How much to Charge for Paint Job.

[hemi-hampton]

You could ask what his expectations are? Maaco splash n dash? Better than original? Good panel gaps, better-than-factory good, or micrometer perfect? Good enough straight panels, or laser straight? The rabbit hole goes deep........

Those are questions I would of asked but the Conversation never got that far, he abruptly/suddenly ended all conversation when he got offended I would dare ask about money. I now realize I brought that up way to early in he Conversation. Guess you gotten wait to the end to bring that up. LEON.

[fizz]

Hemi, I have a question. I have seen the work you have posted and it seems to be pretty high end. With the demand for people who do good work, and the amount of people willing to spend real money, why consider the low end work at all?

[maxwellwedge]

His attitude is probably landed him the current paint job. Nothing wrong with asking how much money you are willing to spend when it comes to bodywork, especially after the conversation is about fixing someone elses mistakes.... if the paint job is shit, what do you think the work under it looks like?

x2

[hemi-hampton]

Hemi, I have a question. I have seen the work you have posted and it seems to be pretty high end. With the demand for people who do good work, and the amount of people willing to spend real money, why consider the low end work at all?

It's a long complicated story. I'll make it short. Not sure what part of the country your from but here in Detroit area not a lot of demand or amount of people willing to spend real money. There is a real small group of these people in a tight nit group. I could work for a guy that works for these people but don't want to work for cash under the table. And most body shops want to pay you cash under the table. Being older with Health problems I need a job with Taxes taken out & Health Insurance. Which is about impossible to find in Detroit unless you work for a big company.

[cincyboy]

So just being honest I hate it when people ask that question. Car and jewelry salesmen say this.  When they ask my budget  I always tell them about 2 million or I ask if they have change for a quarter. 

It says to me:

1.   The price depends on how much money you think I have.
2.   The work and quality you get will depend on the amount of money you spend. 

Like the car salesman example, everyone pays a different price it just depends on your negotiation.   Most of us in this hobby seemed to be very analytical thinking and they wanna feel like they get what they pay for based off the work required not their negotiation skill.

That being said the amount of work in every job is different.  Perhaps asking what state you car is in now and what are you hoping to accomplish is a better question.   Maybe throw out that a car with the body work done in a basic non premium color starts around  ____$.   This way they can bail if they aren't near that price range. 

[ACUDANUT]

Hemi, I have a question. I have seen the work you have posted and it seems to be pretty high end. With the demand for people who do good work, and the amount of people willing to spend real money, why consider the low end work at all?

It's a long complicated story. I'll make it short. Not sure what part of the country your from but here in Detroit area not a lot of demand or amount of people willing to spend real money. There is a real small group of these people in a tight nit group. I could work for a guy that works for these people but don't want to work for cash under the table. And most body shops want to pay you cash under the table. Being older with Health problems I need a job with Taxes taken out & Health Insurance. Which is about impossible to find in Detroit unless you work for a big company.

People in Detroit have Money ?  According to the "news" they have no jobs or water and push around  STOLEN grocery carts.  :shruggy:

[hemi-hampton]

So just being honest I hate it when people ask that question. Car and jewelry salesmen say this.  When they ask my budget  I always tell them about 2 million or I ask if they have change for a quarter.  

It says to me:

1.   The price depends on how much money you think I have.
2.   The work and quality you get will depend on the amount of money you spend.  

Like the car salesman example, everyone pays a different price it just depends on your negotiation.   Most of us in this hobby seemed to be very analytical thinking and they wanna feel like they get what they pay for based off the work required not their negotiation skill.

That being said the amount of work in every job is different.  Perhaps asking what state you car is in now and what are you hoping to accomplish is a better question.   Maybe throw out that a car with the body work done in a basic non premium color starts around  ____$.   This way they can bail if they aren't near that price range.  



I'll agree with #2. Do you think the work & quality should not depend on the amount of money you spend?  

I'll agree with #2. Do you think the work & quality should not depend on the amount of money you spend? 

[hemi-hampton]

So just being honest I hate it when people ask that question. Car and jewelry salesmen say this.  When they ask my budget  I always tell them about 2 million or I ask if they have change for a quarter.  

It says to me:

1.   The price depends on how much money you think I have.
2.   The work and quality you get will depend on the amount of money you spend.  

