This Video will literally change my business and as a new business owner, I've been searching for good pricing info. This was so comprehensive and clear that I decided to implement much of this structure into my painting costs. Genuinely Thank you! Because you didn't have to provide all of this info. Keep up the amazing work Chris!
just remember to keep it real, if people are paying these prices for paint, you might be better off to get into cabinet-building. i know a carpenter friend or two who've talked about building them for a few years now, don't know what they're waiting for. edit: if it were me, i'd probably just do cabinet curtains when i build my own home one day. don't see the point in having cabinet-doors. they were kind of a nuisance as a kid having to open them a hundred times a day looking for something edible. besides, the elderly probably have arthritis.
@@immeohmyoh I feel you on that. I'll be doing cabinet building as part of my service offerings as well as repainting existing ones that are in good enough shape. Lol I think you might be able to well with some floating shelves too replace standard cabinet boxes, never heard of using curtains.
@@immeohmyoh god forbid you have to open your cabinet doors 😂 I just looked up cabinet curtains and they're the ugliest god awful things I've ever seen. But to each their own, not my house 🤷
Very well done video. Coatings specialists of nearly 30 years here and I actually learned a few things from you. Usually my best knowledges come from the paint store reps at our local Benjamin Moore stores. I always wash cabinets with degreaser, let them dry overnight, sand the clear off, vacuum all surfaces, prime with Stix, try not to caulk, fill with Bondo putty/glaze, prime patches to avoid flashing, sand primer smooth, vacuum again, then finish with two coats of Advance. I built my own drying racks and install a make shift spray booth that I try to keep clean. Thank you for the sharing. New sub here.
I can't explain how much this helped me out. I just started my first company, I'm 24 years old and I paint, hang and finishing drywall, carpentry and MORE, for the last 10 years. The hardest part for me is making fair prices. I have 3 guys I have working under me and we all need to get paid. I just came across my first job with cabinets to be painted, 10 drawers, 2 glass doors, and 40 cabinet doors. And you really helped me price it. I'm in Chicago and I charged about 7,500 for it and got the job. Your videos have helped me become a better painter. I'm self taught and you have showed me so many things that have made the hustle easier. Thanks for the informative video Chris.
i just brushed ~45-50 kitchen pieces cabs in situ (drawers pulled) for ~9xx (~20 bucks a piece). ProClassic white latex-acrylic enamel with Purdy Nylox. Took 2-3 days. I'm very happy with the price, and the customers were extremely pleased with their new kitchen. Where do you come off charging 7500. A whole new cabinet set from Menards is about 2.5-4.5k.
@@immeohmyoh good cabnets, that have the same strength and durability as oak cabnets are way more expensive than that. A small kitchen can easily be 20k or more, I would know, I'm in the trade. Your brush and roller system if fine for jobs where quality and finish are not as important. A spray finish is always superior, and worth every penny to good clients who expect quality and durability. If you painted over pre finished cabnets, with no sanding and no primer I promise you that paint did not bond well
I've painted countless cabinets & have started to charge thousands due to experience and professionalism. Most clients will want to replace the cabinets once they hear my quote, but they change tune when they get new cabinet installation prices & cabinet style prices. Even though I charge a lot for a custom paint job I do no damage to any floors or drywall.
how did you get 10 likes from this simple comment? must be a simple warning that everyone's getting into cabinets. (just had two new cab shops open up in our midsize county (100k) where before there was none). best hold onto your main line, like he does (outdoors in summer, cabs in winter).
Great info, we paint roughly 70-80 cabinet sets a year for a property management company. This reinforced our approach, as well as some new perspective on a few things.
I paint furniture with a Fuji HVLP as a retirement hobby/side hustle and this translates to my estimating, as well. I did paint our beach house cabinets using tips from you, Chris. I've gotten many compliments on my cabinet job but have balked at estimating cabinet jobs for my clients. This was very helpful and I really appreciate a businessman opening up his books in full transparency.
I greatly appreciate you and I have been a custom painting contractor in Los Angeles since 1992 , you / me can always learn new things. Thank you so much for advice 🙏
Great channel, which I would attribute not just to your expertise, but much more so to your amazingly affable personality and fitness. Your channel is very de-stressing and pleasant to watch. I noticed you didn't use a HVLP sprayer for these cabinets, which is convincing me that I only need the Graco 395 PC or Titan 440 Impact for all my future home improvement projects. Too bad I didn't see your channel before refinishing my oak cabinets. Aqua coat would have helped a lot. I did 3 coats of Zinsser oil based primer, sanding before and in between coats, then two coats of Glidden Porch & Floor using traditional air supplied paint guns. (I've lots of experience with automotive paints, none with airless sprayers) I turned my whole kitchen into a paint booth, masked and sheeted it off and installed dual exhaust box fans in a window. A big problem was getting enough oblique light to see the paint surface flow while spraying. Used high intensity fluorescent 4' bulbs on a tripod. (Should have gone LED)
i think you're probably better off with the hvlp, i used an airless once w/ 25' hose, masking off whole kitchen like you, and it was a mess (and bit of a waste). stick with the hvlp if you already use one, that's the direction i'm moving in. just bought a 2gal fortress compressor, experimenting with different 20$ guns for touchups. (2gal seems to work fine, despite everything says 6gal min). agreed, he gas a great personality and fitness. edit: maybe it's good to do the boxes and everything in-kitchen with an hvlp so less dust and overspray, but airless for anything that can be taken offsite?
