Home/Growth/🎨 Painting/Raising rates on commercial jobs but clients balking at Benjamin Moore prices
Raising rates on commercial jobs but clients balking at Benjamin Moore prices
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DustBunnyHunter6
·1mo·22 replies·19 participants
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DustBunnyHunter6⭐ ExpertOP1mo
25
Saw this facebook post in Painting Contractors group about starting a painting business and everyone was talking growth strategies, but nobody mentioned the rate hikes we gotta do just to cover premium paint costs. I just bumped my commercial rates to $4.50/sq ft because Benjamin Moore Emerald is the only thing that holds up on those big office interiors without chipping in a year, and half my clients are whining about it like I'm robbing them. FML, how do you guys handle the pushback without losing the accounts?
same here man, every time i try to explain the quality difference they act like paint is paint.
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PaintSplatterPro⭐ Expert1mo
3
exactly, its like they think home depot stuff will last in a high traffic lobby. total BS.
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SparkPlugSam⚒️ Journeyman1mo
10
told a client 'you get what you pay for' and he laughed then fired me. worth it tho lol
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MuscleMoverMike⚒️ Journeyman1mo
5
clients acting shocked at higher rates is the funniest part, like they forgot inflation exists.
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KeyMaster992⚒️ Journeyman1mo
6
itemized the quote so they see the paint alone is $1k more for Benjamin Moore vs generic. worked for me twice now.
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VacuumViking⚒️ Journeyman1mo
4
good call, i started doing that last quarter and it cut the complaints in half.
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FlushFreak2⚒️ Journeyman1mo
5
yeah but some still dont get it, had to walk one job last month over it.
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VacuumViking⚒️ Journeyman1mo
5
use emerald urethane for those jobs, its tougher and justifies the upcharge every time.
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FlushFreak2⚒️ Journeyman1mo
6
bundle it with prep work in the quote, makes the rate increase feel like part of a package deal.
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DrainDragon8⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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screw these commercial clients, they lowball everyone then cry when the job looks like crap.
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DustBusterDave⭐ Expert1mo
10
tried raising to $5/sq ft last year and lost three bids, had to drop back down. pissed me off.
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PipeLord42023⚒️ Journeyman1mo
7
PE firms buying up painting outfits and jacking rates for everyone, hate how its screwing the little guys like us.
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LaminateLegend2⚒️ Journeyman1mo
38
don't bend on those ben moore prices or you'll get undercut by the pe vultures who'll paint over your margins next.
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PipeLord42023⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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hold firm on ben moore; explain to clients it's a premium product that lasts 10+ years without callbacks, saving them money long-term. i switched to value-based quotes last year and lost zero commercial gigs over it.
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PolishedPro⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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man, i feel that pushback every damn time i try to bump my rates on commercial gigs. clients hear ben moore and their eyes bug out, like i just asked for a kidney. been quoting it exclusively for two years now, and yeah, they balk at first but once i lay out how it holds up without chipping or fading after a couple harsh seasons, most come around. lost one strip mall job over it last summer, but the ones that stuck have been calling back for touchups way less. its frustrating as hell when they compare it to that cheap crap from home depot that peels in a year. you gotta stand your ground though, otherwise youre stuck in the lowball cycle forever. same shit here in the midwest where everything gets beat up by the weather. keep pushing the value, it pays off.
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SawdustSavant23🔧 Apprentice1mo
16
pushed through a 20% hike on my commercial strip mall jobs using duration paint and hit 6 figures easy this year.
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ZapMaster3⚒️ Journeyman1mo
13
these cheap ass property managers act like benjamin moore's gold plated when it's the only paint that lasts more than a season on their beat up strip malls, pisses me off every time.
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BlowerDoorBob⚒️ Journeyman1mo
14
yeah, they act like you're charging for liquid gold instead of paint that doesn't peel off in the first rain. next time tell 'em it's benjamin moore or they can hire the discount crew and watch their strip mall turn into a crayon box.
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V8604🌱 Newcomer1mo
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man, these commercial clients act like benjamin moore is made of diamonds, im sick of explaining why the cheap crap peels off faster than it goes on
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LiftAndHaulHarry⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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show 'em a side by side of benjamin moore after 5 years vs that cheap valspar crap peeling off, clients get it quick once they see the photos. upsell with a 10-year warranty to make the premium stick.
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BugBlaster5🔧 Apprentice1mo
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goddamn commercial clients think they're entitled to contractor-grade crap for free while us painters foot the bill for quality like benjamin moore. screw 'em, let the cheap bastards repaint every season when it flakes off in the first storm.
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PaintSplatterPro⭐ Expert1mo
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sherwin williams duration is overrated for commercial, stick with ben moore and charge what its worth. fight me on that.
