u/chuiy

Client asked me to give a quote for a missing lower window. I figure it'd take about a day to make, paint, glaze, etc. but I've been left on read after messaging back and forth about other work almost like the price was offensive.

Requires mortising and making tenons etc. an andersen 400 series window is like $600 for both and includes the jamb and would take much longer to install and it's an old century home.

Thoughts?

I recently took on a job to remove rotted fascia and gutters, replace the fascia, paint fascia, prep and power wash concrete block, and paint.

I won't even tell you what I bid, just take the lowest number you can think of and cut it in half. Anyways I'm on day 5 and have hung the fascia, painted it, and washed and prepped the concrete block.

However, and especially with my helper, I am fully in the red on this project. And painting brick is much more labor intensive than I'd anticipated, and requires a second coat. Additionally he offered to let me use his airless sprayer for the job as part of the original quote, come to find out it is a project sprayer that will not work.

I basically feel I need to ask for the full amount for work rendered just to cover my expenses, and provide a separate quote for the painting.

Is this scumbag behavior? I did not intentionally bid as egregiously low as I did, I just did not expect hanging the fascia and prepping the concrete block to take so long.

Should I eat the cost (at least 4 more days of prep, priming, and painting) not to mention the paint is elastomeric and will need rolled.

What would you do in this situation? On one hand I don't want the client to feel I gave a number to get the job or am doing a bait & switch, but on the other hand I'm not a charity, I'm just an idiot. I basically took the job to keep my helper busy, I figure I'd add it to my portfolio and break even, but was dead wrong, am now in the red. It was only a handshake agreement, not sure how to approach this conversation but he is patently aware of how low the quote was, I am sure.

Edit: thank you for the feedback everyone, it was exactly what I needed to make sure that eating the loss as a result of my poor bid is the correct decision and my integrity/word is worth more than the money for this job. I will still probably have a talk with the homeowner regarding elastomeric paint specifically and the labor involved and perhaps find some common ground there, but regardless, it's my responsibility ultimately. As they say, easy come, easy go. There will be more work for me to bid appropriately in the future.

I have a client whos garage I am painting. They want me to apply elastomeric behr paint over their existing paint by sprayer, it has already been power washed and is chalky.

My question is, I have an Avanti from harbor freight basically a graco x7. I am afraid that the elastomeric paint will burn out the pump being so thick.

Would you apply elastomeric paint with a roller in this instance, have them return the paint and go with an alternative (any suggestions for a concrete block building over existing paint would be appreciated), or try to spray it?

Also, will I need a primer before applying elastomeric or other paint, or just prime the bare spots where loose paint was scraped away.

Any advice is appreciated, I would prefer my sprayer live a long and fulfilling life.