Thread: Body Shop Revenue...

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Yeah, people need to stop looking at maacos prices. I recently had an email from a guy with a 70 bonneville. Now you know how big a car like that is. I quoted somewhere around a grand for singlestage enamel, 1250 for one of the budget base clears, and 1500 for dbc. This was for a complete paint job, fix rust around the wheelwell, and fix a pretty bad dent right on the corner of the quarter panel which is a really bad spot. Never heard from him again. I really hope he goes and gets a few estimates at a few shops. If it was another color then black it probably would be at least a few hundred more cause of the cost of paint. People don't realize how expensive the materials are to do this work, as well is the hours put in doing bodywork and prepping stuff. When you start stripping paint, doing a bunch of bodywork, and disassemble everything, and take off doors, ect to do a color change, it gets real labor intensive. Too many people think you should paint there car for 200 bucks and your outrageous cause of what you are asking. I have done things too cheap too many times, and if they are afraid to spend money they can do it themselves, and find out what they have to invest and tools and how much work they are going to be putting in. Or drive around with a maaco job. I can just imagine taking your car somewhere and getting a quote for 30K. That does seem pretty high, even going as far as removing everything and painting it all. I've done it before for a lot less, but it is a lot of work. Don't rush the people doing it. Everything seems to take longer then you plan for, and on a large job it is easy to get burnt out on it, so you need to take a little time off from it. Start working 7 days a week on something, as well as other commitments in your life, you can be overwhelmed.

put a sign in your office posting labor rates. make sure to put your min dollar repaint on it. if they read a sign and see a min of 3k for a repaint and still ask if you'll do it cheaper , show them the door. i've been known to ask just how much they made for a 40 hr week. do it cheap and you'll burn out and your quality will suffer. painters have to eat too.

HEY! At least with an Earl's or Maaco job you can wash it off at the car wash if you dont like the color!!

mike in tucson

Originally posted by robot
HEY! At least with an Earl's or Maaco job you can wash it off at the car wash if you dont like the color!!

mike in tucson

LMAO!!!!

Originally posted by HOTRODPAINT
tofer, I agree completely! There is a "good job", and a "cheap job". I want to be a "good" painter!

I'm not getting rich, but I am able to pay my bills. When I get a "price shopper", I just tell them that custom work takes a lot of man-hours, and I have trouble painting when the power company turns the electricity off.

If they don't choose to put the kind of money into a job that it takes to do it right, I try to help them figure out the best way to get it done for the budget they have, and warn them about what to expect. I figure if I leave them on friendly terms, they may send a friend, or call me when they want something a little nicer. Life is too short to offend people just because you don't agree.

LMAO... i heard of someone having there window's painted, cause they didn't want to pay to have them masked... they said they'd just scrape them off.... wtf is wrong with these people...lol...

There was an ad on craigslist, need a jeep painted quick and cheap. I just couldn't resist. I replied, two words, roller and house paint. Even worse, he wanted it pink, ghey. I don't see the ones that are cheap willing to invest the money into the tools, learning, and the amount of time and patience it takes to do this work. Its funny how many people have a new respect for bodywork when they decide to try it on there own and write out a check for the materials they just bought. Then all of a sudden words like craftsman and respect show up instead of inside thinking dirty bum who is trying to scam people and get rich quick charging 2 k or more for a paint job. I've done too much over the years free to help someone out, or cheap that wouldn't even come close to making mcdonalds wages when you added up the hours. I won't do that anymore, I have more then enough practice, and I have a bit of money and time in learning and buying tools to do the work. Working for a shop is no better either. I won't work for 9 hr after doing this work for 15 years, screw em all.

The truth is that there are shops that specialize in "low price", and shops that specialize in "quality".

The reason this works is because there are customers to whom "low price" is the most important thing, and customers to whom quality is the most imortant thing.

Usually the "quality" buyers are older guys between 35 and 65, who have already bought "low price" jobs, and have learned what the difference is.

Now they can afford something better, and they don't want any more bargains.

"Low price" buyers are usually young, but can be any age. They sometimes cannot afford high end work, or think everyone is trying to cheat them. Often they are those people who can't see the difference that is so obvious to most of us.

Don't take anything they say personally. Their opinions usually have nothing to do with you, and are were formed before you even met. Don't insult them by "dissing" their viewpoint. Just try to send them in the right direction, for the type of job they have in mind.