Like the car salesman example, everyone pays a different price it just depends on your negotiation.   Most of us in this hobby seemed to be very analytical thinking and they wanna feel like they get what they pay for based off the work required not their negotiation skill.

That being said the amount of work in every job is different.  Perhaps asking what state you car is in now and what are you hoping to accomplish is a better question.   Maybe throw out that a car with the body work done in a basic non premium color starts around  ____$.   This way they can bail if they aren't near that price range.  


SO, Lets say you ask me to come look at your car, you want it painted. I come look at it & say yeah, I can paint it. then I say nothing else, after a couple of minutes of silence you say something about price. What would you want me to say to you?  LEON.

SO, Lets say you ask me to come look at your car, you want it painted. I come look at it & say yeah, I can paint it. then I say nothing else, after a couple of minutes of silence you say something about price. What would you want me to say to you?  LEON.

[hemi-hampton]

Here's what John Balow at Musclecar Restorations in Chippewa Falls Wisconsin has to say about his pricing on his website.


"The cost of a restoration is flexible depending on your specific goals and expectations for the completed restoration. We provide a large number of paths to fit every budget"


Pretty much the same thing I been trying to say in here.

[DAY CLONA]

So just being honest I hate it when people ask that question  When they ask my budget 

It says to me:

1.   The price depends on how much money you think I have.
2.   The work and quality you get will depend on the amount of money you spend. 

If your in the business of supplying goods or services, it gets tiring wasting time with tire kickers with champagne taste and beer pocket money, so it's best to cut to the chase so you don't waste everyone's time or try one's nerves... esp when it comes to body work and paint, your avg "enthusiast" has absolutely ZERO clue regarding material costs and the amount of labor involved... then you can have other factors like the owner wanting you to apply paint over their/others previous work, then when you explain that shit might come up thru your work because of what might be hiding under the previous work and you decline the job, they get irate, or they get jerked when you tell them no guarantee/warranty if anything happens immediately or down the road with the paint/bodywork over previous work performed by others,  but you still expect to get paid in full, they get irate/jerked because they have no clue.... and now with all these ass clown car shows on TV/cable/internet the avg Joe thinks all paint jobs are quickly completed overnight, polished to perfection the next day 

[hemi-hampton]

So just being honest I hate it when people ask that question  When they ask my budget  

It says to me:

1.   The price depends on how much money you think I have.
2.   The work and quality you get will depend on the amount of money you spend.  

If your in the business of supplying goods or services, it gets tiring wasting time with tire kickers with champagne taste and beer pocket money, so it's best to cut to the chase so you don't waste everyone's time or try one's nerves... esp when it comes to body work and paint, your avg "enthusiast" has absolutely ZERO clue regarding material costs and the amount of labor involved... then you can have other factors like the owner wanting you to apply paint over their/others previous work, then when you explain that shit might come up thru your work because of what might be hiding under the previous work and you decline the job, they get irate, or they get jerked when you tell them no guarantee/warranty if anything happens immediately or down the road with the paint/bodywork over previous work performed by others,  but you still expect to get paid in full, they get irate/jerked because they have no clue.... and now with all these ass clown car shows on TV/cable/internet the avg Joe thinks all paint jobs are quickly completed overnight, polished to perfection the next day  

DAYCLONA get's it. pretty much what I'd like to say & I could say much more.    THANKS, LEON.

[charger_fan_4ever]

You could ask what his expectations are? Maaco splash n dash? Better than original? Good panel gaps, better-than-factory good, or micrometer perfect? Good enough straight panels, or laser straight? The rabbit hole goes deep........

Problem with low end guys is they say they are good with medicore results, BUT once its done they are crying to anyone that will listen how you did a hack job on their car.
Better off not doing anything low end IMO.

The car in question. Hes had someonelse hack it up now its in primer ? paint ? how can you tell whats underneath ? Maybe just need to strip it to metal and start again ? maybe you will strip it and find some hack metal work or rust still. Noway to estimate for this. Hourly on the restorations as Leon said.

[hemi-hampton]

You could ask what his expectations are? Maaco splash n dash? Better than original? Good panel gaps, better-than-factory good, or micrometer perfect? Good enough straight panels, or laser straight? The rabbit hole goes deep........

Problem with low end guys is they say they are good with medicore results, BUT once its done they are crying to anyone that will listen how you did a hack job on their car.
Better off not doing anything low end IMO.

