
#3 - Water base 37.65 26.36 32.95 35.59 35.60
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#4 - Oil base 47.35 33.15 41.44 44.76 44.80
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#6 - Primer 26.85 18.80 23.50 25.38 25.40
#7 - Finish 32.20 22.54 28.18 30.43 30.40
#8 - Dripowder mixed (pound) 1.40 .98 1.23 1.33 1.33
Pr
#10 - Oil base enamel 60.15 42.11 52.64 56.85 56.90
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in

#12 - Shellac, clear 65.20 45.64 57.05 61.61 61.60
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Exterior:
#18 - Water base stain 45.00 31.50 39.38 42.53 42.50
#19 - Oil base stain 58.00 40.60 50.75 54.81 54.80
#20 - Water base stain 44.85 31.40 39.25 42.39 42.40
#21 - Oil base stain 55.40 38.78 48.48 52.36 52.40
Figure 10
20


#24 - Water base 51.90 36.33 45.41 49.04 49.00
#25 - Oil base 59.50 41.65 52.06 56.22 56.20
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#27 - Oil base enamel 52.05 36.44 45.55 49.19 49.20
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SYSTEM ESTIMATE (exterior windows)
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Average cost (30a + b + c)) 45.05 56.31 60.81 60.80
Pr
#32 - Oil base paint 61.35 42.95 53.69 57.99 58.00
#33 - Block filler 35.15 24.61 30.76 33.22 33.20
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#35 - Clean metal 56.60 39.62 49.53 53.49 53.50
in
#36 - Rusty metal 71.90 50.33 62.91 67.94 67.90

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#37 - Off white 60.60 42.42 53.03 57.27 57.30

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Preparation:
#43 - Light duty 41.00 28.70 35.88 38.75 38.80
#44 - Heavy duty 50.00 35.00 43.75 47.25 47.30
#45 - Putty, per pound 7.40 5.18 6.48 7.00 7.00
21

Industrial:
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#51 - Clear 152.40 106.68 133.35 144.02 144.00
#52 - White 148.70 104.09 130.11 140.52 140.50
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#53 - 800 to 1200 degree range 142.50 99.75 124.69 134.67 134.70
#54 - 300 to 800 degree range 140.25 98.18 122.73 132.55 132.60
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#56 - Light colors 60.70 42.49 53.11 57.36 57.40
Pr
#57 - Dark (OSHA) colors 76.05 53.24 66.55 71.87 71.90
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Wallcpvering:
Ready-mix:
in

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22

Interior:
#1 - Water base 34.55 20.73 25.91 27.98 28.00
#2 - Oil base 43.40 26.04 32.55 35.15 35.20
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#3 - Water base 37.65 22.59 28.24 30.50 30.50
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#4 - Oil base 47.35 28.41 35.51 38.35 38.40
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#6 - Primer 26.85 16.11 20.14 21.75 21.80
#7 - Finish 32.20 19.32 24.15 26.08 26.10
#8 - Dripowder mixed (pound) 1.40 .84 1.05 1.13 1.13
Pr
#10 - Oil base enamel 60.15 36.09 45.11 48.72 48.70

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in

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#12 - Shellac, clear 65.20 39.12 48.90 52.81 52.80

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Exterior:
#18 - Water base stain 45.00 27.00 33.75 36.45 36.50
#19 - Oil base stain 58.00 34.80 43.50 46.98 47.00
#20 - Water base stain 44.85 26.91 33.64 36.33 36.30
#21 - Oil base stain 55.40 33.24 41.55 44.87 44.90
Figure 11
23


#24 - Water base 51.90 31.14 38.93 42.04 42.00
#25 - Oil base 59.50 35.70 44.63 48.20 48.20
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#27 - Oil base enamel 52.05 31.23 39.04 42.16 42.20
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System Estimate (exterior windows)
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Average cost (30a + b + c)) 38.61 48.26 52.12 52.10
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#32 - Oil base paint 61.35 36.81 46.01 49.69 49.70
#33 - Block filler 35.15 21.09 26.36 28.47 28.50
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#35 - Clean metal 56.60 33.96 42.45 45.85 45.90
in
#36 - Rusty metal 71.90 43.14 53.93 58.24 58.20

#37 - Off white 60.60 36.36 45.45 49.09 49.10
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Preparation:
#43 - Light duty 41.00 24.60 30.75 33.21 33.20
#44 - Heavy duty 50.00 30.00 37.50 40.50 40.50
#45 - Putty, per pound 7.40 4.44 5.55 5.99 6.00
24

Industrial:
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#51 - Clear 152.40 91.44 114.30 123.44 123.40
#52 - White 148.70 89.22 111.53 120.45 120.50
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#53 - 800 to 1200 degree range 142.50 85.50 106.88 115.43 115.40
#54 - 300 to 800 degree range 140.25 84.15 105.19 113.61 113.60
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#56 - Light colors
Pr 60.70 36.42 45.53 49.17 49.20
#57 - Dark (OSHA) colors 76.05 45.63 57.04 61.60 61.60
Wallcovering:
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Ready-mix:
in

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25
Figure 9 shows prices at a 20 percent discount predict how many jobs you’ll get out of each brush or
off retail. It applies to “Slow” work and assumes light roller pole, roller handle, ladder, or drop cloth. But don’t
coverage on a previously painted surface. These costs let that keep you from including an allowance for these
would be typical for a lower-volume company handling important costs in your estimates. If you leave them
mostly repaint or custom work. out, it’s the same as estimating the cost of those items
as zero. That’s a 100 percent miss. Too many of those,
Figure 10 reflects a 30 percent discount. It applies to and you’re out of the painting business. It’s better to
“Medium” work and assumes medium coverage, as in estimate any amount than to omit some costs entirely.
commercial work.
Figure 12 is a sundries inventory checklist. Use it to
Figure 11 is the 40 percent discount table. It applies
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keep track of the actual cost of expendable tools and
to “Fast” work and assumes heavier coverage typically
equipment.
required on unpainted surfaces in new construction.
This discount is usually available only to large, high-
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volume painting companies that purchase materials in I’ve added 15 percent to the paint cost to cover
large quantities. expendable tools and supplies. This is enough for sun-
dries on most jobs. There is one exception, however.
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Here’s an explanation of the columns in Figures 9, On repaint jobs where there’s extensive prep work, the
10 and 11: cost of sundries may be more than 15 percent of the
paint cost. When preparation work is extensive, figure
Retail price guide: This is an average based on a the actual cost of supplies. Then add to the estimate
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survey of up to a dozen paint manufacturers or dis- that portion of the sundries cost that exceeds 15 per-
tributors, for standard grade, construction-quality paint, cent of the paint cost. You might have to double the
purchased in five gallon quantities. normal sundries allowance. When it comes to prep
work, make sure your estimate covers all your supplies.
Material pricing and discount percentages will vary
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from supplier to supplier and from area to area. Always

Price with sales tax at 8 percent: This column
keep your supplier’s current price list handy. It should
increases the material cost, including sundries, by 8
in
show your current cost for all the coatings and supplies
percent to cover sales tax. If sales tax in your area is
you use. Also post a list of all suppliers, their phone
numbers, and the salesperson’s name beside your more or less than 8 percent, you can adjust the mate-
rial cost, or use the price that’s closest to your actual
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phone.
cost.
Prices change frequently. Paint quality, your sup-

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plier’s discount programs, their marketing strategy and In most cases contractors have to pay sales tax. If
competition from other paint manufacturers will influ- you don’t pay the tax yourself, you may have to collect
ence the price you pay. Never guess about paint prices it from the building owner or general contractor and
— especially about less commonly used coatings. remit it to the state taxing authority. In either case,
Don’t assume that a product you haven’t used before include sales tax in your estimate.
costs about the same as similar products. It might not.
A heavy-duty urethane finish, for example, will cost Estimating prices with tax: The figures in the last
about twice as much as a heavy-duty vinyl coating. If column of Figures 9 through 11 are rounded to the
you don’t know that, your profit for the job can disap-
nearest dime unless the total is under a dollar. Those
pear very quickly.
prices are rounded to the nearest penny.
Prices at discount: The retail price, less the appro- This system for pricing materials isn’t exact. But it’s
priate discount. quick, easy and flexible. Compare your current material
costs with costs in Figures 9, 10 and 11. If your costs
Allowance for sundries: It’s not practical to figure are more than a few percent higher or lower than my
the cost of every sheet of sandpaper and every rag costs, make a note on the blank line below “Fast” in the
you’ll use on a job. And there’s no way to accurately estimating tables.
26
Sundry Inventory Checklist

Suppliers: D-Dumphy Paints
F-Fisher Paints
S-Superior Paints
P-Pioneer Paints
Product Inventory
Supplier Product Unit Cost 7/21 7/27 8/2 8/10
number quantity
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D #— Bender paint pads 3 Each $ 5.25
D #792 Brush - 3" nylon Peacock 2 Each $ 27.80 1
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D #783 Brush - 4" nylon Scooter 2 Each $ 41.20 1
D #115 Brush - 5" nylon Pacer 2 Each $ 69.90 1
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D #784 Brush - 3" bristle 2 Each $ 25.80 1
D #2170 Caulking bags 2 Each $ 5.57
D Latex Caulking-DAP Acrylic latex 12 Each $ 2.94 12
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D #2172 Caulking gun (Newborn) 2 Each $ 10.50 1
P #— Hydraulic fluid 2 Qt $ 11.92
P #— Lemon oil 2 Pint $ 5.96 1
#— Masking paper 18" wide Roll
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F 3 $ 30.50
F Anchor Masking tape 11/2" 24 Roll $ 4.46 12 12
in
P #2176 Lacquer - 5 gallons 2 5’s $ 135.00 1

P #2173 Sanding sealer - 5 gallons 2 5’s $ 129.00 1
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P #9850 Resin sealer - 5 gallons 2 5’s $ 116.00

P #131 PVA sealer (clear) - 5 gallons 2 5’s $ 122.00 1
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F #8500 Particle masks 100/box 1 Box $ 20.00 1

P #— Putty (Crawfords) 3 Qt $ 13.50 2
F #R-10 Respirators 1 Each $ 55.70 1
F #R-49 Respirator cartridges 20/box 2 Box $ 64.70
F #R-51 Respirator filters 20/box 2 Box $ 46.20 1
P #— Rags - 10 pound sack 2 Sack $ 33.20
F #AR 691 Roller covers 9" x 3/4" 6 Each $ 6.14 2
F #AR 692 Roller covers 9" x 3/8" 6 Each $ 6.27 3 2
Figure 12
Sundry inventory checklist
27
Product Inventory
Supplier Product Unit Cost 7/21 7/27 8/2 8/10
number quantity
F #AR 611 Roller covers mini 3 Each $ 4.28 1
F #95 Roller frames 9" 6 Each $ 7.89 1 2
F #75 Roller frames 7" 5 Each $ 7.62 3 3
F #TSR Roller frames mini 2 Each $ 4.41
D #40 Roller poles 4' wood tip 3 Each $ 3.89 1
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D #10 Roller poles 6' wood tip 10 Each $ 6.02 2
P #1 Roller pole tips metal 2 Each $ 4.82 2
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P #— Sandpaper (120C production) 2 Slve $ 71.80 1
P #— Sandpaper (220A trimite) 2 Slve $ 55.80
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P #— Sandpaper (220A garnet) 1 Slve $ 50.80 1
D #— Spackle (Synkloid) 3 Qt $ 7.83 1 1
D #42/61 Spray bombs (blackB/whiteW) 12 Each $ 4.56 B 12 12
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F #— Spray gun tips #3 or #4 10 Each $ 11.30 3
F #2762 Spray gun couplers 10 Each $ 3.08 5
F #S-71 Spray socks 48/box 1 Box $ 24.60
D #5271 Stip fill Gal
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1 $ 13.20 1
D #5927 Strainer bags 2 Each $ 2.14 1
in
D #JT-21 Staples - 5/16" 2 Box $ 3.48

P 50 Gal Thinner, lacquer 1 Drum $ 618.00
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P 50 Gal Thinner, paint 1 Drum $ 308.00 1

P #— Thinner, shellac (alcohol) 1 Gal $ 14.44
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D #— Visqueen 1.5 mil 12' x 200' 3 Roll $ 36.10

D #5775 Work pots (2 gal. plastic) 3 Each $ 4.15 1 2
# $
# $
# $
# $
Order date: 7/21 7/27 8/2 8/10
Ordered by: (initials) jj jj jj jj
Purchase order no. 0352 0356 0361 0371
Sundry inventory checklist
28
Residential Wallcovering Commercial Wallcovering Flexible Wood Wallcovering
Computer Labor Labor Labor Computer Labor Labor Labor Computer Labor Labor Labor
Production Program Cost Program Cost
per Burden Cost + per Burden Cost + Program Cost per Burden Cost +
Rate Crew Crew Crew
Hour per Hour Burden Hour per Hour Burden Hour per Hour Burden
Code Code Code
Slow 1W $23.00 $5.52 $28.52 4W $22.00 $5.28 $27.28 7W $22.50 $5.40 $27.90
Medium 2W 29.50 8.53 38.03 5W 28.00 8.09 36.09 8W 28.75 8.31 37.06
Fast 3W 36.00 12.71 48.71 6W 34.00 12.00 46.00 9W 35.00 12.36 47.36
Figure 13
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Hourly wage rates for wallcovering application
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Price Escalation But be careful here. Increase the bid too much and
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you’ll probably lose the contract. So raise your bid only
Escalation is the change in prices between the time
if necessary, and then only by the amount of the actual
you bid a job and the time you pay for labor and mate-
cost increases. Don’t try to make a killing on the job just
rials. Painting contractors seldom include escalation
clauses in their bids because they don’t expect lengthy because the bid prices have expired.
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delays. That’s why escalation isn’t included as a sepa-
rate item in the estimating forms, Figures 18 and 19.
Column 4: Labor Cost
Any minor price escalation will be covered by the 15 Column 4 in Figure 2 on page 7 shows the labor cost
percent added to material prices for sundries. But don’t
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per unit. This figure is based on the productivity rate in
rely on that small cushion to absorb major inflationary column 1 and the wage rate in Figure 1. The wage rate
cost increases. Plan ahead if prices are rising. In that for “Slow” (repaint) work is assumed to be $23.50 per
in
case, add 10% of your material costs as an escalation hour. The wage rate for “Medium” (commercial) work
factor and include this figure as a separate line item in
is $30.00 per hour. The wage rate for “Fast” (residential
the estimate.
tract) work is $36.50 per hour. Wage rates for wallcov-
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ering are different (Figure 13).