Great video Chris! I have a couple projects on hold cause I've struggled to come up with a good price for cabinets . Thank you for all the information. Much love all the way from California
I pretty much price them the same way.. over the phone.. take a few pictures and unless there is something off I can give them a firm price without a home visit. Did pick up a few minor changes to my pricing but more a few clearer ways to explain to customers why things were priced like they were.
Awesome helpful video. I had a price in line with your method to do mine which For me personally worth the labor but not in my budget, so watching plenty of your videos I did it myself with 2K Renner and turned out amazing.
Damn, and I thought I was expensive at $80 per door, drawer, and box section. They turn out looking darn good though and then all their friends and neighbors start calling for bids. I've found that as long as you do the best work you can and provide great customer service you never have to worry about paying for advertising or looking for work. At least that's been my experience since I started my business 6 years ago. This year I decided on focusing strictly cabinet finishing. I enjoy the work. Your giving away all my secrets though =p Actually, its reassuring that the process I created for myself is inline with what other great painters are doing. Whew.
@@johnnybravado1030 My quality is outstanding, I am a crazy perfectionist when it comes to cabinet repaints. My bids are accepted literally 99% of the time, I just have really low self worth and Im afraid to charge more because it almost feels wrong even though I've poured all my time and materials into creating an outstanding product. I showed my KM paint Rep a job I did with light gray cabs up top and dark gray down low. filled all the grain, 2 coats BIN, sanding and vacuuming between coats, then 3 coats of Gemini Evo Hydropure as the top coat. My paint rep told me a job like that is worth $16k, I had charged like almost $4k. I just feel like who the hell would pay 16 grand on cabinets. That's my issue. I need to suck it up and convince myself myself that my time and skill is worth more than I think it is. I even have my own workshop where I work on the doors and drawers so Im only in the customers house for 3 days to finish the boxes then a few days later I return to reinstall the finished doors and job done. Customers really love that, they hate having their garage taken over and used to spray, sand, and use as a dry rack. Been doing this 7 years and I'm always learning something new and making improvements to my system, I probably will continue leaning something new everyday until the day I retire.
@@tompearsall7863 "it almost feels wrong". been there (1.5yrs in). haven't been rejected yet, mostly referrals now. i've had one referral gasp when i invoiced her in person (why so cheap!!), another gasp when i quoted her 300 for a room at a holloween party ("we were quoted 1600!"), and a customer squeemishly, but wanting to unload a secret on me and share, tell me she had two other 1900 and 2700$ bids for two rooms i did for 750. i'll never gouge. (edit: my cheap landlord just ghosted me when i offered to touchup his entire two-floor rental for 500labor, with tenant overbrushing on all the ceilings/trim and glossed ceilings). It doesn't sound like you have 'really low self worth', not sure you know the correct definition. i don't think your paint rep was suggesting anyone would pay 16k, unless your in BeverlyHIlls or somewhere; maybe he was hinting you did too much? Anyways, you sound like the best of the best, throwing names out noone's heard before ('KM'?/Gemini). You just need to price local comparable cabinet installs and stay under that.How do you mark your cabinets for reinstall, with 60day tape or sticky notes?
@@immeohmyoh H*** yeah you guys, I built rock pools for 20 plus years and never had a bid rejected (that i can remember🤓) , bought all the cool tools drove nice trucks had a good life. Wasn't competing with companies with sales reps all over. Keep it up!
I do a site visit. I find it more personal to make face to face contact. And, it avoids any unforeseen circumstances that may cause a price increase. That's just me. Whatever works for each.
Unfortunately most painters have no idea of there business costs let alone estimate. All looking for magic sq ft number. Sq ft number should come from your own production rates and all business costs not another painters especially in another state.
Excellent breakdown. I've encouraged clients to saturate and wipe down their kitchen cabinets with KrudKutter. The product breaks down grease really well but the homeowners do such a poor job that I end up doing it again myself- another labor cost.
I discourage also . Some clients think they are helping to save money. Then there’s the high end client with a maid. These cabinets are sometimes covered in orange oil !
Hey man. love your videos. The price you set for painting cabinets (per door and drawer) how many coats of primer and paint is included in that price? Also does it include cleaning and light sanding?. Thanks ,Joe
Hey man! Been watching you since I started my business in 2019. Do you have a list of updated prices for this video for 2024? That would really really help me gauge my inflation in my new city
He's mentioned in a past video that his prices include the materials, I assume that's the same here. Anytime I have a cabinet job my prices are very similar and I include material cost. Only include your price for materials if you have some sort of hookup on materials. I have an account with my local paint store and each year I'm with them, they give me a discount on materials. You don't want to bid a door for 100 bucks if you are paying full price for paint cause you'd only make like 15 bucks for your labor.
hello big guy, good work i have a question when start spraying, my gun spray big drops and at the end also, i used an old primer, im not sure if this the problem is causing the big drops at the start and end, every stroke i spray
I'm humbled by the amount of work that goes into the paint. That being said, I suggest looking into sourcing ready paint paneling, these doors are all mass produced and standarized, and at 115/door, you could do better on bottom line with material that would be an update on the cheaper 80's - 2000's with alternatives on hardware, that could be finished offsite and be placed to great results. Fantastic explanation of your process though.
