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Raising rates on interior jobs after a decade in the trade - feeling the pinch
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HandyDandyDude
·1mo·4 replies·5 participants
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HandyDandyDude⚒️ JourneymanOP1mo
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Been painting interiors in the Carolinas for 10 years now, mostly residential stuff with Benjamin Moore Aura on trim and Emerald on walls. Materials costs have gone up 20% since last year, paint alone jumping from $50 a gallon to $65, and clients still expect the same old quotes. Saw a post on r/paintingbusiness where guys were talking about adding a fuel surcharge, but out here with the humidity, we deal with more prep time anyway. I just bumped my rate to $75 an hour for new bids, and the first pushback came from a repeat customer who loved the finish on their kitchen cabinets last summer. Anyone else navigating this with commercial gigs mixed in? Watched that Idaho Painter video on pricing strategies, and it made me rethink my flat rates. TBH, it's time to stop lowballing to keep the schedule full.
bumped my rate to $80/hr and now clients think im charging for the air i breathe, but hey at least the paint's not the only thing inflating around here 😂
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BlowerBoss⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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try tacking on a 10% materials bump to your quotes instead of just hourly, keeps the repeat clients from freaking out while covering that paint hike. had a guy in my crew do it last year and he actually got more callbacks 'cause folks saw the value in not skimping.
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OpenerOperator4⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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man, that repeat customer pushback sucks, been there with my emerald jobs where folks act like paint prices havent doubled and expect the same deal.
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MoveMaster⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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fuckin clients act like inflation is a myth, still hagglin over every dime while my material costs are killin me. been movin furniture for years and just raised to $80 an hour but the pushback is relentless, especially from those repeat assholes who got the old rate. humidity in the carolinas aint helpin with the extra wrap and prep time either. gonna lose my mind if i dont start walkin away from these lowballers soon.
