Man Days vs Crew Days
This comes up constantly. Someone describes work in terms of a “two-man crew,” and the conversation drifts into estimating based on crew size instead of actual labor. That shift sounds…
Category: Construction Estimating
The AI Gold Rush… will it last?
Why professionals see through it Right now, the construction industry is being flooded with “AI-powered” tools promising faster estimates, higher profits, and effortless accuracy. Many of them are charging serious…
How accurate production rates make money
Purpose This document explains how profitable finish-trade contractors price work. It describes how bidding actually works, how production rates control outcomes, and why some contractors consistently make money while others…
Square Foot Pricing Myth – Still
People love to ask how much we charge per square foot of floor area. Anyone in the trade has heard it endlessly. The answer is simple. We do not paint…
I’ll get you more work!
I don’t often focus on the residential sector, but I’m no stranger to it. As a 4th generation painter, my family started out in residential work before transitioning to the…
Sundries
In the painting business, sundries refer to consumable items that are used up during a job and need to be replenished regularly. These are not reusable tools like ladders or…
What did he say?
Improving communication between builders and subcontractors can make a significant difference in efficiency and project outcomes. Here are a few strategies that tend to work well: Over the years, some…
Claims of 50% Gross Profit.
Boasting about a 50% gross profit in the house painting business might raise eyebrows because it’s unusually high for that industry. While not inherently ridiculous, it could be seen as…
Snake Oil and Estimating – Beware!
For nearly half a century, The Carter School of Estimating has been a trusted name in teaching the art and science of construction estimating, specializing in the drywall and painting…
Pricing by the square foot floor area?
I wish I had a buck for every time that I was asked what the going rate was when pricing paint projects but the question that takes the cake is…”What…