Glad I watched this. I’m changing my hardware location and I only spackled it. Didn’t use any bondo. Should I use regular bondo you would get at the auto parts store?
I have a client who doesn't want the inside of their cabinets painted. Does this price model include cabinet interior? If so, what would be a fair amount to value that portion of the job?
Hey thanks for your knowledge . Really learning a lot from you. Always super fun to learn! I have a question if you need to buzz (sand) down cabinet doors and drawers down to bare wood if previously painted.. how much per door or drawer? And then how much to sand the clear coat off per door or drawer ? So you can prime then paint.. thanks
How do you handle the hardware? There are a bunch of scenarios of course. Remove/reinstall and maybe have to clean? Or they wand all new. This really goes for the knobs and pulls too. I feel like it should all be extra, wondering what you guys do?
I always remove the hardware and put into a cleaning solution, if customers want a new style I charge extra, if they want different hinges charge extra.
We remove hardware and replace with same unless they purchased new that fits existing holes. We don’t drill new holes (just not worth the time as we do 2 kitchens a week) but as part of my contract I do mention that as an option and direct them to the stencil kit and where to purchase to drill their own holes prior to our arrival Monday morning. Most of our clients will do it to update from a knob to a pull.
What about if they want 2 different colors ? And i need to sand and prime it all down first because it is wood lacquered. Does white paint make a difference too?
What a great video! Thanks! Quick question..i was recently offered to paint cabinets for a kitchen remodeling company abd the deal was tgey would take the doors off and drop them off at my shop and i would paint them and i would obviously drive to the house prep and paint the cabinets They will pay for the paint and suplies for prep work...how would you bid an offer like that?? Thx in advance
@Idahopainter i know i watched it great video much appreciated but like i said above and thought maybe you could give me some insight as to what you would do in that scenario.
I am fairly new to painting with a sprayer (Graco magnum X5) I have sprayed cabinets in a couple of my rental properties, without much concern with overspray, etc. For painting cabinet frames, could you hand paint and sand for similar finish with concerns of overspray or is the better option to plastic/tape/air filter? Is all the overhead, materials, built into this bid pricing?
I’m completely new to this bidding process, will the price you give to the customer be the final price? Or if there are unforeseen obstacles doing the job will the price increase(vice versa for lowering the price)? I appreciate any feedback!
I always forget to ask the customers to empty out all the cabinets, I’ve been spraying precat out of an airless sprayer using 208 and 308 fine finish tips and it’s much faster then an hvlp. Would love to hear your thoughts on spraying using an airless vs an hvlp for cabinets. Also I seen you use a lazy Susan and a drying rack for spraying the doors, why not the psdr system?
Ye I use both 2 , airless these days can give you a top finish, as good if not better than hvlp with these new tips, way faster, one full size house door 30 seconds 👍👍
I don't have customers remove items from cabinets unless they want to inside painted. If not, I tape and mask over the opening with everything inside. No issues.
Have you ever done cabinets without using a sprayer? I’m curious to see how the costs translate to brush and roll as opposed to spraying. Thanks Had to add on* I have recently started painting on my own after working for a guy for a while. Let me just tell you that your work blows my mind. This guy wouldn’t do half the stuff you list and yet he’s constantly booked. I’m in PA and most of our jobs look similar to the kitchen in this video. Idk if I’ve been taught by the wrong guy but I am confused more everyday that I watch your vids. Btw, thank you for the videos, they’ve been very helpful!
My first few year was 3- 6 month runs with a company. So by the time I started my company I had already worked for 6 - 10 companies. I choose good companies and asked questions and begged to learn. I never refused a fair challenge. I suggest working on 2-3 man projects with others like you. Lots of jobs you can do yourself and make money. But when you learn managing a team , well you know what happens then... not only money but time will start working in your favour too. Cheers
I know this is a late reply but I hope it still helps.. the idea is to fill the large part of the hole with the spackle, it will shrink when it drys but sand with ease. After that it’s easier to do a top coat of bondo that doesn’t shrink down because you’ve filled the body of the gap.
Do you remove the mircrowave before painting the cabinet frames. Also, do you paint the bottom side of the cabinet frames and do you paint the toe kicks? What would be the additional charge for these?
Is there any resources out there to help guide us on what to charge in Certain states. We are getting ready to relocate and I have no clue where to start for a base pay
sounds very expensive what city are this quotes for i might think of relocating ? also how much are new cabinets per linear foot if u can assist menon that too
what's your on-location vs bring-back to the shop ratio? charge m/l for either? you probably bring everything back to the shop because you got to plug in your echosander.
Great information!! I see a lot of cabinet painting jobs on Thumbtack, but have no idea what those jobs entail. I will for sure be watching the rest of this series.
Great vedio!! Good information! Please help me with exactly what is the best brand and part # for chalking panel to frame on a solvent lacquer kitchen job? Example: day dynaflex 2300....and do you sell chaulking?? Thanks so much!
