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Proper Estimating Through Production Rates

Proper Estimating Through Production Rates

There are all types of painting contractors in today’s market. There are professional companies who have an office, support staff, and run their companies like a business. There are companies who are small with just the owner and a few guys, who have an office in their home, and work very hard, where the owner wears every hat in the business. Then there is the painter “out of his truck” company, who may or may not have insurance, a valid contractor’s license, and likely pays their help under the table. This last company is just there to make quick money, and move on. How will you know the difference? There are many ways, from vehicles, company clothing, to how they present themselves. The way I would like to talk about today is the estimate.

When it comes to painting estimates, they come in all shapes and sizes. I have had customers receive a price on the back of a business card, while others received one hand written on a sheet of paper. At the very least you want a hand written one on a company form, but the ideal is a computer generated one that is either emailed to you or a printed copy. A computer generated one enables a lot more detail put into the wording of the estimate and comes across as much more professional.

What goes hand in hand with an estimate is how the contractor got to the price they wrote on the estimate. I have had many customers tell me the contractor was at their home for 10 minutes and made no notes. We have personally witnessed this on large commercial job walks where all contractors are onsite all at once. So if they don’t write anything down, how can they possibly come up with an accurate estimate? I know my memory would fail 9 times out of 10. We always take detailed notes, either written or on our computer.

What do we do with those notes? We then put them into our estimating software, with production rates that we know are accurate. We have in the past timed our painters for all the tasks they do, so we know how to accurately estimate the cost of the job. In fact this summer we are going to go through a 2 month process of having someone on our jobs once again time all of the tasks we do to ensure we are up to date and our clients are receiving the most accurate estimates possible. Once we have entered our notes and calculations into our software it generates a written estimate that we email our clients.

Regardless of the size of the company you hire, make sure they take notes at the estimate, measure the job, and provide you with a comprehensive written estimate and then a written contract. It not only protects you in the case something goes wrong, it goes a long way to prevent unexpected issues during the job.

Our Promises to You

1. We’re committed to your project’s success

A lot of painters do the bare minimum, just to get by and move on. That’s not who we are or how we’ve built our reputation.

2. You can feel comfortable with our team

From the estimator to our office team, field employees to Crew Leader, we want you to know that you’re valued, cared for, and safe.

3. We’ll do the job correctly

You deserve total transparency, accountability, and exceptional work. No skipped steps or opting for the “easy way.”

4. We’ll stand by our job

Because we know we’re doing it all the right way, we can confidently stand by our work. We’re picky, and we want you to be 100% satisfied.

Most trusted painting company in the Greater Sacramento & Davis Areas

4.9 rating from 300+ reviews

My house is so beautiful now…great work. Courteous, prompt, awesome work.

Lisa H.

Chris and Gabriel were amazing. Corey was patient and helpful in answering questions and while I decided on colors. The office was easy to contact and had good follow-through. Thank you so much to Brooks for a job I could not possibly be happier with. Feel free to use me as a reference!

Laura P

We chose Brooks Painting based on their excellent reputation. It was an excellent choice! We had them do a complete exterior and almost complete interior painting of our two story house. They were done separately, while we were out of town. We are very pleased with the quality of the work. They even fixed up a few mistakes made by a crew that painted a portion of our interior ceilings a month prior (removal of asbestos popcorn ceiling), at no extra charge. Cleanup was great, also. They repaired some dry rot that was uncovered (extra charge, but worth it), and they even moved furniture back into place as well as put back the curtain rods that I had taken down, which wasn't expected. I highly recommend them, and will use them again for any future paint jobs.

Charlie Russell
Google

We are long time happy customers with many positive experiences with Brooks Painting. We have appreciated the assistance (and patience) with selecting paint colors, the professionalism of the staff and the high quality of workmanship. We recently had some interior painting done and the crew was on time, neat, careful inside the house and very easy to work with. They also cheerfully handled some unexpected drywall repair. I highly recommend Brooks Painting.

Teri Greenfield
Google

They are on time! They show up! It was a big job and they were good and fast. Very nice guys.

Tracy W.

Easy to work with - pleasant, efficient, competent, always available, answered all questions. Totally professional - each person. Thank you all! A great job!

Stephanie Brown F.

Bud was always available and extremely knowledgeable. He was always willing to go that extra step and also explain things thoroughly.

Michelle B.

Brooks did a fantastic job on our exterior and interior paint jobs. Quality was high, price was reasonable, and the team was extremely professional and detail-oriented. Mark was our crew lead and the team performed a number of exterior wood repairs, a door re-stain, interior and exterior painting. Mark clearly takes a lot of pride in his work and went above and beyond to ensure the work was high-quality, including finding exact matching siding to fix dry rot, and performing minor repairs that weren't even included in the quote. He and the team were all consistently positive and personable, joking with each other throughout the day, while also genuinely complimenting each other on the quality of their work. It was great to see, and that positivity definitely showed through the work they did. We couldn't be happier with the end result.

Ryan Schauland
Google

Very professional, live up to their billing! [The] company was very cooperative, on top of everything. [They] followed through with their commitment.

Marylan T.

Brooks Painting has be in business a long time in our area. As a native resident we have seen and heard of their professional & quality painting. In looking for bids on painting our house Brooks was referred numerous times. When Jeremy came out to meet us we were sold on using their services and looked no further. Every aspect of this company was very upfront, professional and made us feel safe, valued and comfortable hiring them. The office staff kept good communication with us. The color matching was perfect. The crew showed up on time, were respectful and did a great job from prep to the final end of the project. The warranty offered was a plus and the liability coverage gave us peace of mind also. The price was well worth all that was included in the project so we had little to do but move our stuff away from the house. Thank you Brooks painting, crew and staff for making our home new again :)

Karen Boone
Google

My experience with Brooks Painting has been outstanding, and, if it were an option on Google, I would assign 100 stars to their work. Mark and his crew were exceptional in painting both the inside and outside of my Central Davis home. They were considerate, careful, and respectful of my furnishings and yard. Kristen and her office staff were also responsive to my queries and were timely in scheduling the work. Thank you Brooks Painting for assisting in transforming my house into a beautiful home!

Hollis Skaife
Google

This is a business you can trust to do an excellent job and keep all promises. Came on time, completed in time stated, beautiful result!

Sandra & David M.

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COREY SCHMIDT

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Residential and Commercial Estimator Corey is a wonderful asset to our sales team! Whether you're seeking expertise for a residential interior, cabinet, or exterior painting project, or you're a commercial owner or contractor in need of a quote, Corey is your go-to expert!

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Ryan Lowery

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Residential Estimator Ryan is a fantastic new addition to our sales team! If you have a residential cabinet or exterior project, book with Ryan!

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    Why Work with Brooks Painting

    Quality

    Our reputation is built on our painting craftsmanship and excellence.

    Prompt Service

    We are proud of our reputation for friendly, prompt service, and this positive attitude is reflected by every one of our employees.

    Guarantee

    We offer a three-year labor guarantee for all painting projects involving one coat, and a five-year labor guarantee for all two-coat projects.

    Reputation

    Our priority has always been to deliver quality work, services, and customer experiences. This has led us to become the largest painting contractor in the Davis/Woodland area.

    Insurance

    Brooks Painting is a fully-licensed, bonded, and insured company. We also offer up to $1,000,000.00 in liability for your protection.

    Value

    We offer you superior value, from the materials we use to the quality of the services we perform.

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