Many formal construction contracts include an esca-
lator clause that allows the contractor to recover for
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cost increases during the time of construction — espe- Wage Rates Vary
cially if there was an unreasonable delay through no
fault of the subcontractor. This clause may give you the Wages vary from city to city. I saw a survey of hourly
right to collect for increases in both labor and material union rates for painters in U.S. cities. The lowest rate
costs. shown was $17.91 an hour for painters in Raleigh,
North Carolina. The highest rate was $46.15 for paint-
If work is delayed after you’ve been awarded the ers in Nome, Alaska. You might ask, “Why don’t all the
contract, you may be able to recover for cost increases painters in Raleigh move to Nome?”
under the escalator clause. This is more likely on
public projects than on private jobs. Also, if there’s a I don’t know the answer, except to suggest that
significant delay due to weather, you may have a good painters aren’t starving in Raleigh. Nor are they getting
argument for adjusting the contract amount. rich in Nome. Working conditions and the cost of liv-
ing are very different in those two cities. However, on
You can protect yourself against escalation if you private jobs using non-union tradesmen, wage rates
include an expiration date on your bids. If the contract usually don’t vary as much from city to city. The wage
award is delayed beyond your expiration date, you can you pay depends on the demand for painting and how
review your costs and make necessary adjustments. many painters are available for work.
29
Wages also change over time. For example, wage Column 5: Labor Burden
rates increased between 2009 and 2019. The national
average union wage (including fringes) for painters in For each dollar of wages your company pays, at
large cities went from $34.62 in 2009 to $37.82 per least another 28 cents has to be paid in payroll tax and
hour in 2019. In 2019, the average union wage for for insurance. That’s part of your labor burden. The rest
commercial work increased to as high as $52.69 per is fringe benefits such as vacation pay, health benefits
hour. Always base your estimates on the actual wages and pension plans.
you’ll pay your most experienced painters.
Federal taxes are the same for all employers. State
taxes vary from state to state. Fringe benefits vary the
Wages for Higher Skilled Specialists most. Generally, larger companies with more skilled
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Wages also vary with a workers’ skill, dependability painters offer considerably more fringe benefits than
and with job difficulty. Generally higher paid painters smaller companies.
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are more productive than lower paid painters. Here’s
a chart to determine how much more per hour to In the estimating tables, the labor burden percent-
estimate for supervision and for painting and surface age varies with the application rate. For “Slow” (repaint)
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preparation specialists. These figures are in addition to work, it’s assumed to be 24.0 percent of $23.50 or
the basic journeyman rate. $5.64 per hour. For “Medium” (commercial) work, the
estimating tables use 28.90 percent of $30.00 or $8.67
Foremen ................................................. $2.00 to 6.00 per hour. For “Fast” (residential tract) work, the labor
Pr burden is 35.3 percent of $36.50 or $12.88 per hour.
Field superintendents ........................... $9.00 to 12.00
Figure 14 shows how the labor burden percentages
Swing stage brush painters, were compiled for each application rate.
spray painters, or paperhangers ........................ $1.00
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FICA — Social Security tax: This is the portion
Iron, steel and bridge painters paid by employers and is set by federal law. A simi-
(ground work) ..................................................... $2.00
in
lar amount is withheld from each employee’s wage

and deposited with a Federal Reserve bank by the
Sandblasters, iron, steel, or
employer.
bridge painters (swing stage) ............................. $4.00
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Steeplejacks ....................................................... $5.00 FUTA — Federal Unemployment Insurance tax:

Paid entirely by the employer and set by federal law. No
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Most government and defense painting contracts portion is deducted from employee wages.
require compliance with the Davis Bacon Act, which
specifies that contractors pay at least the prevail- SUI — State Unemployment Insurance: Varies
ing wage for each trade in the area where the job is from state to state.
located.
WCI — Workers’ Compensation Insurance:
Provides benefits for employees in case of injury on the
Calculate Your Labor Rate job. Workers’ comp is required by state law. Rates vary
Use the wage rate in Figure 1 ($23.50, $30.00 or by state, job description and the loss experience of the
$36.50 for “Slow,” “Medium,” or “Fast”) that’s appropri- employer.
ate for your company. Or, use a rate somewhere in
between the rates listed. If you use your own wage rate, Liab. Ins. — Liability Insurance: Covers injury
divide the hourly wage by the labor productivity (such or damage done to the public by employees.
as square feet per manhour in column 1). That’s your Comprehensive contractor’s liability insurance includes
labor cost per unit. Multiply by 100 if the units used are current operations, completed operations, bodily injury,
100 linear feet or 100 square feet. ($22 ÷ 400 x 100 = property damage, protective and contractual coverages
$5.50.) with a $1,000,000 policy limit.
30
î
Fixed burden Fringe benefits
Liab.
FICA FUTA SUI WCI Ins. Vac Med Life Pension Training Total
Slow 7.65% 0.6% 3.0% 5.5% 6.25% 0 1.0% 0 0 0 24.00%
Medium 7.65% 0.6% 4.5% 6.5% 6.65% .5% 2.0% .25% .25% 0 28.90%
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Fast 7.65% 0.6% 6.0% 8.5% 7.05% 1.5% 3.0% .25% 0.5% .25% 35.30%
Figure 14
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Labor burden percentages
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Fringe benefits: Vac is vacation pay. Med is There are two types of overhead, direct overhead
medical insurance. Life is life insurance contribution. and indirect overhead. Only indirect overhead is includ-
Pension is a pension plan contribution. Training is an ed in the “Overhead” column of the estimating cost
apprentice training fund.
Pr tables. Enter your direct overhead costs on a separate
line on your take-off sheet.
Vacation, life, pension and training payments depend
on the agreement between employers and employees. Direct overhead is job site overhead, expenses you
These are voluntary contributions if not required by a charge to a specific job. Examples include performance
collective bargaining agreement. Smaller companies bonds, special insurance premiums, or rental of a job
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are less likely to provide these benefits. The cost of site storage trailer. These expenses are not included
fringe benefits in a painting company can range from in the estimating tables and have to be added to your
in
zero to more than 10 percent of wages. estimates. On many jobs, there may be little or no direct
overhead.
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Column 6: Material Cost per Unit Indirect overhead is office overhead, expenses that
aren’t related to any particular job and that tend to
This column is the result of dividing column 3
continue whether the volume of work increases or
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(material cost) by column 2 (material coverage) for

decreases. Examples are non-trade salaries, office
each application rate. For example, in Figure 2 in the
rent, vehicles, sales and financial expenses, insurance,
“Medium” row, a material cost of $32.20 is divided by
taxes and licenses.
material coverage of 275, then multiplied by 100 to
arrive at $11.71 per 100 square feet. That’s the figure
The percentage of income spent on overhead is
listed for “Medium” in column 6.
assumed to be lower for high volume companies and
higher for low volume companies. A large company
working many projects at the same time can spread
Column 7: Overhead overhead costs over many projects — charging a
The overhead rate for “Slow” (repaint) jobs is smaller percentage of overhead to each job. The more
assumed to be 19 percent. For “Medium” (commercial jobs, the lower the overhead per job — assuming over-
projects), overhead is 25 percent. For “Fast” (residential head doesn’t increase faster than business volume.
tracts), overhead is 31 percent. The overhead cost per
unit in each row is calculated by adding the labor cost On the other hand, a small business may have to
per unit, labor burden per unit, and material cost per absorb all overhead on a single job. Even painting con-
unit and then multiplying by the appropriate overhead tractors who work out of their homes have overhead
percentage. expenses.
31
Here’s one overhead expense every paint contractor Calculate your indirect overhead by adding together
has and that you might overlook: the cost of estimating your real (or anticipated) annual expenses for the fol-
jobs. That’s part of the salary cost of the employee who lowing:
does the estimating.
Salaries. Include what you pay for all employees
except trade workers, plus payroll-related expenses for
Figure Overhead Carefully all employees.
Estimating indirect (office) overhead isn’t as easy Office and shop expense. Rent or mortgage, utili-
as estimating labor and material. There aren’t as many ties, furniture and equipment, maintenance, office sup-
clear-cut answers. That’s why indirect overhead is plies and postage, storage sheds, warehouses, fences
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often underestimated. Don’t make that mistake in your or yard maintenance.
estimates. Underestimating overhead is the same as
giving up part of your profit. After all, indirect overhead
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Vehicles. Lease or purchase payments, mainte-
expenses are real costs, just like paint, labor and taxes. nance, repairs and fuel.
In large painting companies, management accumu- Sales promotion. Advertising, entertainment and
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lates indirect overhead costs and translates them into sales-related travel.
a percentage the estimator should add to the costs of
each job. In smaller companies, the estimator should Taxes. Property tax and income tax, and sales tax (if
keep a record of indirect overhead expenses. With a not included in your material prices).
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good record of overhead expense, you can calculate
your overhead percentage for future periods very accu- Licenses. Contractor’s and business licenses.
rately. Then it’s easy to add a percentage for indirect
overhead costs into your estimate. Insurance. General liability, property and vehicle
policies.
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Computing Your Overhead Percentage Interest expense. Loan interest and bank charges.
in
Also consider loss of interest on payments retained by

Here’s how to decide which overhead rate to use in the general contractor until the job is finished.
the cost estimating tables:
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Miscellaneous expenses. Depreciation and amorti-

1) List all your overhead expenses for at least the zation on building and vehicles, bad debts, legal and
last six months; a year would be better. You accounting fees, and educational expenses.
need overhead cost information that goes back
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far enough to eliminate the effect of seasonal Direct overhead is easier to figure. It’s all job
changes in business volume expenses except tradesman labor, payroll taxes and
insurance, materials, equipment, subcontracts, and
If your company is new, estimate your annual contingency expenses. Permits, bonds, fees and spe-
overhead by projecting overhead costs for the cial insurance policies for property owners are also
first full year. For example, if you’ve been in examples of direct overhead. Add the direct overhead
business for five months and overhead has been expense on the appropriate lines in your estimate.
$5,500 so far, you can expect annual overhead Direct overhead is not included in the estimating tables
to be about $13,200 ($5,500 divided by 5 and in this manual.
multiplied by 12).
2) Here’s how to calculate your indirect overhead Field Equipment May Be Part of Overhead
percentage: As you may have noticed, there’s no equipment cost
column in the estimating tables. Instead, field equip-
Annual indirect overhead
= Overhead % ment expense is included in the overhead percentage
Annual job expenses for “Fast” and “Medium” work but not “Slow” work.
32
Equipment Rental Rates

