Pricing
How pricing works
We don't quote from a photo. We quote after we have walked the rooms.
What decides the price
The size of the work, the repairs before paint, and how many coats it needs.
Walls, ceilings, trim and doors counted separately
Patching and priming before paint
The product line and the number of coats
Ceiling height, stairs and access
What the estimate includes, and what it doesn't
It names each surface, the repairs, the coats, the product and sheen, the color, the cleanup, the schedule and how you pay. It also names the airing plan. It leaves out repairs found only once a wall is opened, extra colors and anything structural.
What happens at the visit
Zeynep walks each room with you, notes who is sensitive to smell and which rooms people sleep in, measures, and asks what is on the walls now.
When you get the number
In writing, after the visit, as one price for the work listed. We do not give a price over the phone.
Materials and the data sheets
We buy the paint and name each product on the estimate. The data sheets come with it. If you want a different product, we price that and send its sheet.
If the job changes
A change is priced and agreed with you in writing before we do it.
Comparing two estimates
What a good estimate states, and what a vague one skips
Lay two estimates side by side and look for these lines.
A vague one
Surfaces
"Paint interior"
Product
"Quality paint"
Coats
Not mentioned
Airing
Not mentioned
Older paint
Not mentioned
Payment
"Half up front"
A written estimate
Surfaces
Each room and surface named, with its repairs
Product
Line and sheen named, with the data sheet
Coats
Primer and finish coats counted
Airing
How long, and who says the room is ready
Older paint
Work practices written in for a house built before 1978
Payment
Deposit and due dates written out
About estimates
What is on the written estimate?
Each room and surface by name, the repairs, the coats, the products and sheens, the colors, the airing plan, the schedule and how you pay. You can hold it next to another firm's.
What does the estimate not include?
Repairs we can only find once a wall is opened, extra colors, and structural work. Anything added is agreed with you in writing before we do it.
How do deposits and payments work?
The deposit, if there is one, and when the rest is due are written in your estimate before you sign.
What does a warranty cover?
Ask for the written warranty with your estimate. Terms, limits and exclusions are in your written warranty.
Ready for a number you can check?
Book the visit. The estimate comes in writing afterward.