Charge to paint part of outside of bungalow

[ClaudiusTheIdiot]

Please can I ask for an estimate of a reasonable price to do this. The length painted is just the front and part of one side, estimate about 20 metres total (I'm not nearby so can't look). This length includes garage door and large-ish bay window and front door. White paint on pebbledash that had been painted previously (bungalow a few decades old). Also a coat of some black paint low down along the wall (similar to what had been there before); and the timbers at the eaves and roof. Access is easy. Time taken was one day for two men.

Reason for asking - an elderly person had the work done but is having second thoughts about paying. I'll give the price later but want to ask for a reasonable range of values without prejudicing the estimates.

Thanks for any responses.

[Dod101]

You are I presume about to give us an outrageous figure but for one day? In my area, Labour maybe £30/35 per hour and then materials, so labour say £600 materials £100 max, total £700 or so. Anything in to four figures I would regard as too high.

Did the person not get quotes, unless from a trusted tradesman?

Dod

[redsturgeon]

You are I presume about to give us an outrageous figure but for one day? In my area, Labour maybe £30/35 per hour and then materials, so labour say £600 materials £100 max, total £700 or so. Anything in to four figures I would regard as too high.

Did the person not get quotes, unless from a trusted tradesman?

Dod

I'd agree with the overall figures but £300 a day for a painter is at the high end, I 'd expect to pay that daily rate for an electrician or plumber but nothing more than £200 per day per man for painters as a max and that is a SE/London figure. Add £200 for materials to be generous and £600 would be my top end. That is ex VAT though

I just had a large 70 sq metre space painted in the South East. Two men for three days, total cost £800.

John

[EssDeeAitch]

You are I presume about to give us an outrageous figure but for one day? In my area, Labour maybe £30/35 per hour and then materials, so labour say £600 materials £100 max, total £700 or so. Anything in to four figures I would regard as too high.

Did the person not get quotes, unless from a trusted tradesman?

Dod

I'd agree with the overall figures but £300 a day for a painter is at the high end, I 'd expect to pay that daily rate for an electrician or plumber but nothing more than £200 per day per man for painters as a max and that is a SE/London figure. Add £200 for materials to be generous and £600 would be my top end. That is ex VAT though

I just had a large 70 sq metre space painted in the South East. Two men for three days, total cost £800.

John

For context, we would expect to pay £140 to £170 per day for labour in the North East based on a recent renovation we did.

[tikunetih]

The length painted is just the front and part of one side, estimate about 20 metres total (I'm not nearby so can't look). This length includes garage door and large-ish bay window and front door. White paint on pebbledash that had been painted previously (bungalow a few decades old). Also a coat of some black paint low down along the wall (similar to what had been there before); and the timbers at the eaves and roof.

Could you state more clearly exactly what's been painted?

- It sounds like masonry was painted (the white pebbledash) and the splash course masonry below the DPC (the black paint).

- The garage door, bay window and front door were not painted, right?

- But it sounds like roofline timber (soffits and fascias) were painted, yes?

While the masonry, if the existing paint surface was sound, could've just been directly overpainted, any metal or timber surfaces (eg. roofline stuff) would almost certainly deserve (i) a light rubbing down (ii) an undercoat (iii) a finishing coat.

I don't really see how it's possible you could do all that in a single day, so it's hard for me to see how a "proper" job could've been done. This isn't unusual! Particularly where those painting aren't proper "deccies" (decorators). If all done in one day I'm assuming just a single coat of paint was applied to all surfaces.

Did the householders have a discussion with the painters about what was to be done? Or did they just get what they were given, ie. what suited the painters?

Based on the time spent (not a lot, hence a low quality job) of two man-days + likely materials used then price £300-400 tops, possibly less. I'd be unlikely to pay anything for what sounds like a poor quality job, as I'm a fussy b@st@rd!

[bungeejumper]

There's generally some making-good to be done in these situations. Filling, puttying, the odd bit of wood-rot treatment which my local man tends to take in his stride as he gets the surfaces ready. (He also seals leaky gutters, although not usually to my own standards!)

I wonder how many coats of paint on the walls? At this time of year you could get two coats on in a day. But overall I'd guess two man-days for this, not one. My local man (full-time decorator, near Bath) charges £150 a day for labour and is not VAT registered. Does that help?

BJ

[ClaudiusTheIdiot]

Thank you everyone for prompt replies. Price the householder agreed was £900 but as stated he stopped the cheque as he decided it was excessive. He's inclined to offer £550. I've said I agree with that. Privately I think it's generous on the assumption that it's not a very good job (though I haven't seen it). But I've suggested that if they insist he will need to pay the full £900.

He seems confident that they won't turn up to ask for the money, since this happened more than two weeks ago and they haven't appeared yet. I said I disagree but don't really understand what's going on. They wanted a cheque but no name on it: he insisted on a name so they gave him a surname only. I think they called on him and he agreed to the job as he's had them do something in the past. I assume there's something not quite right and have suggested they're a couple of wide boys and he shouldn't get on the wrong side of them.

Anyway thanks for estimates and we hope that he's right that they stay away. Now (different incident) to check that his computer hasn't been hacked...

[bungeejumper]

They wanted a cheque but no name on it: he insisted on a name so they gave him a surname only.

That's a new one on me. Usually the dodgier ones want cash up front, and they'll all fight shy of a cheque because it's traceable.

I think they called on him and he agreed to the job as he's had them do something in the past. I assume there's something not quite right and have suggested they're a couple of wide boys and he shouldn't get on the wrong side of them.

Now that does sound more like the usual patter. "We were passing and we noticed that your roof looked a bit tired/your garage needed a repaint/your drive could do with a layer of tarmac, which we just happen to have on the lorry...."

Would I have stopped a £900 cheque without first verbally querying the amount with them? It's high, but not so extortionately out of range as to be obviously criminal. (One sometimes reads of pensioners being ripped off thousands for a £250 job.) Hmmm, tricky. They'll be back some time or other for their money - who wouldn't? - unless of course they've already quietly nicked the silver, or duplicated the house keys.

Either way, increased vigilance. Well done for being a supporting friend.

BJ

[quelquod]

Unless they banked the cheque promptly they may have discovered only recently that it’s been stopped. On the face of it I don’t see that your elderly friend has any option other than pay having accepted their offer, though as you say he’s at liberty to offer a lower sum on the basis of substandard work. That’s shaky ground though as I doubt if he has a detailed quote from them and a single quick coat may be all they intended. I’d expect them to call round soon and expect the full £900 (in cash next time!).

[NomoneyNohoney]

I'd have thought the only reason to leave the payee off a cheque, is so that it can be passed on to someone else, or resold.
IF Bloggs Builders owed someone, they could pass over a few unnamed cheques for the amount, and that way their bank account doesn't show the transaction, thus tax could be avoided,, or no paper trail for the DHSS to follow.
If my scenario is right, it won't be the painters who find that the cheque has been stopped.