If you’re just starting out in the painting business, take it from experienced painting contractors in Sonoma County: the quality of your painting is not the only important aspect of your business. Your customers will not be 100% satisfied with you if you cannot work with the budget or timeline they desire.
You have a certain way you work, but your client has needs, too. She may need a job done in a certain amount of time. It takes experience to learn how to realistically estimate how much time a job is going to take you. Be aware that giving your client an unrealistic expectation of how quickly you can work might get you a job, but it won’t give you good reviews and word of mouth when the customer is unhappy in the end. If you give an unrealistic timeline, either your quality of work will suffer or you’ll irritate your client by going over the agreed amount of time. Do everything in your power to meet the client’s timeline needs, but be honest and up front about what you can do.
Your client also has a budget, and so do you. You will not be happy getting a job because you gave a low estimate and then having to make very little profit because you underestimated. If you try to pass the extra cost to your customer (if the overage was not because of changes in what they wanted), you will both end up very unhappy. Like we said, it takes experience to learn how all this applies. You will make mistakes at first, but they will happen less and less.
Timmins Painting, painting contractors in Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, and Petaluma for over 20 years, has gotten very used to time and budget estimates. Everything goes pretty smoothly for us now. With a little experience, it will happen for you, too, if you go about your business with honesty and hard work.
If you’re looking for residential or commercial painting contractors in Sonoma County or its nearby areas, call Timmins Painting. We are practiced at sticking to budgets and timelines, and our work is always top quality. CONTACT US or call (707) 792-0773 for a free consultation and quote.