Use the following rates only as a guide. They may not be accurate for your area.
Verify equipment rental rates at your local yard.
Rental Rental
Day Week Month Day Week Month
Acoustical sprayer 63.80 191.00 477.00 Dehumidifier - 5000 Btu, 89 lb, 8.7 amp
77.90 233.00 581.00
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Air compressors
Electric or gasoline, wheel mounted Ladders
5 CFM, 1.5 HP, electric 38.40 117.00 295.00 Aluminum extension
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8 CFM, 1.5 HP, electric 46.00 135.00 338.00 16' to 36' 42.10 126.00 316.00
10 CFM, 5.5 HP, gasoline 52.50 156.00 391.00 40' to 60' 63.80 190.00 477.00
15 CFM, shop type, electric 58.70 177.00 443.00
Step - fiberglass or wood
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50 CFM, shop type, electric 77.90 233.00 581.00
100 CFM, gasoline 106.00 316.00 792.00 6' 11.20 33.80 84.20
125 CFM, gasoline 119.00 359.00 897.00 8' 14.10 42.10 106.00
150 CFM, gasoline 134.00 401.00 1,000.00 10' 16.90 50.70 126.00
175 CFM, gasoline 147.00 443.00 1,110.00 12' 19.70 59.10 148.00
14' 22.50 67.70 169.00
190 CFM, gasoline 161.00
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485.00 1,220.00
16' 28.10 84.20 211.00
Diesel, wheel mounted 20' 36.60 109.00 274.00
?to 159 CFM 119.00 359.00 1,070.00
160 to 249 CFM 147.00 442.00 1,320.00 Ladder jacks - No guardrail. 11.20 28.10 70.20
250 to 449 CFM 218.00 654.00 1,950.00 Masking paper dispenser 28.10 70.20 176.00
450 to 749 CFM 324.00 971.00 2,920.00
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750 to 1199 CFM 443.00 1,320.00 3,980.00 Painter’s pic (walkboards); No guardrail.
1200 CFM & over 647.00 1,940.00 7,230.00 (Also known as airplane planks, toothpicks and banana
in
boards)
Air hose - with coupling, 50' lengths 16' long 11.20 33.80 84.20
1/4" I.D. 8.42 25.60 63.80 20' long 22.50 67.70 169.00
3/8" I.D. 9.95 29.40 74.00 24' long 28.10 84.20 211.00
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1/2" I.D. 11.20 32.10 84.20 28' long 33.80 101.00 252.00
5/8" I.D. 12.80 38.30 95.70 32' long 39.60 119.00 295.00
3/4" I.D. 14.10 42.10 106.00
1" I.D. 15.40 46.00 116.00 Planks - plain end microlam scaffold plank
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1-1/2" I.D. 22.50 67.70 170.00 9" wide 14.10 42.10 106.00
10" wide 16.90 50.70 126.00
Boomlifts 12" wide 19.70 59.10 148.00
3' x 4' to 3' x 8' basket Pressure washers (See Water pressure washers)
20' two wheel drive 197.00 591.00 1,770.00 Sandblast compressor and hopper
30' two wheel drive 238.00 718.00 2,150.00
To 250 PSI 84.20 252.00 634.00
40' four wheel drive 274.00 823.00 2,470.00
Over 250 to 300 PSI 120.00 359.00 897.00
50' - 1000 lb. 453.00 1,350.00 4,050.00
Over 600 to 1000 PSI 154.00 464.00 1,160.00
Telescoping and articulating booms, self propelled, gas or
diesel powered, 2-wheel drive Sandblast machines
21' to 30' high 281.00 843.00 2,520.00 150 lb pot with hood, 175 CFM compressor
31' to 40' high 352.00 1,050.00 3,160.00 324.00 971.00 2,440.00
41' to 50' high 458.00 1,380.00 4,130.00 300 lb pot with hood, 325 CFM compressor
51' to 60' high 561.00 1,690.00 5,070.00 579.00 1,720.00 4,340.00
600 lb pot with hood, 600 CFM compressor
Burner, paint 16.90 51.00 126.00 1,050.00 3,150.00 7,860.00
Figure 15
Typical equipment purchase and rental prices
33
Rental Rental
Day Week Month Day Week Month
Titan 660, 1 HP, electric 112.00 338.00 1,010.00
Sandblast hoses - 50’ lengths, coupled
Gasoline, .75 gpm 120.00 359.00 1,110.00
3/8" I.D. 14.10 42.10 107.00
3/4" I.D. 19.70 59.10 147.00 Emulsion pumps
1" I.D. 25.20 75.40 190.00 65 gal, 5 HP engine 98.30 296.00 887.00
1-1/4" I.D. 28.10 84.20 212.00 200 gal, 5 HP engine 112.00 334.00 1,010.00
1-1/2" I.D. 31.00 93.10 233.00 Emulsion airless, 1.25 gpm, gasoline
120.00 359.00 1,110.00
Sandblast accessories
Conventional pumps, gas, portable
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Nozzles, all types 25.20 76.70 190.00
Hood, air-fed 39.40 119.00 296.00 High pressure, low vol. (HVLP) 63.80 190.00 570.00
Valves, remote control (deadman, all sizes) 8 CFM complete 84.20 252.00 759.00
42.10 126.00 316.00 17 CFM complete 92.00 274.00 823.00
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Sanders 85 CFM complete 106.00 316.00 949.00
Belt - 3" 19.70 59.10 148.00 150 CFM complete 154.00 464.00 1,400.00
Belt - 4" x 24" 23.90 71.40 180.00 Spray rig accessories: 6’ wand 9.95 29.60 74.00
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Disc - 7" 31.00 93.10 233.00 Striper, paint (parking lot striping)
Finish sander, 6" 16.90 50.70 126.00
Aerosol 28.10 84.20 211.00
Floor edger, 7" disk, 29#, 15 amp.
28.10 84.20 211.00 Pressure regulated 41.00 119.00 296.00
Floor sander, 8" drum, 118#, 14 amp. Swing stage, rental
63.40
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189.00 477.00 Any length drop, motor operated, excluding safety gear
Palm sander, 4" x 4" 14.10 42.10 106.00 and installation or dismantling. Note: Must be set up by a
Palm sander, 4-1/2" x 9-1/4" 16.90 50.70 126.00 professional to ensure safety.
Scaffolding, rolling stage, caster mounted, Swing stage 141.00 421.00 1,260.00
30" wide by 7' or 10' long Basket 71.40 212.00 633.00
4' to 6' reach 56.10 112.00 225.00 Bosun’s chair 71.40 212.00 633.00
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7' to 11' reach 70.20 141.00 281.00

12' to 16' reach 98.30 197.00 394.00 Swing stage safety gear, purchase only
17' to 21' reach 134.00 267.00 534.00 Safety harness (126.00)
in
22' to 26' reach 148.00 295.00 591.00 4' lanyard with locking snap at each end (92.00)
27' to 30' reach 161.00 323.00 647.00 DBI rope grab for 5/8" safety line (98.30)
Casters - each 14.10 28.10 42.10 Komet rope grab for 3/4" safety line (141.00)
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Scissor lifts Texturing equipment

Electric powered, rolling with 2' x 3' platform, Texturing gun - w/ hopper, no compressor
7.14 21.20 63.80
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650 lb capacity
30' high 106.00 316.00 949.00 Texturing mud paddle mixer 9.95 29.50 89.50
40' high 183.00 550.00 1,640.00 Texturing outfit - 1 HP w/ gun, 50' hose, 75 PSI
50' high 211.00 634.00 1,900.00 15.50 46.40 139.00
Wallpaper hanging kit 23.90 71.40 215.00
Rolling, self-propelled, hydraulic, electric powered
to 20' high 154.00 626.00 1,400.00 Wallpaper steamer
21' to 30' high 190.00 569.00 1,710.00 Electric, small, 10 amp 28.10 84.20 252.00
31' to 40' high 238.00 718.00 2,150.00 Electric, 15 amp 42.10 126.00 380.00
Rolling, self-propelled, hydraulic, diesel powered Pressurized, electric 53.40 161.00 482.00
to 20' high 176.00 529.00 1,590.00
Water pressure washer (pressure washer, water blaster,
21' to 30' high 218.00 654.00 1,950.00
31' to 40' high 281.00 845.00 2,520.00 power washer)
1000 PSI, electric, 15 amp 63.80 190.00 569.00
Spray rigs
2000 PSI, gas 106.00 316.00 949.00
Airless pumps, complete with gun and 50' of line 2500 PSI, gas 112.00 338.00 1,010.00
Titan 447, 7/8 HP, electric 98.30 296.00 887.00 3500 PSI, gas 124.00 372.00 1,110.00
Typical equipment purchase and rental prices
34
New Construction and Commercial Work: The Some painting contractors pay their estimators a
overhead percentage for “Fast” (residential tract) work bonus of 1 to 3 percent per job in addition to their sal-
and “Medium” (commercial) projects includes equip- ary. If you offer an incentive like this, add the cost to
ment costs such as ladders, spray equipment, and your estimate, again as a direct overhead item.
masking paper holders. Those items are used on many
jobs, not just one specific job. The overhead allow-
ance covers equipment purchase payments, along An Example of Overhead
with maintenance, repairs and fuel. If you have to rent Here’s an example of how overhead is added into
equipment for a specific new construction project, add an estimate. A painting company completed 20 new
that rental expense as a separate cost item in your housing projects in the last year. Average revenue per
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estimate. project was $50,000. Gross receipts were $1,000,000
and the company made a 5 percent profit.
Repaint Jobs: Overhead rates for “Slow” (repaint)
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work do not include equipment costs. When you esti- Gross income $1,000,000
mate a repaint job, any small or short-term job, or a
job that uses only a small quantity of materials, add Less the profit earned (5%) - 50,000
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the cost of equipment at the rental rate — even if the Gross expenses 950,000
equipment is owned by your company.
Less total direct job cost - 825,000
Rental yards quote daily, weekly and monthly equip- Indirect overhead expense 125,000
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ment rental rates. Figure 15 shows typical rental costs
for painting equipment. Your actual equipment costs 125,000 (overhead cost)
= 0.1515 or 15.15%
may be different. Here’s a suggestion that can save 825,000 (direct job cost)
you more than a few minutes on the telephone collect-
ing rental rates. Make up a blank form like Figure 15
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and give it to your favorite rental equipment suppliers. When you’ve calculated indirect overhead as a per-
Ask each supplier to fill in current rental costs. Use centage of direct job cost, add that percentage to your
in
the completed forms until you notice that rates have estimates. If you leave indirect overhead out of your
changed. Then ask for a new set of rental rates. estimates, you’ve left out some very significant costs.
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Commissions and Bonuses Column 8: Profit

Any commissions or bonuses you have to pay on a
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The estimating tables assume that profit on “Slow”

job aren’t included in the estimating tables. You must (repaint) jobs is 16 percent, profit on “Medium” (com-
add these expenses to your bid. mercial) projects is 12 percent and profit on “Fast”
(residential tract) jobs is 7 percent. Calculate the profit
Painting contractors rarely have a sales staff, so per unit by first adding together the costs in columns 4
there won’t be sales commissions to pay on most jobs. (labor cost per unit), column 5 (labor burden per unit),
There’s one exception, however. Most room addition column 6 (material costs per unit), and column 7 (over-
and remodeling contractors have salespeople. And head per unit). Then multiply the total by the appropri-
many of their remodeling projects exclude painting. ate profit percentage to find the profit per unit.
In fact, their contract may specify that the owner is
responsible for the painting. These jobs may be a It’s my experience that larger companies with larger
good source of leads for a painting contractor. Develop projects can survive with a smaller profit percentage.
a relationship with the remodeling contractor’s sales Stiff competition for high volume tract work forces
staff (with the remodeling contractor’s approval, of bidders to trim their profit margin. Many smaller com-
course). If you have to pay a sales commission for the panies doing custom work earn a higher profit margin
referral, this is direct overhead and has to be added to because they produce better quality work, have fewer
the estimate. jobs, and face less competition.
35
Normal profit Difficulty Proposed

Risk factor (assume 10%) factor profit range
High risk 10% x 1.5 to 3.5 = 15% to 35%

Average risk 10% x 1.3 to 1.4 = 13% to 14%
Moderate risk 10% x 1.0 to 1.2 = 10% to 12%
Low risk 10% x 0.5 to 0.9 = 5% to 9%
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Figure 16
Risk factors and profit margin
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Profit and Risk Risk Factors
Profit is usually proportionate to risk. The more risk, Your assessment of the difficulty of the job may
the greater the potential profit has to be to attract bid- favor assigning a risk factor that could be used to
ders. Smaller companies handling custom or repaint modify your profit percentage. The higher the risk, the
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work have more risk of a major cost overrun because higher potential profit should be. My suggestions are
there are many more variables in that type of work. It’s in Figure 16.
usually safe to estimate a smaller profit on new work
because new work tends to be more predictable. The As you might expect, opinions on difficulty factors
risk of loss smaller. can vary greatly. There’s a lot of knowledge involved.
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You need experience and good judgment to apply
How do you define risk? Here’s my definition: Risk these factors effectively.
is the headache factor, the number and size of poten-
in
tial problems you could face in completing the project.

Repaint jobs have more unknowns, so they’re a greater Bidding Variables
risk. And dealing with an indecisive or picky homeowner
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Of course, your profit may be affected by an error in

can be the greatest headache of all. You may need to
evaluating the job risk factor. You can greatly reduce
use a profit margin even higher than the 15 to 35 range
the risk by accurately evaluating the bidding variables
indicated for high-risk work in Figure 16.
in Figure 17. Make adjustments to your standard base
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bid for example, if you expect your crews to be more or

less efficient on this project, or if you expect competi-
Tailoring Your Profit Margin tion to be intense. If there are logical reasons to modify
Of course, your profit margin has to be based on the your standard base bid, make those changes.
job, your company and the competition. But don’t cut
your profit to the bone just to get more work. Instead, But remember, if you adjust your standard base bid,
review your bid to see if there are reasons why the you’re not changing your profit margin. You’re only
standard costs wouldn’t apply. allowing for cost variables in the job. Adjust your stan-
dard base costs for unusual labor productivity, material
I use the term standard base bid to refer to my or equipment cost changes, or because of unusual
usual charge for all the estimated costs, including my overhead conditions. Review the following bidding
standard profit. Before submitting any bid, spend a variables when deciding how to adjust your standard
minute or two deciding whether your standard base base bid.
bid will apply.
36
There’s no single correct answer. Use your own judg-

Reputations and The Site ment. But here are some typical profit margins for the
Attitudes ■ Location (distance from kinds of work most painting contractors do.
■ Owner
shop and suppliers)
■ Architect
■ Accessibility
■ General
Repaints: Custom 20 to 35%
Contractor ■ Working conditions
■ Lender Average 15 to 20%
■ Security requirements
■ Inspector Commercial or industrial 10 to 15%
■ Safety considerations
New residential: 1-4 units 10 to 12%
5 or more 5 to 7%
The Project
Competition Government work 5 to 7%
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■ Building type
■ Number bidding
■ Project size
■ Your financial limits ■ Their strength, size and
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■ Start date competence Column 9: Total Cost
■ Weather conditions
■ Manpower availability The costs in Column 9 of Figure 2, and all the esti-
and capability Desire for the work mating tables in this book, are the totals per unit for
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each application rate in columns 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. That
Figure 17 includes labor, labor burden, material cost, overhead
Bidding variables
and profit.
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The Bottom Line
Sample Estimate
The profit margin you include in estimates depends
on the way you do business, the kind of work you Figure 18 is a sample repaint estimate, using the
slow production rate, for a small house with many ame-
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do, and your competition. Only you can decide what
percentage is right for your bids. Don’t take another nities. The final bid total is the bid price. Figure 19 is a
paint estimator’s advice on the “correct” profit margin. blank estimating form for your use.
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37
Date 1/7/22 Due date 1/15/22

Customer Dan Gleason Job name Gleason Repaint
Address 3333 A Street Job location 3333 A Street
City/State/Zip Yourtown, USA 77777 Estimate # 14-012
Phone (619) 555 -1212 Total square feet 1,020 SF (5 rooms)
Estimated by CHS Checked by Jack
Interior Costs
Application Quantity Total Formula
Operation Material Method Dimensions SF/LF/Each Unit Cost Cost Page
1 Ceilings - T & G Semi-Trans-WB R+B 17.5 x 15.3 x 1.3 348 SF X .4237 = $ 147.00 86
2 Beams to 13'H Solid Body-WB R+B 17.5 x 7 122.5 LF X 2.4910 = $ 305.00 45
3 Ceilings - GYP. Drywall Orange Peel-Flat R 127 + 127 254 SF X .2933 =$ 74.00 65
4 Ceilings - GYP. Drywall Sealer-WB R 75 + 15 + 40 130 SF .2865 = $ 37.00 65
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X
5 Ceilings - GYP. Drywall Enamel-WB R 75 + 15 + 40 130 SF X .3589 = $ 47.00 65

