Here is the add as posted:
Painter needed for small 2 story home in north highlands. Home must be pressure washed, all loose paint scraped off with a wire brush and repainted. Exterior only. This is work for a licensed contractor. Flat price of $500 cash for the job. I will supply the body paint, trim paint, and $30 for tape, plastic, etc. All fascia, window and door trim to be trim paint. Must show proof of license and insurance.
- Location: North Highlands
- Compensation: $500 cash labor only flat rate
- Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
- Please, no phone calls about this job!
- Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.
I am looking for work, and I do paint houses inside and out. Last summer for instance, I painted a 2 story historical home in Connecticut. I power washed, and scraped, and sanded, and primed, and painted, and had to hire a helper to schlep the scaffolding around with me, and feed the paint hose, etc. The customer bought the paint, I supplied the tape and plastic. And I charged him $10,000.00. That was a good price. This is joke! I responded to the add in this manner: Hi, I saw your add in Craigslist for a licensed insured contractor to supply all the labor to wash, scrape and paint your two story home. I think you might have forgotten a zero on the compensation, and may want to correct the add. If you have not forgotten a zero, I would be glad to do the work for you, but as well as supplying the paint and $30 for plastic and tape, you'll also need to supply the labor. If this is acceptable to you, please contact me regarding payment arrangements. |
5 comments:
Shit when I first read that I thought 'Painting's way cheap in the US!' Haha hope he has forgotten the zero! Even then it's cheap . .just paid a friggin plumber equivalent to $3000 US for a new water heater! *sob* Good luck. I'm working but only as a contractor . .still looking for something more permanent!
Yes Baino, for $5000, his house would have to be very small, especially a 2 story. I wonder if he'll find the humor in my reply, the way I found the humor in his add. The going rate to have a room painted, inside is 500-1000 depending on size and patching etc. No licensed contractor will contact him, unless they think themselves funny, like I do.
My guess is that no, he won't find it funny. He'll just feel like there is no reasonable painter out there these days because no one in their right minds will agree to such an absurd offer. Yeesh.
We did all that to our own house in TN about 12 years ago and even doing the labor ourselves, it cost a lot more than that. Unbelievable. That ad is one step up from asking someone to pay him for the privilege of doing the job. I liked your answer but suspect you won't hear back, which is probably a good thing.
Hey, you're still around! And Baino is over here too!
We had our house painted about 7 years ago. It was a two story 3000sf house and it cost us only $2700 and they did an excellent job. I guess things have gone up since then...
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