Just more Questions Chris.... Do you have 'employee's? a "Crew'...( 2 , 3, etc...) other painters who assist you? or is it mostly just....You? and....a big one here....What 'Time frame' would you tell a customer say, for that nice ( last) white Kitchen at the end of the Video ( 17 doors, 19 drawers, and all the extraneous surfaces - assuming you 'didn't spray the box interiors - i haven't so far; ....but, What would that take you? a Week? More? Thanks man...im trying to learn from you and get a handle with this. I'm in Reno, and just working for myself, interior paint jobs, and have done 3 or 4 ( cheap - too embarrassed to tell you how low i bid doing a couple of these...but found out the hard way 'just how much work it is; I'm coming Up...in Price lately. ) Thanks for any Help!
Why are you spackling before bondo? Are you priming the spackle first? I normally use regular 2 part bondo only--does that process have a downside you're avoiding by spackling first? I would have said that bondo doesn't stick to spackle (being the reason I asked about priming first), but I don't use the glazing very often, and never in that capacity. Also, what brand/type of spackle?
The glazing putty has no problem going over spackle. Been doing that for years. I also use the high solids 2 part bondo, sands in ~20 mins, with additional topcoat of the glazing putty (dries in minutes). The grains in the glazing putty are so small, that it fills in the rougher grains of the spackle and small air pockets of the bondo very well. The only thing is the high solvent ratio of the glazing putty makes it shrink back a lot, but 2 coats really helps.
@@JohnWilliams-cu4cc Thanks, good to know. It seemed highly unlikely to me that bondo would make a solid bond to spackle, never would have guessed. I spent years rebuilding highly detailed 12 inch baseboards and Victorian trim using nothing but Evercoat bondo type products, razor blades, and blue tape. I never tried the glazing for years, but recently discovered how useful it can be for certain applications. Knowing now that I can directly go over spackle if need be opens a lot of doors and will save time. Thanks man.
No one around my neighborhood offers fine finish spraying besides me. This was very insightful. I’m happy to say my price point was right there with yours. My “competition” around here only rolls and brushes cabinets. 🤢🤮
This is the most comprehensive and upfront video about bidding I’ve ever watched.
This Video will literally change my business and as a new business owner, I've been searching for good pricing info. This was so comprehensive and clear that I decided to implement much of this structure into my painting costs. Genuinely Thank you! Because you didn't have to provide all of this info. Keep up the amazing work Chris!
@F K could be both! 🤣
just remember to keep it real, if people are paying these prices for paint, you might be better off to get into cabinet-building. i know a carpenter friend or two who've talked about building them for a few years now, don't know what they're waiting for.
edit: if it were me, i'd probably just do cabinet curtains when i build my own home one day. don't see the point in having cabinet-doors. they were kind of a nuisance as a kid having to open them a hundred times a day looking for something edible. besides, the elderly probably have arthritis.
@@immeohmyoh I feel you on that. I'll be doing cabinet building as part of my service offerings as well as repainting existing ones that are in good enough shape. Lol I think you might be able to well with some floating shelves too replace standard cabinet boxes, never heard of using curtains.
@@immeohmyoh god forbid you have to open your cabinet doors 😂 I just looked up cabinet curtains and they're the ugliest god awful things I've ever seen. But to each their own, not my house 🤷
Very well done video. Coatings specialists of nearly 30 years here and I actually learned a few things from you. Usually my best knowledges come from the paint store reps at our local Benjamin Moore stores. I always wash cabinets with degreaser, let them dry overnight, sand the clear off, vacuum all surfaces, prime with Stix, try not to caulk, fill with Bondo putty/glaze, prime patches to avoid flashing, sand primer smooth, vacuum again, then finish with two coats of Advance. I built my own drying racks and install a make shift spray booth that I try to keep clean.
Thank you for the sharing. New sub here.
I can't explain how much this helped me out. I just started my first company, I'm 24 years old and I paint, hang and finishing drywall, carpentry and MORE, for the last 10 years. The hardest part for me is making fair prices. I have 3 guys I have working under me and we all need to get paid. I just came across my first job with cabinets to be painted, 10 drawers, 2 glass doors, and 40 cabinet doors. And you really helped me price it. I'm in Chicago and I charged about 7,500 for it and got the job. Your videos have helped me become a better painter. I'm self taught and you have showed me so many things that have made the hustle easier. Thanks for the informative video Chris.
So glad to hear, thank you for sharing!🤙
Charge more, gives you more time to do a good job and not rush
i just brushed ~45-50 kitchen pieces cabs in situ (drawers pulled) for ~9xx (~20 bucks a piece). ProClassic white latex-acrylic enamel with Purdy Nylox. Took 2-3 days. I'm very happy with the price, and the customers were extremely pleased with their new kitchen. Where do you come off charging 7500. A whole new cabinet set from Menards is about 2.5-4.5k.
@@immeohmyoh good cabnets, that have the same strength and durability as oak cabnets are way more expensive than that. A small kitchen can easily be 20k or more, I would know, I'm in the trade. Your brush and roller system if fine for jobs where quality and finish are not as important. A spray finish is always superior, and worth every penny to good clients who expect quality and durability. If you painted over pre finished cabnets, with no sanding and no primer I promise you that paint did not bond well
@@immeohmyoh $20 each?! omg, what did you average? $12/hr!?
I've painted countless cabinets & have started to charge thousands due to experience and professionalism. Most clients will want to replace the cabinets once they hear my quote, but they change tune when they get new cabinet installation prices & cabinet style prices. Even though I charge a lot for a custom paint job I do no damage to any floors or drywall.