6 Walls - GYP. Drywall Orange Peel-Flat R 675 + 392 + 392 1,459 SF X .2700 = $ 394.00 228
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7 Walls - Above 8' (clip) Orange Peel-Flat R 70+85=155x1.3 201.5 SF X .2700 = $ 54.00 228
8 Walls - GYP. Drywall Sealer-WB R 280 + 128 + 208 616 SF X .3111 = $ 192.00 228
9 Walls - GYP. Drywall Enamel-WB R 280 + 128 + 208 616 SF X .4017 = $ 247.00 228
Undercoat-WB = 167.98 = $ 168.00
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10 Doors-Flush R+B Opening Count 10 Ea 108
11 Doors-Flush Enamel-WB R+B Opening Count 10 Ea = 188.05 = $ 188.00 108
12 Baseboard - Prime Flat w/walls R+B 64 + 49 + 49 162 LF X .1081 = $ 18.00 43
13 Baseboard - Finish Enamel-WB B 11 + 16 + 35 62 LF X .5113 = $ 32.00 43
14 Railing - W.I.- Preprimed Enamel/Off-white B 42" High 15 LF X 2.3625 = $ 35.00 180
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15 Valance-Light-2" x 8" Solid Body Stain B 2x8 10 LF X 2.0979 = $ 21.00 224
16 Registers Spray Can Spray 1,020 SF Home 1,020 SF X .0695 = $ 71.00 182
17 X =$
18 X =$
Total Interior Costs (includes overhead and profit) = $ 2,030.00
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Exterior Costs
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Application Quantity Total Formula

Operation Material Method Dimensions SF/LF/Each Unit Cost Cost Page
1 Roof Jacks - 1 Story Finish-enamel B 1 Story 1 House X .3015 = $ .30 183
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2 S.M. Diverter-3" W Finish-enamel B 14 14 LF X .2824 = $ 4.00 198

3 S.M. Vents & Flashing Finish-enamel B 1 Story 1 House X 64.32 = $ 64.00 199
4 Fascia - 2 x 8 Solid-water Roll 66 + 59 125 LF X .9078 = $ 113.00 120
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5 Overhang - 24" Solid-water R+B (132 + 76) x 1.5 312 SF X .8072 = $ 252.00 160
6 Siding - R.S. Wood Solid-water Roll (1/2 x 24 x 4.5) x 2 108 SF X
.5532 = $ 60.00 210
7 Plaster / Stucco Masonry - WB Roll 255+255+204+204 918 SF X .4823 = $ 443.00 169
8 Door - Panel (Entry) Enam 2 coats - WB R+B Entry 1 Ea X 75.69 = $ 76.00 101
9 Door - Flush Enam 2 coats - WB R+B Exterior 1 Ea X 31.17 = $ 31.00 98
10 Plant-On Trim - 2 x 4 Solid-water R+B 66 + 62 + 52 180 LF X .7190 = $ 129.00 162
11 Pass Through- Preprimed Finish-enamel B 10 10 LF X 2.1126 = $ 21.00 162
12 Pot Shelf Solid-water R+B 27 27 LF X 2.3188 = $ 63.00 172
13 X =$
14 X =$
15 X =$
16 X =$
17 X =$
18 X =$
Total Exterior Costs (includes overhead and profit) = $ 1,256.00
Figure 18
Sample painting estimate
38
Preparation Costs
Quantity Unit cost Total Formula
Operation Dimensions SF/LF/Each Per SF cost Page
1 Sand/Putty Wood Ceil (Siding x 1.3) 17.5 x 15.3 x 1.3 348 SF X .2236 =$ 78.00 300
2 Sand and Putty Int. Wall 675 + 392 + 392 1,459 SF X .2116 =$ 309.00 300
3 Lt. Sand Doors/Frames (Enamel) 14 Ea x 21 SF x 2 Sides 588 SF X .2683 =$ 158.00 301
4 Wash Int. Walls/Ceil-Enamel 280 + 128 + 208 616 SF X .2116 =$ 130.00 313
5 Waterblast Exterior Stucco 125 + 210 + 108 + 918 1,361 SF X .0575 =$ 78.00 315
6 Sand and Putty Ext. Trim 125 + 210 + 108 443 SF X .4023 =$ 178.00 300
7 Caulk Ext. Windows-1/8" gap 20 + 15 + 10 + 20 + 12 77 SF X .7287 =$ 56.00 298
8 X =$
9 X =$
10 X =$
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Total Preparation Costs (includes overhead and profit) = $ 987.00
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SURRPTUCU Costs
Labor cost Approximate Formula
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Operation Description Labor hours (at $29.14) material cost Totals Page
SetUp 2 Days @1/day 2.0 58.28 — 58.00 6
Remove/Replace Hardware & Plates 1.25 36.43 — 36.00 6
Protection Furniture & Floors 2.0 58.28 30.00 88.00 6
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TouchUp is applied as a percentage of the total costs. See Extensions
CleanUp 2 Days @1/day 2.0 58.28 — 58.00 6
Equipment Costs Extensions

Supervision ( 2 Hr. ) $ 58.00
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Equipment Formula
description Rental days Daily cost Total cost Page Setup $ 58.00
Pressure Washer 1 101.00 $ 101.00 34 Remove/replace $ 36.00
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Ladders, 6', 2 Ea 1 21.00 $ 21.00 33 Protection $ 88.00

Palm Sander 4" x 4" 1 13.40 $ 13.00 34 Cleanup $ 58.00
$ Equipment $ 135.00
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$ Subcontracts $ 0
$ Commissions $ 0
Total Equipment Costs $ 135.40 Other costs $ 0
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Subtotal $ 433.00
Overhead ( 19 %) $ 82.00
Profit ( 16 %) $ 69.00
Subcontractor Costs
Subtotal $ 151.00
Trade Bid Amount Preparation $ 987.00
Pavement marking $ 0 Interior total $ 2,030.00
Sandblasting $ 0 Exterior total $ 1,256.00
Scaffolding $ 0 Subtotal $ 4,273.00
Wallcovering $ 0 Touchup ( 10 %) $ 427.00
Waterblasting $ 0 Contingency ( 0 %) $ 0
Other _____________ $ 0 Total base bid $ 5,284.00
Other _____________ $ 0 Adjustment ( -2 %) $ <-106.00>
Other _____________ $ 0 Final bid total $ 5,178.00
Total Subcontractor Costs $ — Price per SF (1020 ) $ 5.08
Price per room ( 5 ) $ 1,036.00
Sample painting estimate
39
Date Due date

Customer Job name
Address Job location
City/State/Zip Estimate #
Phone Total square feet
Estimated by Checked by
Interior Costs
Application Quantity
Operation Material Method Dimensions SF/LF/Each Unit Cost Total Cost
1 X = $
2 X = $
3 X = $
4 = $
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X
5 X = $
6 X = $
7 = $
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X
8 X = $
9 X = $
10
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X = $
11 X = $
12 X = $
13 X = $
14 X = $
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15 X = $
16 X = $
17 X = $
18 X = $
Total Interior Costs (includes overhead and profit) = $
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Exterior Costs
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Application Quantity
Operation Material Method Dimensions SF/LF/Each Unit Cost Total Cost
1 X = $
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2 X = $
3 X = $
4 X = $
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5 X = $
6 X = $
7 X = $
8 X = $
9 X = $
10 X = $
11 X = $
12 X = $
13 X = $
14 X = $
15 X = $
16 X = $
17 X = $
18 X = $
Total Exterior Costs (includes overhead and profit) = $
Figure 19
Blank painting estimate
40
Preparation Costs
Quantity
Operation Dimensions SF/LF/Each Unit cost Total cost
1 X = $
2 X = $
3 X = $
4 X = $
5 X = $
6 X = $
7 X = $
8 X = $
9 X = $
10 X = $
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Total Preparation Costs (includes overhead and profit) = $
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SURRPTUCU Costs
Labor cost
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Operation Description Labor hours (at ) Material cost Totals
SetUp
Remove/Replace
Protection
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TouchUp is applied as a percentage of the total costs. See Extensions
CleanUp
Equipment Costs Extensions

Supervision ( ) $
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Equipment
description Rental days Daily cost Total cost Setup $
$ Remove/replace $
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$ Protection $
$ Cleanup $
$ Equipment $
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$ Subcontracts $
$ Commissions $
Total Equipment Costs $ Other costs $
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Subtotals $
Overhead ( %) $
Profit ( %) $
Subcontractor Costs
Subtotal $
Trade Bid Amount Preparation $
Pavement marking $ Interior total $
Sandblasting $ Exterior total $
Scaffolding $ Subtotal $
Wallcovering $ Touchup ( %) $
Waterblasting $ Contingency ( %) $
Other ______ $ Total base bid $
Other ______ $ Adjustment ( %) $
Other ______ $ Final bid total $
Total Subcontractor Costs $ Price per SF ( ) $
Price per room ( ) $
Blank painting estimate
41
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A Bid Canvas Commissions ......................9, 35
expiration date .....................29 insulated ductwork .... 339-347 Competition between
Accessories, standard base ................. 36-37 jacketed piping .......... 365-370 manufacturers........................26
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remove and replace .................9 surface preparation ..............10 sheeting......................433, 436 Competition, bidding ....... 35-37
Acid wash gutters & Bidding variables ............. 36-37 Cap Composition
downspouts .........................296 Bifold doors .........................102 railing ................................173 roof shingles .............. 185-189
Acoustic spray-on texture ......61 Blank estimating form ..... 40-41 sheet metal.........................196 siding shingles ........... 203-207
Adhesive coverage ...............422 Blank painting estimate .........40 Carport overhang .................159 Compressed air ....................295
Adjustments to costs ................7
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Bleach ..................................311 Casters, scaffolding ................33 Compressors, painting .........356
Adobe block ................. 144-146 Blinds and shutters ...............201 Categories, labor productivity ...13 Computing overhead ..............32
Air compressors, rental ..........33 Block filler... 18, 21, 24, 140-141 Caulk ..............................10, 298 Concrete floors ............. 129-132
Air hose, rental.......................33 Board and batten siding... 214-219 Caulking .............. 19, 22, 25, 27 Concrete Masonry Units
Airblast.................................296 Boiler room ..........................357 Caulking gun ..........................27 ....................147-152, 354-355
Allowance Bond, performance.................31 Ceiling panels, suspended... 57-59 Concrete tilt-up walls .... 412-417
for supervision.....................14 Bonds .......................................9 Ceiling pans ...........................60 Condos, allowance for
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overhead ..............................32 Boneyard .......................... 43-44 Ceilings, drywall supervision .........................14
sundries..........................10, 26 Bonuses ..............................9, 35 acoustic spray-on texture ....61 Conduit......................... 318-325
Aluminum base paint Bookcases anti-graffiti stain eliminator .... 62 Conduit/pipe area conversion
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........................ 19, 22, 25, 358 paint grade ..................... 48-49 orange peel texture ........ 63-68 table ....................................325
Aluminum siding .................202 stain grade ..................... 50-51 sand finish texture ......... 67-74 Contingency allowance ......9, 11
Anti-graffiti stain eliminator Boomlift, rental ......................33 smooth finish ................. 75-79 Contractors, remodeling.........35
.......... 18, 21, 24, 62, 140, 225 Borders, wallpaper ....... 424-425 Ceilings, tongue & groove Conversion table,
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Apartments, allowance Bottom line ............................37 paint grade ..................... 80-85

Brick conduit/pipe area .................325
for supervision ......................14 stain grade ..................... 86-88
masonry ..................... 141-146 Converting unit prices..............9
Application method..................6 Cellulose, powdered
sandblasting .........................11 Corbels ...................................92
........................ 19, 22, 25, 422
Application rate Cork wallcovering........427, 429
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Bridge painters, wages ...........30 Chain link fence ...................123

