Waiting on Estimate

[Janet]

I had a guy come out on Friday and give me an estimate for painting the living room, family room, computer/dog room and hallway. I can't wait to see how much!!. I just hope I can afford it. I do have some puppy money left, but I just don't want to pay too much. I told him I would have everything moved and taped, (I'm so picky and don't want any paint on my oak woodwork.)

He doesn't accept payment until the work is done and approved..how great is that?

Hopefully by tomorrow he'll let me know. He did say it would probably only take him approx. 3 days, and as Martha Stewart would say "that's a good thing."

[Gina]

Thats great Janet, I hope that he gives you a great price to. I am waiting for my house to be painted to, but my husband said he will do it when it cools down in the fall. Soo I have to be patient.....

[Marilyn]

Hubby's talking about having ours repainted, the outside trim, that is. Inside is holding up pretty well. I can't wait to get rid of the carpet in the living room. Hubby is checking on it, tommorrow to find out when. Hopefully in a couple of weeks.

Janet, sooooo hope the estimate turns out good for you. It feels so good to have new paint!!! Will keep fingers crossed!!!

[DianaB]

I hope that you get good news on your estimate too. I need to paint too, but my floor plan is so open that I'm going to have to paint several rooms when I do decide to do it and I'm picky like you......no paint on the woodwork.

[judy]

Hope it's nice and low, and he starts right away, does a great job, and finishes quickly.

[HALEY]

I hope you got a good estimate. if it only took him 3 days, that would be nice... & i don't blame you for taping up the oak finish, oak is so pretty...

[Janet]

Thanks everyone but it looks like I'll start tearing the computer/dog room apart tomorrow and paint it myself. I know I was in much pain, but I have to say, I've been crying over this. I should have just kept on painting and not gotten an estimate.

The estimate came today and for the living room, family room, hallway and computer/dog room the grand total was $2187.00. All I can say is "in his F***** dreams!" I haven't emailed him back yet...figured I'd better calm down some and respond like a human being instead of a demented nut case. He did take $550.00 off (I told him I'd move the furniture and take off the switch/electrical covers) for a total of $1637.00.

I wish I could show you the estimate, he had things on there like: pail hooks, 2 step ladders, box of rags, 4 or 5 different sizes and kinds of rollers, two 5-gallon buckets, tape gun, and more. Now what in the heck does he need two 5-gallon buckets for. If I'm moving everything out, all he needs is a 9 inch roller, paint tray, brush and step ladder. He also estimated using 7-9 gallons of paint. I don't use 7-9 gallons of paint for the whole freakin house. So far for the two bathrooms and two bedrooms, I've used 2.5 gallons of paint. What was he planning on doing, leaving it on an inch thick?

I am sooooo disgusted, but I'll just have to get busy tomorrow. I want to have ALL the painting done by the time I go back to school. I need the week before school to get the bus home and a seating chart made and to call all the new and old students.

Can't believe he tried to charge me that much...I must look really stupid for him to quote me a price like that.

Okay...I'm done venting for now. The boys had scouts tonight so I've asked them to bring me a new fresh bottle of Tylenol and Ibuprophen.

[Marilyn]

Janet, Sweetie, I feel for you. We can share in the disappointment. Hubby got the price for my 16' x 16' tile floor for the living area today (part of the room is already tile) and it was $3,500. We think they are crazy. We were using the company that he uses for his houses and thought that they would give us a fair price. We're going to check with some other companies and even Lowe's to see what others will charge.

It's so disappointing when you think you have a plan all worked out and people try to take advantage of you. Hubby figures our tile (material only) should cost just over $900, plus the cost of a 4" wide tile border we are using to transition between the old and new tiles plus the labor, but $3,500, give me a break!!! They wanted $1,000 for the border alone. And I thought the new floor would be in sometime in the next two weeks.

Janet, if we lived closer, I'd help you paint those rooms. We'd have lots of fun together, too, I'm sure. Hubby and I may just install our own tile. We've done it before, but we were younger and in better shape. Maybe we can all be sore together!!

[Marilyn]

Janet, you need some cheap Mexican labor. I really don't want to make you feel bad, but we are also getting the outside of our home pressure washed and about half of it repainted. The porches (front and back and balcony) and one gable need repainting. The rest will be okay with pressure washing. The house is only 5 years old. Anyway, hubby just got the estimate from the painters a few minutes ago. They are working by the hour (two guys) and the labor should cost $600 to $700. Materials will run around $200, so our total bill to paint about half of the exterior, all porches and lower trim (two story stone house) is around $900. This is about equivalent to the amount of work you are needing on your interior. Wish we could send these guys your way. They do really nice work!! Maybe you need to call someone else to do another estimate. Any Latinos in your area??

Wish our tile job had worked out so favorably!! I'm still disappointed about that!!

[Janet]

That's great that you were able to find someone for that price. Kat is having the inside of her house painted too and it only cost her $400. This guy must think I'm a real dumb a$$!

By the time I can get another estimate I can be done painting. I should be busy doing that now, but for today, I was just going to empty the room and get it taped. Tomorrow I'll start getting it painted. I need to get off here and get started, school starts in 22 days.

[HALEY]

Janet - that estimate sounded way high!! and another thing that i don't understand why is he charging you for all that other stuff, if he's a painter - he should have most of those supplies already.. like buckets etc.. what a rip off...

[HALEY]

Originally Posted by Marilyn

Janet, you need some cheap Mexican labor. I really don't want to make you feel bad, but we are also getting the outside of our home pressure washed and about half of it repainted. The porches (front and back and balcony) and one gable need repainting. The rest will be okay with pressure washing. The house is only 5 years old. Anyway, hubby just got the estimate from the painters a few minutes ago. They are working by the hour (two guys) and the labor should cost $600 to $700. Materials will run around $200, so our total bill to paint about half of the exterior, all porches and lower trim (two story stone house) is around $900. This is about equivalent to the amount of work you are needing on your interior. Wish we could send these guys your way. They do really nice work!! Maybe you need to call someone else to do another estimate. Any Latinos in your area??

Wish our tile job had worked out so favorably!! I'm still disappointed about that!!

I like your thinking Marilyn! it's funny that you said about the Mexican's some mornings i see this van at the gas station and i swear there is a good 10-12 of them rideing in this van, don't know where there going, wish i understood a damn thing they were saying maybe i would hire them to do some yard work for me

[Marilyn]

Originally Posted by HALEY

I like your thinking Marilyn! it's funny that you said about the Mexican's some mornings i see this van at the gas station and i swear there is a good 10-12 of them rideing in this van, don't know where there going, wish i understood a damn thing they were saying maybe i would hire them to do some yard work for me

The painter hubby is using to paint the outside of the house doesn't speak English. His son does though so he is his helper and translates for us. The father is a really good painter, and looking at him, he's fair skinned and not very Hispanic looking. You would never think he doesn't speak English. They are really very nice people. They aren't illegals or anything like that.

[Janet]

Here it is 3:15 PM and I haven't done a thing...LOL. I woke up at 7 this morning, got on the computer for a few minutes, laid on the couch, fell asleep then work up at 10:30 then got on here. I've watched my soap and called the paint store for people who may paint and now I will call them...or think about calling them. I'm just tired. I have no energy today whatsoever. That previous estimate knocked me for a loop, I don't understand why it is affecting me this way. Hopefully if I can gather enough energy to place a couple phone calls.

[Marilyn]

Janet, don't give up!!! Make those phone calls. Hopefully you can find someone more reasonable who will do a fine job!! Please don't be discouraged. If I could, I really would help you with this.