Figuring out how much to charge for a service, painting furniture

Question

i do a lot of painting and antiquing furniture with Annie Sloan products. An acquaintance of mine as asked me to paint and wax a hutch of hers. I have no idea how much to ask of her, what's reasonable?
I'm including a picture
Thank you, Kelly

figuring out how much to charge for a service painting furniture

I'm including a picture

Thank you, Kelly

Miriam Illions · Answer

Tagging a couple of ladies who are pros at this @The Golden Sycamore @Petticoat Junktion

The Golden Sycamore · Answer

Thanks for tagging me @Miriam I! I think I tend to under charge @Kelly Wivell, so I might not be much help, but I would say to quote a base price of $125-$150. If she wants anything extra, like stripping/re-staining, stencil work, etc. you should increase the price a little. Best of luck!

Kathy Owen · Answer

@Miriam I , thanks, not sure I'm a pro but I'll give my two cents worth, lol. @Kelly Wivell , pricing has a lot of different factors; area of the country, products used, techniques involved, friendship.....this is the hard one. The piece pictured here is a difficult piece to paint. Does she want the inside top and bottom painted. There are a lot of questions to ask. I will give you my price with the inside top hutch area painted ( remember you have to paint all those angles and corners and the bottom of the shelves too), taking out the glass or taping it off, replacing hardware maybe, using Annie Sloan and waxing. Price from me would be.... $260-$295. But you have to decide what you would price you would be happy with. I have found that it always, always takes me longer to do a project that what I figured. Good Luck

Kathy Owen · Answer

@The Golden Sycamore , girl...you do undercharge. You need to charge your worth. How many hours would it take you to paint and wax that piece, considering everything involved?

Jeanette S · Answer

Hey The Golden Sycamore and Petticoat Junktion...I have some stuff I want painted and you can be assured that I find both your prices most reasonable. I have no experience with Anne Sloan paint so I do not know how well it spreads, how many coats it takes but do know it is expensive. Add to that the wax and I can imagine this would be worth it if you are doing it yourself, but as a project to charge someone for, I think you might want to make sure you let your friend know how much the products cost! People tend to think of a quart of paint at around $15 when AS is almost $40 in my area! I am thinking of a cream for my dining room hutch (old 70s style...ugly) and chairs with a coffee or gray wax!

Nest Home Improvement · Answer

Kelly, You can always ask the hutch owner what they were wanting to pay.

The Shabby Nest · Answer

I usually charge &20 an hour for custom painting plus the cost of paint. I let people know upfront the cost of paint whether it's chalk paint or milk paint. Of course if it is a small piece and not going to use a whole quart I figure down a bit on the paint price since I can use the rest on something else. On that hutch I agree with Petticoat Junction It would be around $240 if not more. That is a lot of time you will be putting into it. Don't be afraid to ask for your price you are worth. If they say no then oh well. There is always someone else that will value your time and skills. :)

Tracy Bromage · Answer

I would charge by the hour but also the cost of the paint/products used. It may be difficult but you have to add in your costs as well. ( maybe a %)Don't be afraid to charge a decent amount because its obvious this acquaintance trusts your ability other wise she wouldn't of asked.

Rebecca Platt · Answer

I've painted a lot of furntiure. I think $20:00 plus materials is more than fair. We often undervalue our time. I just finished my hutch which looks like yours. It was no small job. The prep alone took some time. All in all I think it easily took about six to eight hours. Do the math. :)

117135 · Answer

I just completed a large china hutch and I kept track of the hours involved in doing a large piece so I would know what type of price range to do a custom paint for a client. I have 15 to 20 hours involved this includes cleaning all the caked on grease taking off all the hardware, painting, waxing and re assembling the doors and hardware. I used ASCP and I would charge at least $20 an hour. Here is the piece I did so you can compare the sizes. http://designeddecor.com/painting-china-hutch-annie-sloan-chalk-paint/

Pam · Answer

I used the formula- 3x material cost + hourly labor charge. This meant some clients brought me pieces that were prepped (sanded, disassembled, sometimes primed) to reduce their costs. Don't under value your work! Check the resale shops for encouragement if it feels too high and you will likely raise your rates. :)

Julie Benson-Grant · Answer

In the end, you can only charge what someone is willing to pay and that you are willing to accept. Like @Nest Home Improvement said, you should start with what the acquaintance is willing to spend.

Becky Hansen · Answer

I would love to see the finished product. Could you post an 'after' picture when it's done?

Kelly Wivell · Answer

I will post a pic, and totally screwed myself! I said $85 plus $40 for paint! But I owe her for a garden hutch that's $30, so really I only get $55.... Ugh live and learn.....

Patty · Answer

Kelly, when you do a piece of furniture always do time plus cost, never do a job for less than $20.00/hr. plus the cost of all material, paint, wax, sandpaper, mineral spirits, anything you use, and any left over paint give to customer. Always tell them upfront how you will charge them and give as close an estimate as you can. So many people charge a flat rate and end up not making anything on the job, and lets face it were all in it to make a little money and do something you really love doing.

Kelly Wivell · Answer

So right Patricia Routt, screwed myself...

Sue · Answer

When ever I make a wreath or flower arrangement for someone, I always stumble over the price. I never know what to charge either. I never painted anything for anyone yet and I think that the other suggestions were right, charge by the hour + the supplies. Hey, we all make mistakes. Live and learn. Hope you'll get your worth next time! Happy painting.

Carole · Answer

Don't forget to factor into the cost a small sum for sundry items as well as your time and the cost of the paint. If you need to do prep work and use stuff like sandpaper/masking tape/brushes that might not be usable afterwards/stuff for clean up etc - remember to factor a portion of the cost spent. If you don't factor in these items you would be surprised how quickly they add up and you will find yourself working for nothing. You often need stuff other than just paint and if you are waxing - wax is probably not cheap either. These are the little costs that add up and slip between the cracks. If you approached this like a business and had to keep all receipts for everything you spent you would pretty soon find you are not covering your costs if you are not careful. I know as I have worked my butt off making over furniture and selling it and the stuff that you need to always have on hand for projects really adds up and gets forgotten about when putting a price on things.

Kelly Wivell · Answer

i did make a mistake on this, but hopefully the husband that I'm doing this for may get me started painting kitchen cabinets for his clients! I hope this can turn into a business opportunity!

Kelly Wivell · Answer

now to decide on a business name! Why is that so hard? :)

Kelly Wivell · Answer

i love you all! You are so great...

Kathy Owen · Answer

@Kelly Wivell , I would love to see the finished product also and keep up with your hours on the project so you have a reference for the future!

Linda Weeks · Answer

'Kelly's Krafts and Paint' - and I'd use the ampersand for a sophisticated touch. Use an artsy font! Enjoy!

Linda Weeks · Answer

Wivells' Whimsies'
'Kelly's Painted Primitives'. Well, I'll keep thinking.

Jolé's Home Jewels · Answer

Just found this thread, and it was very helpful in my new endeavor of painting/refinishing furniture. Thanks to you all for sharing such great info.

Bob1415675 · Answer

This is just what i was looking for as i am also starting to 'up-cycle' items, trouble is, i work full time so can only do bits here and there so wouldn't want to charge by the hour, plus I've bought old pieces to up-cycle and cant obviously charge less for those when clients are providing the furniture themselves so it's a bit hard to know the best prices to quote really. I do agree with 'the client will only pay want they want to pay' sentiment