.................... 5, 13, 15, 30, 424 Brush-off blast ...............11, 303 Cornice, overhang ................159
Clay brick tile .............. 144-146
Arched roof ..........................184 Brushes...................................27 Cleanup ..............................9, 10 Corrugated metal..................326
Burden Closets ....................................91 Corrugations, estimating
B employer’s .............................8 doors ..................................102 ................................... 326-329
fixed.....................................30 moldings ......................91, 102 Cost estimates, basis for ..........6
Back-painting ......... 94, 309-311 labor...................................5, 6 Cost overruns .........................10
poles ...................... 88-89, 102
Bags, strainer .........................28 Burlap...................................433 Cost per unit ...........................31
shelves ................... 89-90, 102
Balusters.......................173, 177 Burn off paint .......................297 Cost Plus Fee ...............296, 315
Coatings, mixing ......................9
Banana board .........................33 Butt joint ..............................435 Collective bargaining Cost tables, using .....................6
Bare duct ...................... 331-338 Butt siding .................... 214-219 agreement ...........................31 Costs
Bare piping ................... 357-365 Color codes, piping ...... 359-370 customizing ...........................7
Bargaining, collective ............31 C Color samples ..........................9 delivery ..................................9
Baseboard......................... 43-44 Colors, OSHA ........... 19, 22, 25 equipment purchase & rental....9
preparation...........................10 Cabinet Column headings defined ......13 labor.................................6, 29
Basis for estimates ...................5 faces.....................................52 Commercial material ................. 6, 8, 16, 31
Baths, painting .....................231 masking .................................9 jobs ........................................9 miscellaneous ......................10
Beams............................... 45-47 paint grade ..................... 52-54 sandblasting .................11, 304 nonproductive labor ............14
Bender paint pads ..................27 stain grade ..................... 55-56 supervision, allowance for ...14 pavement marking .........10, 12
Benefits ....................................8 Calculate Commercial blast .................304 preparation materials ...........10
employee ....................... 30-31 labor rate..............................30 Commercial wallcoverings rental .............................. 33-34
fringe ......................... 7, 30-31 overhead ..............................32 fabric.......................... 430-431 sandblasting ................... 10-11
health ...................................30 paint film thickness .............15 paper .......................... 434-436 subcontract ...................... 9-10
Beveled siding.............. 214-219 profit percentage..................35 vinyl........................... 426-427 supervision ..........................14
440
Index
total, Column 9......................8 smooth finish ................. 75-79 F Flexwood..............................425

variables ................................7 taping .................................312 Flock wallpaper....................435
waterblasting .................11, 13 Drywall walls Fascia ........................... 118-122 Floors
Cotton wall fabric ........ 433-434 orange peel texture .... 226-233 Fast application rate ...........6, 13 concrete ..................... 129-132
Coverage sand finish ................. 234-239 Federal taxes .................... 30-31 wood .......................... 133-136
smooth finish ............. 240-245 Fees ..........................................9
material ............................6, 15 Flush doors.............................98
Felt ...............................431, 433
powdered adhesive ............422 taping .................................312 Foil wallpaper ......................435
Fences
Cracks, repair .......................298 Ductwork Forced Air Unit doors ..........102
chain link ...........................123
Crews bare duct .................... 331-338 picket ......................... 124-126 Foremen, project ..............14, 30
productivity .........................13 canvas insulated ........ 339-347 wire mesh ..........................123 Form
skill levels..............................6 Dutch doors ..........................102 wood ..................................123 estimating ...................... 40-41
Custom homes, allowance Fiber ceiling panels .......... 57-59 field production times & rates
for supervision ......................14 E FICA ................................ 30-31 ................................... 419-420
Customizing cost tables ...........7 Field equipment ............... 32-35 Formulation, paint ..................16
Cut cracks ............................298 Eaves, overhang ........... 159-161 Frames, door .................... 95-96
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Field production .....................14
Cutting-in ......................... 92-94 Edge scraping ............... 309-311 times & rates form .... 419-420 French doors ...99, 102, 111-112
Efficiency, work.....................14 Field superintendent .........14, 30 Fringe benefits ............. 7, 30-31
Electric conduit ............ 318-325 Figures FUTA ............................... 30-31
D
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Employee benefits..................30 Basis for cost estimates .........6
Dark (OSHA) colors ... 19, 22, 25 Employer’s burden ...................8 Bidding variables ................36
Enamel G
Davis Bacon Act ....................30 Blank painting estimate.......40
Deck enamel or epoxy exterior ................... 18, 21, 24 Conduit/pipe area conversion Gambrel roof ........................184
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................................ 18, 21, 24 heat resistant ........................19 table .................................325 Garage door backs ...............137
Deck overhang and oil based ................. 17, 20, 23 Customizing the tables ..........7 General painting costs.... 42-293
surface ...........................94, 161 water based ............. 17, 20, 23 Equipment purchase & rental General qualifications ..............9
Decking Entry rates ....................................33 Glazing ...................... 17, 20, 23
corrugated metal ........ 326-327 doors ............................ 97-102 Interior opening count Glove application
flat pan metal............. 328-329 overhang ............................161 allowance table.................102 ............324-325, 337-338, 363
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Decking factors, Epoxy coating system Labor burden percentages ....30 Good neighbor fence............123
square corner .....................327 ............................... .19, 22, 25 Material coverage rates .......15 Graffiti eliminator... 62, 140, 225
Decorative railing ................173 Equipment Material price discounts ......16 Granite masonry ...................153
Deficient working conditions...11 costs .......................................9 Material prices at Grasscloth ............................433
Definitions, column headings....13 field......................................32 discount ................. 17, 20, 23 Grates, steel .................. 350-353
Delayed work .........................29 placement ..............................9 Pavement marking Grating deck, fire escapes ....348
e
Delivery costs ..........................9 purchase costs................ 33-34 pricing table........................12 Gravel stop, sheet metal.......198
Demobilization.........................9 rental .......................... 9, 33-34 Risk factors and profit Grilles, steel ................. 352-353
Direct overhead ......... 31, 32, 35 sandblasting .........................33 margin ................................36 Guaranteed maximum price ...10
in
Discount tables ................. 17-25 spray ..............................28, 34 Sample painting estimate ....38 Gutters .......................... 138-139
Discounts Escalation .........................26, 29 Sandblasting pricing table ...11 acid wash ...........................296
material ................................16 Estimate, sample .............. 38-39 Square corner decking Gypsum drywall ceilings
Estimating factors ...............................327
supplier ................................26 acoustic spray-on texture ....61
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accuracy.................................8 Structural steel conversion

volume .................................16 orange peel texture ........ 68-73
basis for .................................5 tables ................................391
Diverters, sheet metal ..........198 sand finish texture ......... 74-79
errors....................................10 Sundry inventory checklist...27
Door smooth finish ................. 62-66
exterior system ....... 18, 21, 24 Surface area of spheres .....399
frames ................... 95, 96, 102 taping .................................312
O
form ............................... 40-41 Wage rates, wallcovering ...29

trim ................................95, 96 interior system ........ 17, 20, 23 Gypsum drywall walls... 225-245
Waterblasting pricing table ...13 orange peel texture .... 226-233
Doors price escalation .............. 26-29 Fill wood floors....................299
Dutch .................................102 reliable ...................................5 sand finish ................. 234-239
Filled block ..........................355
exterior ........................ 97-101 unit cost .................................8 smooth finish ............. 240-245
Filler
flush ..................... 98, 109-111 Evening work ...........................9 taping .................................312
block ....................... 18, 21, 24
French .................. 99, 111-112 Excluded preparation costs ... 9-10 wood ....................... 19, 22, 25
hollow metal ......................330 Expendable tools and Film thickness, calculating ....15 H
interior ...... 103, 109, 111, 113 supplies .................................26 Fir siding ...................... 214-219
louvered ............. 100, 113-115 Expense Fire escapes .................. 348-349 Hand-crafted wallpaper ... 435-436
opening count method... 102-108 overhead ..........................5, 31 Fire sprinkler systems ..........349 Hand-pasted wall covering
panel .......................... 116-118 supervision ..........................14 Fireplace ....................428-429, 432-434
panel, entry ........................101 Expiration date, bid ................29 masonry .............................127 Handling, material ...................9
two-coat system........... 98-101 Exposed aggregate finish trim ....................................128 Handrail, wood.....................175
Downspouts ................................... 412-417 Firewood boxes ....................128 Hardware, remove and
acid wash ...........................296 Extensive preparation ............26 Fixed burden ..........................30 replace ............................... 9-10
galvanized.................. 138-139 Exterior Flashing, sheet metal Headache factor .....................35
Dripowder mixed ...... 17, 20, 23 enamel .................... 18, 21, 24 ....................196-197, 199-200 Health benefits .......................30
Drop siding .................. 214-219 floors.......................... 129-136 Flat latex ................... 17, 20, 23 Heat resistant enamel ... 19, 22, 25
Dry pressed brick ......... 144-146 preparation.............................9 Flat pan metal ......................328 Heavy commercial painting
Drywall ceilings railings ....................... 173-174 Flat roofs ..............................184 costs ............................ 317-418
acoustic spray-on texture ....61 trim ............................ 162-167 Flexi-wall systems ...............425 Heavy mastic, sandblasting ...11
orange peel texture ........ 63-68 Extra heavy structural Flexible wood sheet and Heavy structural steel ... 372-377
sand finish texture ......... 69-74 steel ............................. 373-377 veneer ..................................425 Hemlock siding ............ 214-219
441
High time difficulty factors....139 cost ..................................6, 29 30 percent ...................... 20-22 Overhead ....................... 6, 8, 36
Hollow metal doors..............330 rate, calculating ...................30 40 percent ...................... 23-25 allowance.......................32, 35
Home office overhead............31 surface preparation ..............10 Material pricing tables ..... 17-25 computing ......................32, 35
Homeowner, traits ..................35 Labor burden percentages ......30 exterior paints ......... 18, 21, 24 direct ....................................35
Hopper Labor productivity categories industrial paints ...... 19, 22, 25 expense ..................................5
roofs, exterior ............ 406-411 .............................................13 interior paints ......... 17, 20, 23 indirect........................... 31-32
walls, exterior ............ 400-405 Lacquer, semi gloss, preparation.............. 19, 22, 25 office....................................31
Hot water radiators ..............371 interior ...................... 17, 20, 23 wallcovering ........... 19, 22, 25 rate .......................................31
Hourly wage rate, cost book ...10 Ladder jack, purchase ............33 Maximum price, guaranteed ...10 Overtime ............................9, 14
How to use the tables ...............6 Ladders...................... 9, 33, 354 Maximum productivity, Owner allowances ................... 9
HVAC registers....................182 rental ....................................33 conditions for ........................14
Hydraulic fluid .......................27 Lattice ..................................223 Mechanical equipment .........356
Medical insurance ..................31 P
Lemon oil ...............................27
Liability insurance .................31 Medium application rate ....6, 13 Paint .......................................16
I Medium finish, aluminum-based ..... 19, 22, 25
Life insurance ........................31
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Incentives ...............................35 Light fixture valances ..........224 plaster walls ................ 246-252 burn off ..............................297
Included costs ..........................9 Light structural steel .... 378-384 Medium structural steel coverage formula........... 15-16
Indirect overhead ............. 31-32 Linen wall fabric ..........431, 433 .................................. .385-390 formulation ..........................16
Metal
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Industrial Linen doors ..........................102 masonry .................. 18, 21, 24
allowance for supervision ...14 Liquid paste, wallpaper ........423 ceiling pans..........................60 oil-based ........... 16, 17, 20, 23
Lites, window............... 290-291 finish-synthetic ....... 18, 21, 24 remover................... 19, 22, 25
bonding ................... 19, 22, 25
Loss, risk of ...........................35 primer ..................... 18, 21, 24 waste factors ........................16
enamel .................... 19, 22, 25
stair stringers .....................220
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material ................... 19, 22, 25 Louvered doors water-based....... 16, 17, 20, 23
................... 100, 102, 113-115 surfaces ...................... 138-139 Paint pads, bender ..................27
painting costs............. 317-418
Minor price escalation ...........29 Paint stripper, rental ...............34
waterproofing ......... 19, 22, 25 Low productivity....................14 Miscellaneous costs ...............10 Painters
Inflationary cost increases .....29
Mitt application bridge...................................30
Injury, compensation for ........30 M ............324-325, 337-338, 363 journeyman ............................8
Institutional painting
Pr Mixing boxes, painting ........356 productivity .........................13
costs ............................ 317-418 Machine pasted wallcovering Mixing coatings .......................9 Panel doors
Institutional work, allowance ................................... 426-431 Mobilization .............................9 exterior ..............................101
for supervision ......................14 Mail box structures ..............140 Model homes, allowance interior ....................... 116-118
Insulated piping............ 365-370 Manhour productivity ..............6 for supervision ......................14 Paper-backed vinyl ...... 426-429
Insurance .......................... 30-31 Mantel ..................................128 Molding ........................ 153-158 Paraffin wax .........................315
additional ...............................9 Marble masonry ...................153 closet..................... 89, 91, 102 Particle masks ........................27
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liability ................................31 Margin of profit ............... 35-36 exterior .............. 153, 157-158 Pass-through shelves ............162
medical ................................31 Marine spar varnish interior ....................... 153-158 Passage doors .......................102
unemployment ............... 30-31 ................... 18, 21, 24, 98-101
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Mullions & muntins .............290 Paste .......................... 19, 22, 25

Interior Marking table, pavement .......12 Pavement marking .................10
floors.......................... 129-136 Masking materials ..................27 pricing table.........................12
railings ....................... 175-178 Masking paper dispenser .......33 N Pay, premium ...........................9
surface preparation ................9 Masks, particle .......................27
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Payroll tax ..............................30

Interior opening count Masonry National Estimator, installing ...5
Payroll withholding................30
allowance table ...................102 anti-graffiti stain Natural fabric .......................433
Penetrating oil paint ... 19, 22, 25
Inventory, sundries.................26 eliminator .........................140 Near white blast .............11, 306
Penetrating oil stain ... 17, 20, 23
Iron painters, wages ...............30 block filler .........................140 New construction preparation ...9
Penetrating stain wax ... 17, 20, 23
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CMU, rough surface Newels..........................173, 177

Pension plans ................... 30-31
........................... 147-149, 354 Non-productive time,
J Per diem ...................................9
CMU, smooth surface supervisors ............................14
Per unit costs ..........................31
Job conditions, unknown .......11 ........................... 150-152, 355 Normal preparation ................10
Performance bonds ................31
Job qualifications .....................9 granite ................................153 “Not to exceed” bid ...............10
Performance by painters ........14
Jobs marble ................................153 Permits .....................................9
commercial ............................9 new brick ................... 141-143 Picket fence .................. 124-126
private ..................................29 O
paint ........................ 18, 21, 24 Pics .........................................33
repaint ..............................9, 35 sandblasting .........................11 Office Pine siding.................... 214-219
residential tract ......................9 stone ..................................153 home ....................................31 Piping
time and material.................10 used brick .................. 144-146 overhead ........................ 31-32 bare pipe .................... 357-363
Joint lap siding ............. 214-219 Material rental, portable.....................34 insulated, canvas
Journeyman painters ................8 costs ............................ 6, 8, 10 Oil paints, sandblasting ..........11 jacket ........................ 365-370
Judgment, using .......................8 coverage rates ..................6, 15 Oil-based paint .... 16, 17, 20, 23 Planks, rental ..........................33
handling .................................9 Opening count method Plant-on trim ................ 162-167
K prices .............................16, 26 ..........88, 95-97, 102, 103-108 Plaster walls, interior
storage ...................................9 Orange peel texture medium texture.......... 246-252
Kitchens, painting ................231 waste ................................9, 16 ceilings .......................... 63-68 rough texture ............. 253-259
Material cost per unit .............31 walls .......................... 226-234 smooth texture ........... 260-266
L Material formulation, OSHA colors ............ 19, 22, 25, Plaster, exterior ............ 168-172
changes in ..........................16 ............356-388, 400-408, 410 anti-graffiti stain
Labor Material price discounts ...16, 26 Overhang ...................... 159-161 eliminator .........................172
burden ......................... 5, 6, 30 20 percent ...................... 17-19 Overhang difficulty factors ...159 waterproofing ....................171
442
Index
Platform, rolling .....................33 Railing S wood, rough or resawn