The car in question. Hes had someonelse hack it up now its in primer ? paint ? how can you tell whats underneath ? Maybe just need to strip it to metal and start again ? maybe you will strip it and find some hack metal work or rust still. Noway to estimate for this. Hourly on the restorations as Leon said.

EXACTLY

[DanielRobert]

I ran a furniture upholstery business outside of Detroit for some time. In the early days, I would waste time on the phone trying to reason with the caller on why my costs were more expensive than the t.v. stores. I quickly learned that to give a starting price amount ended the phone call quickly or taught you that they understood the value of what you do.  I've also learned that the more of a struggle it is to talk to them on the first phone call, the more of a struggle it would be to deal with them during or after a job. Plenty of work out there, just pick the people who 'get it'.

Now, that being said, you ever just charge to apply the paint after the client does all the work himself?

[hemi-hampton]

"Now, that being said, you ever just charge to apply the paint after the client does all the work himself?"


NO, I don't think I'd want to do that,  I did do that when I worked at MAACO auto painting in late 80's early 90's when I had to paint 1 car a hour or 8 cars a day. LEON.

[alfaitalia]

A car an hour?....that's real quality! I take it that did not include masking!!! LOL!

[superbirdtom]

"Now, that being said, you ever just charge to apply the paint after the client does all the work himself?"


NO, I don't think I'd want to do that,  I did do that when I worked at MAACO auto painting in late 80's early 90's when I had to paint 1 car a hour or 8 cars a day. LEON.

right on leon. I painted at Earl Scheibs in early 80,s in sunland in the san fernando valley -it varied from 3 to 5 cars a day. then i worked at a very busy carcoa shop close to corner of rosecrans and crenshaw ave.  i did 8 cars a day and had to tint colors w no mixing bank.  it was darn hard work but i learned how to lay out a good paint job with the old nason synthetic.   as to quoting a paint job just think of someone coming to a contractor and asking HEY how much to build me a house?  and getting all butt hurt when you ask about a budget.  neither party wants to get taken to the cleaners so the budget and expectations have to be transparent.  Ill bet your happy like me that u dont have to paint a car an hour anymore.

[hemi-hampton]

Tom, Back then I sprayed Western Synthetic Acrylic Enamel single stage 99% of the time. It was $149.95 for the Presidential & $300 for the Supreme. $600 if you opted for the Base Coat Clear Coat that was called Phoenix paint. SO, I got pretty good at spraying single stage metallic which I was already use to spraying since I sprayed lots of Centari before this. Kids now adays can only spray BC/CC & no clue what it's like to spray a single stage (no clear) Mettalic enamel. LEON.

[superbirdtom]

i never heard of western. but as u know synthetic turns out like glass but will burn off in 3 years out in hot sun places.  yeah for the single stage metallics back in the day u just get coverage on the first two coats or so and then straighten out the metallics on last coats. still today some painters cant get the basecoat metallics and pearls to lay down right before clear coating an trowel on the clear too soon or heavy and cause them to blotch and swim around or look like 3d 36 grit paper then clear over. ive written many articles for body shop business magazine trying to pass on what ive learned.   great to talk to someone who was there painting right out of the lacquer age to synthol to acrylic to base clear  it was 129.95 for basic non metallics at carcoa then 189.95 for their caramic where we just added a hardner  then up from there for more colors and metallics.    many car dealers came to us -painting cadillacs and other better cars .  $239 for a complete color change door jambs etc.    the mexican tapers were incredible. again

[hemi-hampton]

In the old days if you sprayed PPG's DBU base with that reactive reducer in metallic & then cleared to soon or right away & put first coat on Heavy it would definately move on you turning blotchy or zebra striped. I would then let it dry some & add a little base to clear to straighten out. You can't do that with PPG's newer DBC Base, it will wrinkle up. I sprayed lots of Lacquer in the mid 80's. LEON.

[ACUDANUT]

Speaking of paint. What is the best way to bring a dull/faded red truck shiny again.  A clear coat would work, but I don't know about the price ??

[hemi-hampton]

You could rub it out with some Compound. They do make a specialty Clear just for that Purpose, Called Nano I think? LEON.

[superbirdtom]

Red is the fastest fading color so make sure its not completly dead as just rubbing it out it might fade and chalk out again very soon. If you go to all the trouble to clear coat it then why not just spray a coat of PPG concept single stage.