How do painters expand/grow their business?
Posting an article like this in the summer is probably not the best timing as you are probably rushed off you feet in the summer rush: But now is exactly the time you need to start thinking as painting projects you are pricing now will probably be carried out Sept-March, just when you need the work.
The first thing you will need to do is make contact with Principal Contractors you are interested in pricing for, introducing yourself, your company and the services you offer.
One way to do this is to call the Contractor and ask to speak to someone in the Estimating Dept., or alternatively, go to an existing site you may have seen and ask the site agent who you would need to talk to about pricing.
Contractors are always 'looking for another price', and if interested you will be invited to complete their Pre-Qualification Competency Questionnaire. As part of this, you will be asked for things like references, details of previous experience, public/employers liability insurances, written health and safety policy (if you have more than 5 employees), details of any health and safety accreditations etc.
After this point, you may start receiving tender documents for painting projects.
OK, so you've succeeded in getting more Contractors sending you painting tenders to price. Now the hard work starts!
Tender documents are usually sent in various electronic formats. From these documents you need to cost the works and return your tender submission. For new buildings, you will normally submit your tender before the building is constructed, so for those painting contractors who rely on viewing the project before pricing, this can be difficult.
The only way such projects can be priced is to measure all the painting works and apply all-in painting rates to calculate the tender value. If you don't know how to measure painting works/calculate painting rates, you need to learn how to do this or pay someone to measure/cost the works for you.
The good news is that the specialist painting estimators at panddonline can help you.
How?
1. We offer our cost effective estimating service.
2. We offer tendering and estimating training courses for painters.
3. Our Quick Paint Rate painting rates calculator software gives you the power to calculate painting rates quickly and easily to your own labour rates and material prices.
4. We are the exclusive UK reseller of Bidscreen XL digital drawing takeoff software, which gives you the power to measure directly from digital drawings directly from your computer screen. Bidscreen XL is unique in that it works directly within MS Excel. Free 15 day trial available!
5. We also offer health and safety services. Help with RAMS and health and safety accreditation applications (CHAS, Constructionline, Safecontractor, Exor, SMAS etc.)