Plywood siding ............ 208-219 exterior ...................... 173-174 ................................... 208-213
Poles handrail, wood ...................175 Safety net, purchase ...............33 wood, smooth ............ 214-219
closet...................... 88-89, 102 interior ....................... 175-178 Sales staff ...............................35 Silica sand ......... 19, 22, 25, 302
roller ....................................28 wrought iron .............. 179-181 Sales tax .................................26 Silicone caulk .......................297
Polyurethane ............. 18, 21, 24 Sample estimating form ... 40-41 Silk wall fabric .....................433
Rake, overhang ............ 160-161
Porch & deck enamel Sample estimate ............... 38-39 Silo ............................... 400-412
Rate
or epoxy ................... 18, 21, 24 Sample preparation ................10
coverage ..............................15 roofs, exterior ............ 406-411
Porches, wood ........................94 Sand finish texture
hourly ..................................10 walls, exterior ............ 400-405
Porous block ........................354 ceilings .......................... 69-74
overhead ..............................31 Site variables ..........................37
Portable office, rental.............34 walls, drywall ............ 234-239
productivity .............. 5, 14, 29 Sand, silica ................ 19, 22, 25 Sizing, wallpaper .................425
Pot shelves ...........................172
Powdered adhesives wage ....................................29 white silica ........................302 Skill levels, crew ......................6
........................ 19, 22, 25, 422 Ready-mix paste ....... 19, 22, 25 Sandblast Skilled specialists ...................30
coverage, rolls to yards Reduced productivity .............14 brick.....................................11 Slag, sandblasting ................302
Sloped surfaces ....................184
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conversion ........................422 Redwood siding ........... 214-219 brush-off blast ...................303
Power wash ..........................315 Registers...............................182 commercial blast ....... 304-305 Slow application rate .........6, 13
Pre-primed Remodeling contractors .........35 equipment, rental .................33 Slump stone..........................355
metal doors ........................330 Remove and replace ........... 9-10 near white blast ......... 306-307 Smooth finish texture
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railing ........................ 179-181 Remove coatings ..................311 rates .....................................10 drywall walls ............. 240-245
Pre-trimmed wallpaper ........435 Remover, paint .......... 19, 22, 25 white blast ................. 308-309 plaster walls............... 260-266
Precision block .....................355 Rental equipment ... 9, 31-32, 35 Sandblasters, wages ...............30 Social security tax ............ 30-31
Premium pay ............................9 Repaint jobs ................. 9-10, 35 Sandblasting pricing table......11 Solid body stain ........ 18, 21, 24
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Preparation materials ... 19, 22, 25 Repaint preparation ................10 Sanders, rental ........................33 Solid deck fire escapes ........348
cost ......................................10 Requirements, profit ................5 Sanding ........................ 299-301 Solids, percentage of ..............15
Preparation operations .......9, 10 Resawn Sanding sealer ........................27 Solvent-based paint ................16
extensive ..............................26 valances .............................224 exterior ................... 18, 21, 24 Spackle ...................................28
Prevailing wage......................30 wood railing ......................173 interior .................... 17, 20, 23 Specialist’s wages ..................30
Price guide, retail ...................26 Sandpaper...............................28 Spillage ....................................9
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wood siding ............... 208-214
Price, maximum guaranteed ...10 Sash, window ...............290, 298 Spindles ........................173, 177
Prices at discount ...................26 Residential tract work ..........6, 9
Residential wallcovering Scaffolding, rental ........ 9, 33-34 Split coat operation ..............102
Pricing
material ................................16 fabric.......................... 432-434 Scenic wallpaper ..................436 Spray can................... 17, 20, 23
sandblasting .........................11 vinyl........................... 428-429 Scope of work ........................10 Spray equipment ..............28, 34
variables ............................ 7-8 wallpaper ................... 437-439 Scribing ........................ 309-311 rental/purchase ....................34
Primer, metal ............. 18, 21, 24 Resin sealer ............................27 Sealer Spray rigs ...........................9, 34
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Private jobs ............................29 Respirators .............................27 off white ................. 17, 20, 23 Spray-on texture ceilings .......61
Productive time, supervisors ...14 Retail price guide ...................26 PVA .....................................27 Sprinklers .............................349
Productivity Risers....................................219 resin .....................................27 Square corner decking
in
categories, labor ..................13 Risk factors and profit Sealer, sanding .......................27 factors..................................327
crew .....................................13 margin ............................. 36-37 exterior ................... 18, 21, 24 Square foot estimating,
low .......................................14 Roller covers .................... 27-28 interior .................... 17, 20, 23 fire escapes..........................349
manhour.................................6 Semi-transparent stain................ Staff, sales ..............................35
Rolling equipment,
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rate ............................ 5, 14, 29 ............................... .18, 21, 24 Stain

tracking ................ 14, 419-420 rent/purchase .........................33
Rolls to yards conversion Setup ..................................9, 10 eliminator, anti-graffiti
Profit ....................... 6, 8, 26, 35 Shake siding ................. 208-213
margin............................ 35-37 table, adhesive.....................422 ................................ 18, 21, 24
Shakes, roofing ............ 190-195 exterior seal & varnish
Roof
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percentage............................35 Sheet metal ...........................196

requirements ..........................5 arched ................................184 ................................ 18, 21, 24
caps ............................ 196-197 interior seal & lacquer
risk .......................................36 flat...................... 184, 408-411 diverters .............................198
tailoring ...............................36 gambrel ..............................184 ................................ 17, 20, 23
flashing .......196-197, 199-200 Stairs
Project foreman ......................14 hopper ........................ 408-411
Project variables .....................37 gravel stops........................198
peaked........................ 408-411 steps ...................................219
Protection ...............................10 vents .......................... 199-200
sloping ............... 184, 408-411 stringers ..................... 220-222
Protective window coating Shellac ....................... 17, 20, 23
vaulted ....................... 408-411 tread length ........................219
................. 19, 22, 25, 278-290 Shelves ............................. 48-51
Roof area conversion factors closet...................... 89-90, 102 wood ............................94, 219
Public projects........................29 Standard base bid ...................36
Pullman cabinets ..................102 ...........................................184 paint grade ..................... 48-49
Roof jacks ............................183 pass-through ......................162 Staples ....................................28
Putty ...9, 10, 22, 25, 27, 299, 300
PVA sealer .............................27 Roof pitch difficulty factors.184 stain grade ..................... 50-51 State unemployment
Roofing wood ..................................162 insurance ......................... 30-31
composition shingle ... 185-189 Shift adjustments......................9 Steam radiators ....................371
Q waterproofing ............193, 195 Shingle siding .............. 208-213 Steel factory sash windows...418
wood shingle or Shingle roofing ............ 190-195 Steel grates ................... 350-354
Qualification statement ............9 shakes ....................... 190-195 Shutters ................................201 Steel painters, wages ..............30
Quality tracts, allowance for Rough finish plaster walls Siding Steeplejack .............................30
supervision ............................14 ................................... 253-259 aluminum...........................202 Steps, wood ....................94, 219
Rough sawn composition shingle ... 203-207 Stone, sealing .......................153
railing ................................173 corrugated metal ........ 326-327 Storage
R
siding ......................... 208-214 flat pan metal............. 328-329 containers, rental .................34
Radiators ..............................371 valances .............................224 waterproofing material ..................................9
Rags........................................27 Run, stair ..............................219 .................. 205, 207, 212, 219 trailer ...................................31
443
Strainer bags ..........................28 Tile, clay brick ............. 144-146 W WCI .................................. 30-31
Stringers, stair .............. 220-222 Tilt-up walls ................. 412-417 Wet areas, painting ..............231
Stripper, rental .......................34 Time and Material... 10, 296, 314 Wage rates Wheat paste, powdered
Stripping...............................311 Tip-off operation ..................102 painting ..................................6 ................................ 19, 22, 25
Structural steel ............. 372-399 Tongue & groove wallcovering ........................29 White blast .....................11, 308
extra heavy ................ 373-377 ceilings .......................... 80-88 Wages White silica sand ..................302
heavy ......................... 372-377 paneling ..................... 267-275 overtime...........................9, 14 Window
light............................ 378-384 siding ......................... 214-219 prevailing.............................30 frames, screen....................276
medium ...................... 385-390 Tools and supplies, specialists ............................30 seats ...................................277
sandblasting .........................11 expendable..........................26 union, national average .......29 sills ....................................277
Structural steel conversion Total cost............................8, 37 Wainscot paneling........ 267-275 storm sash ..........................278
tables ........................... 391-399 Wall fabric Window conversion factors ...292
Touchup .................... 9, 10, 222
Stucco, exterior ............ 168-172 commercial ................ 430-431 Window estimating
Tower, rolling ........................33
anti-graffiti stain residential .................. 432-433 interior opening count .......102
Tract work, residential .............6
eliminator .........................172 Wallboard, taping.................312 square foot basis ................290
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Trailers, rental ..................31, 34
waterproofing ....................171 Wallcovering Window protective
Training fund .........................31
Subcontractor bids ........... 10-11 adhesive coverage .............422 coating, wax ..... 19, 22, 25, 315
Travel time ...............................9
Subcontractor costs ............9, 10 application rate ............29, 424 Windows
Treads, stair ..........................219
costs ........................... 421-439
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SUI ................................... 30-31 Trellis ...................................223 exterior wood
Sundries allowance ................26 fabric.......................... 430-433 ................. 18, 21, 24, 279-284
Trim, door ........................ 95-96
Sundry inventory material pricing ...... 19, 22, 25 interior wood
Trowel finish, walls ..... 412-417
checklist .......................... 27-28 surface preparation ............425 ................. 17, 20, 23, 285-291
vinyl........................... 426-429
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Superintendent, field ..............30 steel factory sash ...............418
Supervision expense ..............14 U Wallpaper ..................... 434-436 Wine racks ................... 293-294
Supervisor, responsibility ......14 borders ....................... 424-425 Wiping stain
Undercoat .................. 17, 20, 23 canvas ................................436 exterior ................... 18, 21, 24
Supplier discounts ..................26
Unemployment insurance ... 30-31 commercial ................ 434-436 interior .......................17, 2029
Surface area of spheres ........399
Unfilled block ......................354 flock...................................435 Wire brush............................316
Surface preparation ............9, 10
Pr
Union wage rates ...................29 foil .....................................435
specialists ............................30 Wire mesh fence ..................123
Unit cost estimate ....................8 hand-crafted.......................435 Withheld taxes ................. 30-31
wallcovering ......................425
Unit prices, converting.............9 paste...................................423 Wood fence ..........................123
SURRPTUCU ....................9, 10
Unknown job conditions ........11 residential .................. 437-439 Wood filler ................ 19, 22, 25
Suspended ceilings ........... 57-59
Unstick windows..................312 scenic .................................436 Wood floors ................. 133-136
Swedish putty .......................298
Urethane caulk .....................297 sizing .................................425 fill ......................................299
Swing stage
Walls, concrete tilt-up... 412-417
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rental ....................................34 Used brick .................... 144-146 Wood paneled walls .............267
Utility areas, painting...........231 Walls, gypsum drywall Wood shingles or
wages ...................................30
anti-graffiti stain shakes .......................... 190-195
System estimates
in
V eliminator .........................225 Wood siding

exterior ................... 18, 21, 24
orange peel texture .... 226-233 rough sawn or resawn
interior .................... 17, 20, 23 Vacation pay .................... 30-31 sand finish ................. 234-239 ................................... 208-213
Valances for light fixtures ...224 smooth finish ............. 240-245 smooth ....................... 214-219
T
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Variables Walls, interior plaster Wood stair stringers .............222

T-bar ceiling frames ......... 57-59 bidding........................... 36-37 medium texture.......... 246-252 Wood stairs or steps .............219
Tables pricing................................ 7-8 rough texture ............. 253-259 Wood trim ..............................92
adjustments to........................7 site .......................................37 smooth texture ........... 260-266 Wood veneer
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assumptions ...........................7 Varnish .................................301 Walls, tank, silo, flexwood ............................425

compilation methods .............7 exterior ................... 18, 21, 24 vessel or hopper .......... 400-405 paneling ..................... 267-275
excluded costs .......................9 marine spar ............. 18, 21, 24 Walls, wood panel Wood windows ............ 279-291
how to use .............................6 Veneer, flexible wood sheet...425 paint grade ................. 267-272 Work
included costs ........................9 Vents, sheet metal ........ 199-200 stain grade ................. 273-275 delayed ................................29
order, defined ........................6 Vertical pipe runs .................359 Wardrobe doors....................102 efficiency .............................14
preparation.............................9 Vessels Wash ....................................313 evening ..................................9
Take-off sheet ........................31 roof exterior............... 406-411 Waste factor .....................15, 16 Work pots, plastic ..................28
Tanks wall exterior .............. 400-405 Waste, material ........................9 Workers’ comp. insurance
roof exterior............... 406-411 Vinyl coating, industrial Water soluble paints, ...................................... .30-31
vinyl coating, industrial ................................ 19, 22, 25 sandblasting ..........................11 Working conditions..........11, 29
................................ 19, 22, 25 Vinyl paste Water-based paint ...16, 17, 20, 23 Wrought iron
wall exterior .............. 400-405 powdered ................ 19, 22, 25 Waterblasting ........... 10-13, 315 railing ........................ 179-181
Taping wallboard .................312 vinyl to vinyl ready-mix....422 pricing table.........................13 shelf supports ....................162
Taxes Vinyl wallcovering Waterproofing
payroll............................ 30-31 commercial ................ 426-427 ................ 18, 21, 24, 193, 195 Z
sales .....................................26 residential .................. 428-429 industrial ................. 19, 22, 25
Thinner ...................................28 Volume discounts ..................16 Wax ........................... 17, 20, 23 Zinc chromate ........... 18, 21, 24
444
Practical References for Builders