👍
I just started my company 2 weeks ago, I have been curious about the cabinet bidding. This is helpful
Glad it helps
Mike, PLTV has classes you can take to learn more. I’ve considered going to some to improve my skill but I haven’t been able to yet.
@@Idahopainter Hi is Tom From Thomas Painting from Pa can you tell me if you sell that paint Booth thanks Tom. thomas_painting@aol.com.
how did you get 10 likes from this simple comment? must be a simple warning that everyone's getting into cabinets. (just had two new cab shops open up in our midsize county (100k) where before there was none). best hold onto your main line, like he does (outdoors in summer, cabs in winter).
Great info, we paint roughly 70-80 cabinet sets a year for a property management company. This reinforced our approach, as well as some new perspective on a few things.
That is awesome!
I paint furniture with a Fuji HVLP as a retirement hobby/side hustle and this translates to my estimating, as well.
I did paint our beach house cabinets using tips from you, Chris. I've gotten many compliments on my cabinet job but have balked at estimating cabinet jobs for my clients. This was very helpful and I really appreciate a businessman opening up his books in full transparency.
To the point, reasonable and simple enough for someone with ZERO experience to understand. Thanks man, il be back for sure!
Glad to help
The bondo glazing putty is what I used for doing any repair work with my lacquer cabinets. Works great. 👍
Wow. Thanks for being transparent and sharing your knowledge. 👍
I greatly appreciate you and I have been a custom painting contractor in Los Angeles since 1992 , you / me can always learn new things. Thank you so much for advice 🙏
I think I will start linking this video in my emails to customers with my bid proposasl packets.
Great channel, which I would attribute not just to your expertise, but much more so to your amazingly affable personality and fitness. Your channel is very de-stressing and pleasant to watch. I noticed you didn't use a HVLP sprayer for these cabinets, which is convincing me that I only need the Graco 395 PC or Titan 440 Impact for all my future home improvement projects. Too bad I didn't see your channel before refinishing my oak cabinets. Aqua coat would have helped a lot. I did 3 coats of Zinsser oil based primer, sanding before and in between coats, then two coats of Glidden Porch & Floor using traditional air supplied paint guns. (I've lots of experience with automotive paints, none with airless sprayers) I turned my whole kitchen into a paint booth, masked and sheeted it off and installed dual exhaust box fans in a window. A big problem was getting enough oblique light to see the paint surface flow while spraying. Used high intensity fluorescent 4' bulbs on a tripod. (Should have gone LED)
thanks for your support
i think you're probably better off with the hvlp, i used an airless once w/ 25' hose, masking off whole kitchen like you, and it was a mess (and bit of a waste). stick with the hvlp if you already use one, that's the direction i'm moving in. just bought a 2gal fortress compressor, experimenting with different 20$ guns for touchups. (2gal seems to work fine, despite everything says 6gal min). agreed, he gas a great personality and fitness.
edit: maybe it's good to do the boxes and everything in-kitchen with an hvlp so less dust and overspray, but airless for anything that can be taken offsite?
Great video Chris! I have a couple projects on hold cause I've struggled to come up with a good price for cabinets . Thank you for all the information. Much love all the way from California
Wow, thanks man, this video has truly helped me in bidding.
Super super super great video!! Thanks for taking the time to put all of that info together.
My pleasure!
You are the man Mr. paint life
I pretty much price them the same way.. over the phone.. take a few pictures and unless there is something off I can give them a firm price without a home visit. Did pick up a few minor changes to my pricing but more a few clearer ways to explain to customers why things were priced like they were.
Awesome helpful video. I had a price in line with your method to do mine which For me personally worth the labor but not in my budget, so watching plenty of your videos I did it myself with 2K Renner and turned out amazing.
Great video. Simple method yet specific enough to make sure you don’t get short changed. 👍
Damn, and I thought I was expensive at $80 per door, drawer, and box section. They turn out looking darn good though and then all their friends and neighbors start calling for bids. I've found that as long as you do the best work you can and provide great customer service you never have to worry about paying for advertising or looking for work. At least that's been my experience since I started my business 6 years ago. This year I decided on focusing strictly cabinet finishing. I enjoy the work.
Your giving away all my secrets though =p
Actually, its reassuring that the process I created for myself is inline with what other great painters are doing. Whew.
Also depends on your quality. Primer and two coats,x3 full sands...
@@johnnybravado1030 My quality is outstanding, I am a crazy perfectionist when it comes to cabinet repaints. My bids are accepted literally 99% of the time, I just have really low self worth and Im afraid to charge more because it almost feels wrong even though I've poured all my time and materials into creating an outstanding product. I showed my KM paint Rep a job I did with light gray cabs up top and dark gray down low. filled all the grain, 2 coats BIN, sanding and vacuuming between coats, then 3 coats of Gemini Evo Hydropure as the top coat. My paint rep told me a job like that is worth $16k, I had charged like almost $4k. I just feel like who the hell would pay 16 grand on cabinets. That's my issue. I need to suck it up and convince myself myself that my time and skill is worth more than I think it is. I even have my own workshop where I work on the doors and drawers so Im only in the customers house for 3 days to finish the boxes then a few days later I return to reinstall the finished doors and job done. Customers really love that, they hate having their garage taken over and used to spray, sand, and use as a dry rack. Been doing this 7 years and I'm always learning something new and making improvements to my system, I probably will continue leaning something new everyday until the day I retire.
