Painting Business - Who Supplies the Paint?

I had someone e-mail me yesterday asking me if my estimates are less money if the customer supplies the paint. I said nope. I still charge the same amount. Hey, the customer doesn't know what's in my bid anyways. I give them a set figure usually.

Now I am never dishonest about charging the customer but when I bid, the paint is automatically included in the estimate. If they ask if I supply the paint or not I say that it's automatically included in the bid and they say O.K.

The reason I charge the same anyway is simple. First, I am used to the paints I normally use. I know their performance and limitations. If I have to use a paint that I am unfamiliar with it can take longer and may be harder to do a quality job.

That could risk a good referral from someone who looks at the paint jobs and thinks I could have done a better job. My paints and stains are first class products. In my painting business I like to use first class products like Benjamin Moore, Pratt and Lambert or Sherwin Williams. So I cannot afford to be messing around with crappy cheap coatings.

Also, I don't want to stand around waiting for the customer to go get me some more paint. Plus, they really don't know all the different paints and primers that I use.

With all those uncertainties, you can see why I would charge the same amount anyway. Unless it was a special huge job and lots of money, this is the way I operate. It is rare though that I have to use paint that the customer gets, but once in a while it happens.


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