Builder’s Guide to Accounting Revised How to Succeed With Your Own Construction Business
Step-by-step, easy-to-follow guidelines for setting up and maintain- Everything you need to start your own construction business: setting up
ing records for your building business. This practical guide to all the paperwork, finding the jobs, advertising, using contracts, dealing with
accounting methods shows how to meet state and federal account- lenders, estimating, scheduling, finding and keeping good employees,
ing requirements, explains the new depreciation rules, and describes keeping the books, and coping with success. If you’re considering start-
how the Tax Reform Act can affect the way you keep records. Full of ing your own construction business, all the knowledge, tips, and blank
charts, diagrams, simple directions and examples to help you keep forms you need are here. 336 pages, 8½ x 11, $28.50.
track of where your money is going. Recommended reading for many eBook (PDF) also available, $14.25 at www.craftsman-book.com
state contractor’s exams. Each chapter ends with a set of test ques-
tions, and a CD-ROM included FREE has all the questions in interac- Contractor’s Plain-English Legal Guide
tive self-test software. Use the Study Mode to make studying for the
exam much easier, and Exam Mode to practice your skills. For today’s contractors, legal problems are like
snakes in the swamp — you might not see them,
w
360 pages, 8½ x 11, $43.00.
Also available as an eBook (PDF), $21.50 at www.craftsman-book.com but you know they’re there. This book tells you
where the snakes are hiding and directs you to the
Insurance Restoration Contracting: Startup to Success safe path. With the directions in this easy-to-read
ie
Insurance restoration — the repair of buildings damaged by water, fire, handbook you’re less likely to need a $200-an-hour
smoke, storms, vandalism and other disasters — is an exciting field of con- lawyer. Includes simple directions for starting your
struction that provides lucrative work that’s immune to economic down- business, writing contracts that cover just about any
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turns. And, with insurance companies funding the repairs, your payment is eventuality, collecting what’s owed you, filing liens, protecting yourself
virtually guaranteed. But this type of work requires special knowledge and from unethical subcontractors, and more. For about the price of 15 min-
equipment, and that’s what you’ll learn about in this book. It covers fire utes in a lawyer’s office, you’ll have a guide that will make many of those
repairs and smoke damage, water losses and specialized drying methods, visits unnecessary. Includes a CD-ROM with blank copies of all the forms
mold remediation, content restoration, even damage to mobile and man- and contracts in the book. 272 pages, 8½ x 11, $49.50.
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ufactured homes. You’ll also find information on equipment needs, train-
Contractor’s Guide to QuickBooks by Online Accounting
ing classes, estimating books and software, and how restoration leads to
lucrative remodeling jobs. It covers all you need to know to start and suc- This book is designed to help a contractor, bookkeeper and their
ceed as the restoration contractor that both homeowners and insurance accountant set up and use QuickBooks Desktop specifically for the con-
companies call on first for the best jobs. 640 pages, 8½ x 11, $69.00. struction industry. No use re-inventing the wheel, we have used this sys-
Also available as an eBook (PDF), $34.50 at www.craftsman-book.com tem with contractors for over 30 years. It works and is now the national
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standard. By following the steps we outlined in the book you, too, can
Estimating Home Building Costs, Revised set up a good system for job costing as well as financial reporting.
in
Estimate every phase of residential construction from site costs to the 156 pages, 8½ x 11, $68.50.
profit margin you include in your bid. Shows how to keep track of
Contractor’s Math Short Cuts Quick-Cards
manhours and make accurate labor cost estimates for site clearing and
excavation, footings, foundations, framing and sheathing finishes, elec-
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In this single, 4-page laminated card, you get all the math essentials you
trical, plumbing, and more. Provides and explains sample cost estimate need in contracting. The formulas and rules of thumb for calculating
worksheets with complete instructions for each job phase. This practi- dimensions, surface areas, volume, etc. 4 pages, 8½ x 11, $7.95.
cal guide to estimating home construction costs has been updated
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with digital Excel estimating forms and worksheets that ensure accu- Craftsman’s Construction Installation Encyclopedia
rate and complete estimates for your residential projects. Enter your
Step-by-step installation instructions for just about any residential
project information on the worksheets and Excel automatically totals
construction, remodeling or repair task, arranged alphabetically, from
each material and labor cost from every stage of construction to a final
Acoustic tile to Wood flooring. Includes hundreds of illustrations that show
cost estimate worksheet. Load the enclosed CD-ROM into your com-
how to build, install, or remodel each part of the job, as well as manhour
puter and create your own estimate as you follow along with the step-by-
tables for each work item so you can estimate and bid with confidence.
step techniques in this book. 336 pages, 8½ x 11, $38.00.
Also includes a CD-ROM with all the material in the book, handy look-up
Also available as an eBook (PDF), $19.00 at www.craftsman-book.com
features, and the ability to capture and print out for your crew the instruc-
National Renovation & Insurance Repair Estimator tions and diagrams for any job. 792 pages, 8½ x 11, $65.00.
Current prices in dollars and cents for hard-to-find
items needed on most insurance, repair, remodel- Finish Carpenter’s Manual
ing, and renovation jobs. All price items include
labor, material, and equipment breakouts, plus spe- Everything you need to know to be a finish carpenter: assessing a job
cial charts that tell you exactly how these costs are before you begin, and tricks of the trade from a master finish carpenter.
calculated. Includes a free download of an electronic Easy-to-follow instructions for installing doors and windows, ceiling
version of the book with National Estimator, a stand- treatments (including fancy beams, corbels, cornices and moldings), wall
alone WindowsTM estimating program. Additional treatments (including wainscoting and sheet paneling), and the finishing
information and National Estimator ShowMe tutorial video is avail- touches of chair, picture, and plate rails. Specialized interior work includes
able on our website under the “Support” dropdown tab. cabinetry and built-ins, stair finish work, and closets. Also covers exterior
488 pages, 8½ x 11, $99.50. Revised annually. trims and porches. Includes manhour tables for finish work, and hundreds
Also available as an eBook (PDF), $49.75 at www.craftsman-book.com of illustrations and photos. 208 pages, 8½ x 11, $22.50.

CD Estimator National Appraisal Estimator

If your computer has WindowsTM and a CD-ROM An Online Appraisal Estimating Service. Produce credible
drive, CD Estimator puts at your fingertips over single-family residence appraisals – in as little as five min-
150,000 construction costs for new construction, utes. A smart resource for appraisers using the cost approach.
remodeling, renovation & insurance repair, home Reports consider all significant cost variables and both physi-
improvement, framing & finish carpentry, electrical, cal and functional depreciation. For more information, visit
concrete & masonry, painting, earthwork & heavy www.craftsman-book.com/national-appraisal-estimator-online-software
equipment and plumbing & HVAC. Quarterly cost
Markup & Profit: A Contractor’s Guide, Revisited
updates are available at no charge on the Internet.
You’ll also have the National Estimator program In order to succeed in a construction business, you have to be able
— a stand-alone estimating program for WindowsTM that Remodeling to price your jobs to cover all labor, material and overhead expenses,
magazine called a “computer wiz,” and Job Cost Wizard, a program and make a decent profit. But calculating markup is only part of the
that lets you export your estimates to QuickBooks Pro for actual job picture. If you’re going to beat the odds and stay in business — prof-
costing. A 60-minute interactive video teaches you how to use this itably, you also need to know how to write good contracts, manage
CD-ROM to estimate construction costs. And to top it off, to help you your crews, work with subcontractors and collect on your work. This
create professional-looking estimates, the disk includes over 40 construc- book covers the business basics of running a construction company,
whether you’re a general or specialty contractor working in remodel-
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tion estimating and bidding forms in a format that’s perfect for nearly
any WindowsTM word processing or spreadsheet program. ing, new construction or commercial work. The principles outlined
CD Estimator is $149.50. here apply to all construction-related businesses. You’ll find tried and
tested formulas to guarantee profits, with step-by-step instructions and
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Construction Forms for Contractors easy-to-follow examples to help you learn how to operate your busi-
ness successfully. Includes a link to free downloads of blank forms and
This practical guide contains 78 practical forms, checklists used in this book. 336 pages, 8½ x 11, $52.50.
letters and checklists, guaranteed to help you Also available as an eBook (ePub, mobi for Kindle), $39.95 at
streamline your office, organize your jobsites, gath- www.craftsman-book.com
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er and organize records and documents, keep a
handle on your subs, reduce estimating errors, National Construction Estimator
administer change orders and lien issues, monitor
Current building costs for residential, commercial, and industrial con-
crew productivity, track your equipment use, and
struction. Estimated prices for every common building material. Provides
more. Includes accounting forms, change order manhours, recommended crew, and gives the labor cost for instal-
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forms, forms for customers, estimating forms, field lation. Includes a free download of an electronic version of the book
work forms, HR forms, lien forms, office forms, bids and proposals, with National Estimator, a stand-alone WindowsTM estimating program.
subcontracts, and more. All are also on the CD-ROM included, in Additional information and National Estimator ShowMe tutorial video is
Excel spreadsheets, as formatted Rich Text that you can fill out on available on our website under the “Support” dropdown tab.
your computer, and as PDFs. 360 pages, 8½ x 11, $48.50. 672 pages, 8½ x 11, $97.50. Revised annually.
Also available as an eBook (PDF), $24.25 at www.craftsman-book.com Also available as an eBook (PDF), $48.75 at www.craftsman-book.com
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Profits in Buying & Renovating Homes Estimating Excavation Revised eBook
Step-by-step instructions for selecting, repairing, improving, and sell- How to calculate the amount of dirt you’ll have to move and the cost
in
ing highly profitable “fixer-uppers.” Shows which price ranges offer of owning and operating the machines you’ll do it with. Detailed, step-
the highest profit-to-investment ratios, which neighborhoods offer the by-step instructions on how to assign bid prices to each part of the job,
best return, practical directions for repairs, and tips on dealing with including labor and equipment costs. Also, the best ways to set up an
buyers, sellers, and real estate agents. Shows you how to determine organized and logical estimating system, take off from contour maps, esti-
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your profit before you buy, what “bargains” to avoid, and how to make mate quantities in irregular areas, and figure your overhead. This revised
simple, profitable, inexpensive upgrades. 304 pages, 8½ x 11, $24.75. edition includes a chapter on earthwork estimating software. As with any
tool, you have to pick the right one. Written by an experienced dirt con-
Rough Framing Carpentry tractor and instructor of computer estimating software, this chapter cov-
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ers the program types, explains how they work, gives the basics of how
If you’d like to make good money working outdoors
to use them, and discusses what will work best for the type of work you
as a framer, this is the book for you. Here you’ll find handle. This e-Book is the download version of the book in text search-
shortcuts to laying out studs; speed cutting blocks, able, PDF format. Craftsman eBooks are for use in the freely distributed
trimmers and plates by eye; quickly building and Adobe Reader and are compatible with Reader 6.0 or above.
blocking rake walls; installing ceiling backing, ceil- 550 pages, eBook (PDF), $21.75, available at www.craftsman-book.com
ing joists, and truss joists; cutting and assembling
hip trusses and California fills; arches and drop ceil- Wood-Frame House Construction
ings — all with production line procedures that save
Step-by-step construction details, from the layout of the outer walls, exca-
you time and help you make more money. Over
vation and formwork, to finish carpentry and painting. Packed with clear
100 on-the-job photos of how to do it right and what can go wrong.
illustrations and explanations updated for modern construction methods.
304 pages, 8½ x 11, $26.50.
Everything you need to know about framing, roofing, siding, interior fin-
National Home Improvement Estimator ishings, floor covering and stairs — your complete book of wood-frame
homebuilding. 320 pages, 8½ x 11, $25.50. Revised edition
Current labor and material prices for home improvement projects.
Provides manhours for each job, recommended crew size, and the Estimating & Bidding for Builders & Remodelers
labor cost for removal and installation work. Material prices are cur- This 5th edition has all the information you need for estimating and bid-
rent, with location adjustment factors and free monthly updates on ding new construction and home improvement projects. It shows how to
the Web. Gives step-by-step instructions for the work, with helpful select jobs that will be profitable, do a labor and materials take-off from
diagrams, and home improvement shortcuts and tips from experts. the plans, calculate overhead and figure your markup, and schedule the
Includes a free download of an electronic version of the book, and work. Includes a CD with an easy-to-use construction estimating program
National Estimator, a stand-alone WindowsTM estimating program. and a database of 50,000 current labor and material cost estimates for new
Additional information and National Estimator ShowMe tutorial video is construction and home improvement work, with area modifiers for every
available on our website under the “Support” dropdown tab. zip code. Price updates on the Web are free and automatic.
568 pages, 8½ x 11, $98.75. Revised annually. 272 pages, 8½ x 11, $89.50.
Also available as an eBook (PDF), $49.38 at www.craftsman-book.com Also available as an eBook (PDF), $44.75 at www.craftsman-book.com
Painter’s Handbook Estimating Electrical Construction Revised