@@tompearsall7863 "it almost feels wrong". been there (1.5yrs in). haven't been rejected yet, mostly referrals now. i've had one referral gasp when i invoiced her in person (why so cheap!!), another gasp when i quoted her 300 for a room at a holloween party ("we were quoted 1600!"), and a customer squeemishly, but wanting to unload a secret on me and share, tell me she had two other 1900 and 2700$ bids for two rooms i did for 750. i'll never gouge. (edit: my cheap landlord just ghosted me when i offered to touchup his entire two-floor rental for 500labor, with tenant overbrushing on all the ceilings/trim and glossed ceilings).
It doesn't sound like you have 'really low self worth', not sure you know the correct definition. i don't think your paint rep was suggesting anyone would pay 16k, unless your in BeverlyHIlls or somewhere; maybe he was hinting you did too much? Anyways, you sound like the best of the best, throwing names out noone's heard before ('KM'?/Gemini). You just need to price local comparable cabinet installs and stay under that.How do you mark your cabinets for reinstall, with 60day tape or sticky notes?
@@immeohmyoh H*** yeah you guys, I built rock pools for 20 plus years and never had a bid rejected (that i can remember🤓) , bought all the cool tools drove nice trucks had a good life. Wasn't competing with companies with sales reps all over. Keep it up!
OK to be more on topic, these rocks needed to be painted and that is an art in itself....
In reference to per drawer and door. Do you share your pricing strategy and pricing with your customers?
I do a site visit. I find it more personal to make face to face contact. And, it avoids any unforeseen circumstances that may cause a price increase. That's just me. Whatever works for each.
Whatever works
Great video, do those prices include primer and two coats of paint?
Really appreciate your content. Super helpful!
Thanks man. I wasn't far off with my pricing. I've been looking for a good way to break things down for cabinets to help with my bids.
Glad I could help!
great video thanks for sharing, you've managed to simplify something that can be very complex. do exteriors next! :D respect from peterborough ontario
Unfortunately most painters have no idea of there business costs let alone estimate. All looking for magic sq ft number. Sq ft number should come from your own production rates and all business costs not another painters especially in another state.
Very helpful video Chris!
Do your prices include the cost of primer and paint? Or do you bill separately for that?
That box would be $200/$600 depending on oil or semigloss latex after sw extreme bonding primer, your prep work is amazing sir
Does those prices include the paint/materials used? If so, what paint do you use on cabinets?
For primer I always go for shilac based primer then for finishing go for Kim aqua plus..and the best praying tool would be the hvlp mini mite 4
I too use shellac primer for base primer coat. Then, tinted primer for 2nd coat. I use
BM advance or SW emerald urethane enamel for cabinet jobs.
Excellent breakdown.
I've encouraged clients to saturate and wipe down their kitchen cabinets with KrudKutter. The product breaks down grease really well but the homeowners do such a poor job that I end up doing it again myself- another labor cost.
terrible
Painters job to clean and prep the cabinets ...not the client...
@@fairamir1 Not all my clients are millionaires so don't tell me my job, Pedant.
@@wcstrawberryfields8011 Ask any painter..they all clean the cabinets themselves...
I discourage also . Some clients think they are helping to save money. Then there’s the high end client with a maid. These cabinets are sometimes covered in orange oil !
What are your current prices as this video is 3 yrs old? Thank you for videos.
Hey man. love your videos. The price you set for painting cabinets (per door and drawer) how many coats of primer and paint is included in that price? Also does it include cleaning and light sanding?. Thanks ,Joe
Bidding on restoration of front exterior doors that are stained ?
Coming
Amazing details and info as usual Chris!! Cheers so much.
What’s best tip size for spraying cabinets? 🙏🙌🎯
Depends on the product you are using
I use 1 inch foam brushes and a small bucket of water for caulking. Leaves one hell of a clean line and gets into corners extremely well.
Right on, totally gonna try it, thank you! I'm tired of washing my fingers lol
Hey man! Been watching you since I started my business in 2019. Do you have a list of updated prices for this video for 2024? That would really really help me gauge my inflation in my new city
great info...love your knowledge ... the pricing is so different down here in canada where im at ....
Thank you!🤙
Chris is this pricing including paint and materials ? Thanks for all this information your putting out there
He's mentioned in a past video that his prices include the materials, I assume that's the same here. Anytime I have a cabinet job my prices are very similar and I include material cost. Only include your price for materials if you have some sort of hookup on materials. I have an account with my local paint store and each year I'm with them, they give me a discount on materials. You don't want to bid a door for 100 bucks if you are paying full price for paint cause you'd only make like 15 bucks for your labor.
Always. Your price always includes paint. You get it half price of home owner and most don't see pricing. 20 a gallon for top line paint...
This video is extremely informative. That said, I don't understand why the bid package is not designed to help with bidding?
Awesome Video Chris. Your system is exactly like mine. I learned from your adders though. Thanks.
awesome
hello big guy, good work i have a question when start spraying, my gun spray big drops and at the end also, i used an old primer, im not sure if this the problem is causing the big drops at the start and end, every stroke i spray
Fish eye always an issue and I’ve addressed it using oil based primers…. Wanted your take on this
I'm humbled by the amount of work that goes into the paint. That being said, I suggest looking into sourcing ready paint paneling, these doors are all mass produced and standarized, and at 115/door, you could do better on bottom line with material that would be an update on the cheaper 80's - 2000's with alternatives on hardware, that could be finished offsite and be placed to great results. Fantastic explanation of your process though.
he's not a 'resurfacer', and why give away his business? doubt customers would want the extra bulk and modifications anyways.
