This series of tutorials on tendering and estimating training for painting contractors, is for ALL painting contractors who are looking to develop their knowledge of pricing painting projects, increase their turnover and expand their business.
The series of tutorial videos will gradually build into a full tendering and estimating training programme for painting contractors looking to learn about:
1. Methods of pricing painting and decorating projects?
2. How to calculate what to charge per painter per day on a project by project basis?
3. How to measure painting and decorating works?
4. All-in painting rates: What are they and how are they calculated?
5. Tender documents: The different types and what information each type will give you to help you cost the painting works.
5. Tender submissions and how to write a professional tender letter, when pricing medium to large painting contracts.
We have posted our 1st tutorial on Youtube. To view, go to:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGmXgOZXGWc
The 1st video is an initial introduction to pricing and talks about the 'Guesstimating method. It's a little long at 30mins, but well worth a look. l'll be publishing further tutorial videos that will cover all of the above topics. Basically,the videos will show you all you need to know about pricing painting and decorating projects (of all types and sizes) and what to include in your tender submissions.
At present, one of the difficulties for painting contractors is that there are no specific training courses available to show you how to tender for painting projects. It's not not a problem for domestic painting contractors or painting contractors who only carry out small commercial painting projects as they usually price projects according to a 'guesstimate' of the number of days to complete the works and how much materials are required. However, if you are a painting contractor who is looking to expand and start to tender for medium to large size painting projects, not knowing how to price is a definite barrier.
To date, the only help that has been available are painting rates books such as Wessex or Spons, but there are a number of problems with these books:
1. They tend to give rates that are NOT commercially competitive, so you don't secure the project anyway.
2. The rates they give are limited. They are not paint manufacturer specific and only offer rates for a small number of specifications.
3. Rates do not relate to your own labour rates. Remember, labour rates vary according to where you are in the UK and if your use 'subbies' or your own direct labour. This then affects all your painting rates. So a rate for painting new plaster walls in mist and 2nr. Coats contract matt emulsion will vary according to where you are located in the UK and how much you pay your operatives.
4. Rates do not relate to your own material purchase prices. All painters are on different material prices. Some are V.A.T. registered and some are not. Your material purchase prices will affect all your painting rates.
Our series of video tutorials will definitely help. However, in the short term, if you want help with pricing painting works, you can:
1. Use our Quick Paint Rate painting rates calculator software. This has been specially created by ourselves and will allow you to quickly and easily calculate painting rates to all specifications, your own labour rates and your own material prices. Have a look at the demo video on the www.panddonline.co.uk website. It will definitely help you with pricing painting bills of quantities or works that you have measured yourself. Quick Paint Rate is sold on an annual licence basis and costs £125.00 + V.A.T. per year (equates to 35p per day!)
2. Use panddonline to measure/cost your painting projects. We are a specialist painting estimating company. Basically, we measure and cost painting works for painting contractors all over the UK. The way it works is that if you have a project that you may want us to price, you email over the tender documents or link to the tender documents, we take a quick look and give you a price for us to do the tender. At this point you say yes or no if you want us to proceed. If you do, then the price we have quoted is what you pay, if not, then it hasn't cost you anything. As part of the tender, we also do the tender letter, for you submit with your quotation. It's as easy as that!
If you have any queries on estimating, or want to use any of our services, use the 'Contact Us' form on the panddonline website, or give us a call: 01782 835764.
Happy Estimating,
Mark
(Specialist Painting Quantity Surveyor)