Loaded with “how-to” information you’ll use every day to get professional Estimating the cost of electrical work can be a very
results on any job: the best way to prepare a surface for painting or repaint- detailed and exacting discipline. It takes specialized
ing; selecting and using the right materials and tools (including airless skills and knowledge to create reliable estimates for
spray); tips for repainting kitchens, bathrooms, cabinets, eaves and porches; electrical work. See how an expert estimates materi-
how to match and blend colors; why coatings fail and what to do about
als and labor for residential and commercial electrical
it. Lists 30 profitable specialties in the painting business.
320 pages, 8½ x 11, $33.00. construction. Learn how to use labor units, the plan
take-off, and the bid summary to make an accurate
Building Code Compliance for Contractors & Inspectors estimate, how to deal with suppliers, use pricing
sheets, and modify labor units. This book provides
An answer book for both contractors and building inspectors, this manual
extensive labor unit tables and blank forms on a CD for estimating
explains what it takes to pass inspections under the 2009 International
Residential Code. It includes a code checklist for every trade, covering your next electrical job. 272 pages, 8½ x 11, $59.00.
some of the most common reasons why inspectors reject residential work Also available as an eBook (PDF), $29.50 at www.craftsman-book.com
— footings, foundations, slabs, framing, sheathing, plumbing, electrical,
HVAC, energy conservation and final inspection. The requirement for Drywall Contracting
each item on the checklist is explained, and the code section cited so you
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How to set up and operate a drywall contracting business. Here you’ll find
can look it up or show it to the inspector. Knowing in advance what the
how to get set up as a drywall contractor, the tools you’ll need, how to do
inspector wants to see gives you an (almost unfair) advantage. To pass
inspection, do your own pre-inspection before the inspector arrives. If your the work, and how to estimate and schedule jobs so that you keep the
work requires getting permits and passing inspections, put this manual to work flowing and the money coming in. How to prevent drywall problems,
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work on your next job. If you’re considering a career in code enforcement, spot hidden problems before you begin, and how to install and repair
this can be your guidebook. 8½ x 11, 232 pages, $32.50. drywall in new construction or remodeling work. Lists the eight essential
Also available as an eBook (PDF), $16.25 at www.craftsman-book.com steps in making a drywall estimate and includes estimating forms and
manhour tables for your use. This book is filled with practical tips, illustra-
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Contractor’s Survival Manual Revised tions, pictures, tables and forms to help you build your career as a success-
The “real skinny” on the down-and-dirty survival skills that no one likes ful drywall contractor. 256 pages, 8½ x 11, $34.95.
to talk about – unique, unconventional ways to get through a debt cri-
sis: what to do when the bills can’t be paid, finding money and buying Construction Contract Writer
time, conserving income, transferring debt, setting payment priorities,
Relying on a “one-size-fits-all” boilerplate construction
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cash float techniques, dealing with judgments and liens, and laying the
foundation for recovery. Here you’ll find out how to survive a downturn contract to fit your jobs can be dangerous — almost
and the key things you can do to pave the road to success. Have this as dangerous as a handshake agreement. Construction
book as your insurance policy; when hard times come to your busi- Contract Writer lets you draft a contract in minutes that
ness it will be your guide. 336 pages, 8½ x 11, $38.00. precisely fits your needs and the particular job, and meets
Also available as an eBook (PDF), $19.00 at www.craftsman-book.com both state and federal requirements. You just answer a
series of questions — like an interview — to construct a legal contract for
Home Building Mistakes & Fixes
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each project you take on. Anticipate where disputes could arise and settle
This is an encyclopedia of practical fixes for real-world home building and them in the contract before they happen. Include the warranty protec-
repair problems. There’s never an end to “surprises” when you’re in the busi- tion you intend, the payment schedule, and create subcontracts from the
in
ness of building and fixing homes, yet there’s little published on how to deal prime contract by just clicking a box. Includes a feedback button to an
with construction that went wrong - where out-of-square or non-standard attorney on the Craftsman staff to help should you get stumped — No extra
or jerry-rigged turns what should be a simple job into a nightmare. This charge. $149.95. Download the Construction Contract Writer program at
manual describes jaw-dropping building mistakes that actually occurred, http://www.constructioncontractwriter.com
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from disastrous misunderstandings over property lines, through basement

floors leveled with an out-of-level instrument, to a house collapse when a Easy Scheduling
siding crew removed the old siding. You’ll learn the pitfalls the painless way,
and real-world working solutions for the problems every contractor finds in Easy Scheduling presents you with a complete set of “real world”scheduling
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a home building or repair jobsite. Includes dozens of those “surprises” and tools that are specifically tailored to meet the needs of small- to medium-
the author’s step-by-step, clearly illustrated tips, tricks and workarounds for sized construction businesses. Step by step, it shows you how to use
dealing with them. 384 pages, 8½ x 11, $52.50. Microsoft Project to build a schedule that will synchronize everyone’s efforts
Also available as an eBook (PDF), $26.25 at www.craftsman-book.com into an organized system that becomes the foundation of all planning
Roofing Construction & Estimating and communication for all your jobs. You’ll see how to establish realistic
project goals, set checkpoints, activities, relationships and time estimates
Installation, repair and estimating for nearly every type of roof cover- for each task, as well as establish priorities. You’ll learn how to create a
ing available today in residential and commercial structures: asphalt project flowchart to keep everyone focused and on track, and see how
shingles, roll roofing, wood shingles and shakes, clay tile, slate, metal,
to use CSI (Construction Specification Institute) coding to organize and
built-up, and elastomeric. Covers sheathing and underlayment tech-
sort tasks, methods, and materials across multiple projects. If you want an
niques, as well as secrets for installing leakproof valleys. Many estimat-
ing tips help you minimize waste, as well as insure a profit on every job. easy way to schedule your jobs, Microsoft Project and Easy Scheduling is the
Troubleshooting techniques help you identify the true source of most answer for you. (Does not include Microsoft Project.) Published by BNI.
leaks. Over 300 large, clear illustrations help you find the answer to 316 pages, 8½ x 11, $59.95.
just about all your roofing questions. 448 pages, 8½ x 11, $38.00.
Also available as an eBook (PDF), $19.00 at www.craftsman-book.com Basic Plumbing with Illustrations, Revised
Fences & Retaining Walls Revised eBook This completely-revised edition brings this comprehensive manual fully
up-to-date with all the latest plumbing codes. It is the journeyman’s and
Everything you need to know to run a profitable business in fence apprentice’s guide to installing plumbing, piping, and fixtures in residential
and retaining wall contracting. Takes you through layout and design, and light commercial buildings: how to select the right materials, lay out
construction techniques for wood, masonry, and chain link fences,
the job and do professional-quality plumbing work, use essential tools and
gates and entries, including finishing and electrical details. How
materials, make repairs, maintain plumbing systems, install fixtures, and
to build retaining and rock walls. How to get your business off to
the right start, keep the books, and estimate accurately. The book add to existing systems. Includes extensive study questions at the end of
even includes a chapter on contractor’s math. 400 pages. each chapter, and a section with all the correct answers.
Available only as an eBook (PDF, EPUB & MOBI/Kindle), $23.00 at 384 pages, 8½ x 11, $44.75.
www.craftsman-book.com Also available as an eBook (PDF), $22.37 at www.craftsman-book.com
Renovating & Restyling Older Homes National Repair & Remodeling Estimator
Any builder can turn a run-down old house into a showcase of perfec- The complete pricing guide for dwelling reconstruction costs. Reliable,
tion — if the customer has unlimited funds to spend. Unfortunately, most specific data you can apply on every repair and remodeling job. Up-to-
customers are on a tight budget. They usually want more improvements date material costs and labor figures based on thousands of jobs across
than they can afford — and they expect you to deliver. This book shows the country. Provides recommended crew sizes; average production rates;
how to add economical improvements that can increase the property exact material, equipment, and labor costs; a total unit cost and a total price
value by two, five or even ten times the cost of the remodel. Sound impos- including overhead and profit. Separate listings for high- and low-volume
sible? Here you’ll find the secrets of a builder who has been putting these builders, so prices shown are specific for any size business. Estimating
techniques to work on Victorian and Craftsman-style houses for twenty tips specific to repair and remodeling work to make your bids complete,
realistic, and profitable. Includes a free download of an electronic version
years. You’ll see what to repair, what to replace and what to leave, so you
of the book with National Estimator, a stand-alone WindowsTM estimat-
can remodel or restyle older homes for the least amount of money and the
ing program. Additional information and National Estimator ShowMe
greatest increase in value. 416 pages, 8½ x 11, $33.50.
tutorial video is available on our website under the “Support” drop-
Concrete Construction down tab. 528 pages, 8½ x 11, $98.50. Revised annually.
Just when you think you know all there is about concrete, many new innova-
tions create faster, more efficient ways to do the work. This comprehensive Craftsman eLibrary
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concrete manual has both the tried-and-tested methods and materials, and Craftsman’s eLibrary license gives you immediate access to
more recent innovations. It covers everything you need to know about con- 60+ PDF eBooks in our bookstore for 12 full months! You pay
crete, along with Styrofoam forming systems, fiber reinforcing adjuncts, and only one low price. $129.99. Visit www.craftsman-book.com for
some architectural innovations, like architectural foam elements, that can more details.
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help you offer more in the jobs you bid on. Every chapter provides detailed,
step-by-step instructions for each task, with hundreds of photographs Insurance Replacement Estimator
and drawings that show exactly how the work is done. To keep your jobs Insurance underwriters demand detailed, accurate valua-
organized, there are checklists for each stage of the concrete work, from
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tion data. There’s no better authority on replacement cost
planning, to finishing and protecting your pours. Whether you’re doing resi- for single-family homes than the Insurance Replacement
dential or commercial work, this manual has the instructions, illustrations, Estimator. In minutes you get an insurance to value report
charts, estimating data, rules of thumb and examples every contractor can showing the cost of re-construction based on your specification. You
apply on their concrete jobs. 288 pages, 8½ x 11, $28.75. can generate and save unlimited reports. For more information, visit
Also available as an eBook (PDF), $14.38 at www.craftsman-book.com www.craftsman-book.com/insurance-replacement-estimator-online-software
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❍ 44.75 Basic Plumbing with Illustrations, Revised ❍ 22.50 Finish Carpenter’s Manual
❍ 43.00 Builder’s Guide to Accounting Revised ❍ 52.50 Home Building Mistakes & Fixes
❍ 32.50 Building Code Compliance for Contractors & Inspectors ❍ 28.50 How to Succeed With Your Own Construction Co.
❍ 149.50 CD Estimator ❍ 69.00 Insurance Restoration Contracting: Startup to Success
❍ 28.75 Concrete Construction ❍ 52.50 Markup & Profit: A Contractor’s Guide, Revisited
❍ 48.50 Construction Forms for Contractors ❍ 97.50 Natl Construction Est w/FREE Natl Estimator Download
❍ 7.95 Contractor’s Math Short Cuts Quick-Cards ❍ 98.75 Natl Home Improvement Est w/FREE Natl Estimator Download
❍ 68.50 Contractor’s Guide to QuickBooks by Online Accounting ❍ 99.50 Natl Renovation & Ins Repair Est w/FREE Natl Estimator Download
❍ 49.50 Contractor’s Plain-English Legal Guide ❍ 98.50 Natl Repair & Remodeling Est w/FREE Natl Estimator Download
❍ 38.00 Contractor’s Survival Manual ❍ 33.00 Painter’s Handbook
❍ 65.00 Craftsman’s Construction Installation Encyclopedia ❍ 24.75 Profits in Buying & Renovating Homes
❍ 34.95 Drywall Contracting ❍ 33.50 Renovating & Restyling Older Homes
❍ 59.95 Easy Scheduling ❍ 38.00 Roofing Construction & Estimating
❍ 89.50 Estimating & Bidding for Builders & Remodelers ❍ 26.50 Rough Framing Carpentry
❍ 59.00 Estimating Electrical Construction, Revised ❍ 25.50 Wood-Frame House Construction
❍ 38.00 Estimating Home Building Costs, Revised ❍ 98.00 National Painting Cost Estimator w/FREE Natl Estimator Download
10-Day Money Back Guarantee Prices subject to change without notice
Writing contracts that comply with law in your state isn’t easy. A contract that doesn’t comply could leave you with no way to collect.
Construction Contract Writer has you covered. Download a trial today:
www.constructioncontractwriter.com

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TO BUY THIS COMPLETE REFERENCE GUIDE, GO TO www.Craftsman-Book.

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When the National Estimator program has been

æ Labor Labor Labor Labor Material

Fast (3P) High 36.50 35.3% 12.88 49.38 40% 31.0% 7%

How to Use the Tables

lower labor burden (due to lower fringe benefits), a

profit margin (typical on small repaint or custom jobs).

Labor Material Material Labor Labor Material Overhead Profit Total

Let’s suppose the “Slow” application rate fits the

productivity is expected to be low. The labor cost will

will be 20 percent. Overhead will be 19 percent and

fications are needed. The same is true if your costs fit

Customizing Your Costs

We’ll start with column 4, Labor cost per 100 SF.

than those in Figure 1. To calculate the labor cost per

Converting Unit Prices adjacent surfaces, and do any extensive setup,

commercial jobs in the “Medium” row. Minimal

■ Additional insurance to meet owner requirements

you have to estimate surface prep as a separate item

time, about 20 to 30 minutes each day for repaint

if the preparation takes longer than anticipated. But

If you do much repainting, you’ll probably want to

buy a waterblasting rig. Even if you own the blaster,

Pricing rules of thumb:

Arrows 43.50 to 51.00 each

two color 32.00 to 38.30 each

32.00 to 38.30 each if glued and pinned

Signs and posts:

Minimum charges: $638.00, scaffolding not included

■ Below-standard working conditions

My experience is that a painting company that can

Slow Medium Fast

reduces productivity. A few consecutive days of over-

Supervision isn’t considered productive labor. A

Repaint jobs Commercial projects Residential production

Light usage Moderate usage Heavy usage

Low absorption Moderate absorption High absorption

Low waste Moderate waste High waste

Semi-skilled painters Skilled crew Highly skilled crew

according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Of course, coverage varies with the paint you’re

the container label. I’ve listed estimated coverage rates

Column 2: Material Coverage Calculating Film Thickness

by suppliers for volume purchases by contractor cus-

Rust-Oleum Protective Coatings,;^b0]VT[Tb20

Miguel Govea, Vista Paint Centers, BP]3XTV^20

2^eTaSTbXV]Qh) Jennifer Johnson

Introduction - How to Use This Book 5 Part II - Preparation Costs

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