Glad I watched this. I’m changing my hardware location and I only spackled it. Didn’t use any bondo. Should I use regular bondo you would get at the auto parts store?
Yes on the bondo…. Spackling will not hold up
Thanks for Sharing!
After you paint the cabinets, do you put some kind of a clear finish ?
Lou be careful using clear coats over light colors, it will turn a amber hue and make whites look yellow..
I may have missed it but what about painting fixed shelves and adjustable shelves How do you price those
I have a client who doesn't want the inside of their cabinets painted. Does this price model include cabinet interior? If so, what would be a fair amount to value that portion of the job?
THIS VIDEO WAS PRETTY HELPFUL THANKS FOR INFO, NOW THE PRICING INCLUDES MATERIALS AND PAINT?
And labor
Hey thanks for your knowledge . Really learning a lot from you. Always super fun to learn! I have a question if you need to buzz (sand) down cabinet doors and drawers down to bare wood if previously painted.. how much per door or drawer? And then how much to sand the clear coat off per door or drawer ? So you can prime then paint.. thanks
I would rather have new one made
How do you handle the hardware? There are a bunch of scenarios of course. Remove/reinstall and maybe have to clean? Or they wand all new. This really goes for the knobs and pulls too. I feel like it should all be extra, wondering what you guys do?
Would like Chris' response to how hardware is handled. Pricing, removal and reinstall and do you replace with different hinge types.
I always remove the hardware and put into a cleaning solution, if customers want a new style I charge extra, if they want different hinges charge extra.
We remove hardware and replace with same unless they purchased new that fits existing holes. We don’t drill new holes (just not worth the time as we do 2 kitchens a week) but as part of my contract I do mention that as an option and direct them to the stencil kit and where to purchase to drill their own holes prior to our arrival Monday morning. Most of our clients will do it to update from a knob to a pull.
Thanks man. This will help me be professional and make lots of money.
What about if they want 2 different colors ? And i need to sand and prime it all down first because it is wood lacquered. Does white paint make a difference too?
This is literally my prices here in Canada. I now feel way better knowing I am at market price.
What a great video! Thanks!
Quick question..i was recently offered to paint cabinets for a kitchen remodeling company abd the deal was tgey would take the doors off and drop them off at my shop and i would paint them and i would obviously drive to the house prep and paint the cabinets
They will pay for the paint and suplies for prep work...how would you bid an offer like that?? Thx in advance
I have a video on bidding cabinets
@Idahopainter i know i watched it great video much appreciated but like i said above and thought maybe you could give me some insight as to what you would do in that scenario.
I am fairly new to painting with a sprayer (Graco magnum X5) I have sprayed cabinets in a couple of my rental properties, without much concern with overspray, etc.
For painting cabinet frames, could you hand paint and sand for similar finish with concerns of overspray or is the better option to plastic/tape/air filter?
Is all the overhead, materials, built into this bid pricing?
How do you quote for Painting New replacement Doors and Drawer fronts and then painting frams etc.?
Watch my video on that
I’m completely new to this bidding process, will the price you give to the customer be the final price? Or if there are unforeseen obstacles doing the job will the price increase(vice versa for lowering the price)? I appreciate any feedback!
I always forget to ask the customers to empty out all the cabinets, I’ve been spraying precat out of an airless sprayer using 208 and 308 fine finish tips and it’s much faster then an hvlp. Would love to hear your thoughts on spraying using an airless vs an hvlp for cabinets. Also I seen you use a lazy Susan and a drying rack for spraying the doors, why not the psdr system?
Ye I use both 2 , airless these days can give you a top finish, as good if not better than hvlp with these new tips, way faster, one full size house door 30 seconds 👍👍
I don't have customers remove items from cabinets unless they want to inside painted. If not, I tape and mask over the opening with everything inside. No issues.
Dont need to empty out cabinets if you jjst cover the opening why woulf you need to empty them ?
hvlp for boxes left in place, airless for warehouse work. more than 1tool to do the job.
Airless. 1, it uses less less paint and I can control over spray better. 2, depending on the site, airless is quieter.
Have you ever done cabinets without using a sprayer? I’m curious to see how the costs translate to brush and roll as opposed to spraying. Thanks
Had to add on*
I have recently started painting on my own after working for a guy for a while. Let me just tell you that your work blows my mind. This guy wouldn’t do half the stuff you list and yet he’s constantly booked. I’m in PA and most of our jobs look similar to the kitchen in this video. Idk if I’ve been taught by the wrong guy but I am confused more everyday that I watch your vids. Btw, thank you for the videos, they’ve been very helpful!
My first few year was 3- 6 month runs with a company. So by the time I started my company I had already worked for 6 - 10 companies. I choose good companies and asked questions and begged to learn. I never refused a fair challenge. I suggest working on 2-3 man projects with others like you. Lots of jobs you can do yourself and make money. But when you learn managing a team , well you know what happens then... not only money but time will start working in your favour too. Cheers
thanks for sharing
I wouldn't recommend paint kitchen cabinets with a roller, the finish will never come close to a cabinet painted with a sprayer
Why do you use spackle if you’re going to bondo
I know this is a late reply but I hope it still helps.. the idea is to fill the large part of the hole with the spackle, it will shrink when it drys but sand with ease. After that it’s easier to do a top coat of bondo that doesn’t shrink down because you’ve filled the body of the gap.
