Painting Cost-Labor vs Material

11 years ago

I have a painter I usually use for a rental, and I know I get a good price when he does the interiors because he uses cheap paint. Since its a rental, I know I have to re-paint it often so I don't care too much about the quality of the paint. (I got a Benjamin Moore paint with a specific color to match the carpet, and then tenant destroyed carpet so I needed to get new carpet with different color.)

But, I'm going to get the exterior of my place painted, and I want to use better paint because I know I won't need to get it re-painted all the time. I'm thinking of something like Sherwin Williams Duration or Superpaint.

When the painter quotes me the price, it includes the price for everything- the labor, paint, etc.. So, I'm curious what the breakdown of that price is- how much is it for labor, how much is it for the paint, etc..

If I get better paint, I know I'll pay more cause the paint is more expensive but I'm curious how much more. But, with better paint, should I expect the labor cost to go down since it'll be less work to do the work?

Would it be cheaper if I got the paint when Sherwin Williams does their semi-annual paint sale, or if the painter used his contractor discount?

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Comments (5)

Pines Everywhere
11 years ago
Your contractor, most contractors (at least where I live), will let you place your order with the Paint wholesaler on their account, with their discount and you pay the Wholesaler directly.

I have done this at three different Sherwin Williams stores with four different contractors over the years. Once it is paid for the contractor is usually happy to pick it up or you can. That way -- you know what you're getting for your material dollars.

I am so used to working this way -- I'd be suspicious if a contractor INSISTED on "rolling" the paint into their final price. LOL -- Good luck!!
paintguy1
11 years ago
Paint is typically about 15 to 20% of the job. That's why it's silly to get anything but the best when you are paying a painter to apply it (especially outside!!!). Do the math, getting paint that is twice as expensive (and good) only adds about 7 to 10% to your cost and potentially doubles the life of the coating.
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ionized_gw
11 years ago
Man, it does not pay to use anything but the best you can find if you are DIY either. The only reason might be the one the OP gave for interior, or if you are moving along in a short time. I am not even sure I could paint with cheap paint in the latter case because I might feel bad about dumping on the next owner!
marvelousmarvin
Original Author
11 years ago
What's the contractor discount for Sherwin Williams Duration?

I don't know if I should wait for their next sale or get the contractor get it with his contractor discount. And, does anybody know when their next sale is? If its cheaper to get the paint during the next sale, I should expect the price I pay the painter to be cheaper, right?

Finally, is there a time of the year that's considered better to paint exteriors? If the SW sale is only to come up when its a bad time to paint, I might just skip waiting for that sale.
Jumpilotmdm
11 years ago
Bad time of year? Not necessarily time of year but weather, yes.
Don't paint in direct sunlight. Follow the sun around the house.
Don't paint in high humidity, or cold anywhere near freezing. most paints say nothing below 50 degrees.
I think "Pines" had the best advice on purchasing the paint. The outside of a house is mostly labor so be prepared to pay for it. Don't cheap the guy out if you know he will do good work and take care of you. That will more than pay for itself in the long run.