2004 National Painting Cost Estimator

Cost Estimates and Bid Prices of Surface Prep and Painting on Any Job – Brush, Roller or Spray

This is the most complete, authoritative and reliable unit cost guide ever made available to paint estimators. No matter what types of work you estimate, no matter what your costs are, this book will help you produce consistently reliable painting estimates in dollars and cents.

The most accurate paint estimates are always custom-made for a particular job. That’s because no single material cost, no manhour estimate, no pricing system fits all work and all bidders. Your estimates have to be based on your actual productivity rate, your material costs, labor costs, overhead percentage, and profit expectations.

Here you have accurate estimates for coating any common surface with any type of paint, whether application is by brush, spray, roller, or mitt:

• Manhours per 100 square feet or 100 linear feet whether the job is new construction or custom repaint.
• Material coverage rates that apply whether the job is new construction or custom repainting.
• Material costs that reflect the discounts you expect to receive.
• The labor costs per 100 square feet or linear feet, no matter what hourly wage you pay and no matter what your overhead percentage.
• The profit margin to include (based on your own profit goals).

This book isn’t a substitute for judgment. It’s not a simple way to do in minutes what an experienced estimator might not be able to do in hours. But this book is the best guide you’ll ever find if you have to estimate any type of painting, whether residential, industrial, commercial, or institutional.

Dennis D. Gleason brings 15 years of painting business experience to this manual, having worked as a painter, field superintendent, estimator, contract administrator, project manager and director of marketing. After earning the title Certified Professional Estimator form the ASPE (American Society of Professional Estimators), he taught estimating for the Associated Builders & Contractors and lectured at San Diego State University, where he earned his degree.

Free Estimating Disk Enclosed
Inside the back cover of this book you'll find National Estimator, a CD-ROM with all the cost estimates in the book plus an easy-to-use estimating program for Windows. National Estimator works just like a book. Page through the entire book one screen at a time or use the electronic index to search (in seconds) for what you need. Then select the cost estimates you want and copy them to your estimate with the touch of a key. It's quick and easy (costs are extended and columns totaled automatically). And you can change any price or quantity, including subtotals, and add the markup of your choice.

Job Cost Wizard
Turns estimates into invoices and exports both to QuickBooks. Export entire estimates or invoices to track job costs for each item or category in your estimate. Then compare estimated and actual costs for each part of any job. Handles progressive billing (invoices for each part of the job) with QuickBooks Pro. Requires Win 95 or higher.