Hi Chris are those prices including masking and covering floors etc
Another great helpful video!!
Do you recommend using lacquer undercoater on raw cabinets? Or just a good acrylic primer?
To be safe go for shilac
Great video on estimating!!! I learned a lot and will watch this one several times and take notes!!!
Do you remove the mircrowave before painting the cabinet frames. Also, do you paint the bottom side of the cabinet frames and do you paint the toe kicks? What would be the additional charge for these?
No, tape up the microwave. Paint the bottom side is just good to do and so is toe kick
Do you charge additional for the underneath of upper kitchen cabinets or is that included as part of the frame ?
cabinets in ireland don't have base frames to tape on
can you show video of cabinet with no base frame
thank you
Next time
Is there any resources out there to help guide us on what to charge in Certain states. We are getting ready to relocate and I have no clue where to start for a base pay
None that I know of
Is this prices only for water-based paint right not the oil base
sounds very expensive what city are this quotes for i might think of relocating ? also how much are new cabinets per linear foot if u can assist menon that too
what's your on-location vs bring-back to the shop ratio? charge m/l for either? you probably bring everything back to the shop because you got to plug in your echosander.
Most on site
Great information!! I see a lot of cabinet painting jobs on Thumbtack, but have no idea what those jobs entail. I will for sure be watching the rest of this series.
Do you let the spackle dry, then apply Bondo glazing?
Does your price per door and drawer include the cost of paint?
How about repainting cabinets that are needing just one coat over the same color? Assuming they are in good condition?
Same price
Amen! Ephesians 2:4-7 thanks Chris!
When will your classes be back?
What do you use as a topcoat? Is that price included in the base price or is that additional?
I think he uses rener but emerald trim will work 90% off the time
Centurion 2800 series
Are the base prices that you are referring to just for labor or does that include the paint too?
Paint too
@@Idahopainter thanks
Great vedio!! Good information!
Please help me with exactly what is the best brand and part # for chalking panel to frame on a solvent lacquer kitchen job? Example: day dynaflex 2300....and do you sell chaulking??
Thanks so much!
Shermax Clear
Just more Questions Chris.... Do you have 'employee's? a "Crew'...( 2 , 3, etc...) other painters who assist you? or is it mostly just....You? and....a big one here....What 'Time frame' would you tell a customer say, for that nice ( last) white Kitchen at the end of the Video ( 17 doors, 19 drawers, and all the extraneous surfaces - assuming you 'didn't spray the box interiors - i haven't so far; ....but, What would that take you? a Week? More? Thanks man...im trying to learn from you and get a handle with this. I'm in Reno, and just working for myself, interior paint jobs, and have done 3 or 4 ( cheap - too embarrassed to tell you how low i bid doing a couple of these...but found out the hard way 'just how much work it is; I'm coming Up...in Price lately. ) Thanks for any Help!
This was SO helpful. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
Why are you spackling before bondo? Are you priming the spackle first? I normally use regular 2 part bondo only--does that process have a downside you're avoiding by spackling first? I would have said that bondo doesn't stick to spackle (being the reason I asked about priming first), but I don't use the glazing very often, and never in that capacity.
Also, what brand/type of spackle?
The glazing putty has no problem going over spackle. Been doing that for years. I also use the high solids 2 part bondo, sands in ~20 mins, with additional topcoat of the glazing putty (dries in minutes). The grains in the glazing putty are so small, that it fills in the rougher grains of the spackle and small air pockets of the bondo very well. The only thing is the high solvent ratio of the glazing putty makes it shrink back a lot, but 2 coats really helps.
@@JohnWilliams-cu4cc
Thanks, good to know. It seemed highly unlikely to me that bondo would make a solid bond to spackle, never would have guessed. I spent years rebuilding highly detailed 12 inch baseboards and Victorian trim using nothing but Evercoat bondo type products, razor blades, and blue tape. I never tried the glazing for years, but recently discovered how useful it can be for certain applications. Knowing now that I can directly go over spackle if need be opens a lot of doors and will save time. Thanks man.
Does the spackle have to dry first, then apply Bondo glazing?
@@phoebeanderson7787 Yep. Let it dry and sand it flush, then apply the glazing putty. It dries very fast, and then sand again.
Have you switched to a waterbased finish coat ?
No one around my neighborhood offers fine finish spraying besides me. This was very insightful. I’m happy to say my price point was right there with yours. My “competition” around here only rolls and brushes cabinets. 🤢🤮
🤮
Great video, good info, thanks for sharing.👍
Is that price you gave for one coat or three coats
Great video that bro
You are easily the most expensive painter I've ever heard of, and that's by no small margin.
lol. These prices are cheap.
Prices per door and drawer @ 3:05 $20 extra per door and drawer for aqua coat primer.
This video is LEGIT
Thanks
what Mic do you use?
With material included or not?
great video, im interested in seeing a video on pricing interior wall and trim.
Thank you very much for your videos!
How do you figure how much paint and primer to use