your_good_sons
Member
I estimate a VCT strip and wax in a 4,000 sf medical office that is about to open. The building is probably empty 20+ years, but was a medical practice until about 1990-91, when they moved to a better, larger location. Appears nobody entered the building in over 20 years. Seems an internal medicine doctor, about 35 years old has decided to open his own practice and scoop up some of that Obamacare money. He told me it was going to be a "low cost clinic" with him running the show and some Nurse Practitioners or Physicians Assistants doing the bulk of the work.
He tells me he wants a very low price. The painting is nearly done. I should come in and do 3 coats of 18.5% latex finish. That is in my brochure at 35.5¢ per sq ft. That's a teaser rate. Nobody wants 3 coats of 18.5%. But if they insist, they will get it. I prefer 4 coats of 21% latex. That's 45.5¢ per sq ft. Maybe we can get by with a 22% acrylic and 3 coats. That is about 39.5¢ per sq ft, but I really think you need 4 coats or more, plus burnishing at least once, which is only 10¢ per sf. I'd come do that 24-48 hours later.
For NY, these prices are reasonable. He insists he only wants 3 coats of 18%. I have nothing better to do, so I go get my buffer an a pail of finish and some stripper. I plan on doing one of the exam rooms, like 150 sq ft, let him see it and then upsell it. Takes like 15 minutes to strip it. While it is drying, I start to dust mop the whole place. I come back and put on the first coat. Waiting for that to dry, I decide I'll damp mop the place. With 24" microfiber pads, it takes some time. I had my 24" and 36" dust mops with me. I do about 1/2 the building before coming back for coat 2. Finish up and put coat 3 on. While it dries, I start to put my things in my car. I go find the doctor who is outside caulking his own windows and repainting the frames. I want him to see 3 coats of 18%. I want him to be unimpressed. He doesn't like it. I'm thinking I will get him for 4-5 coats of 22% acrylic and burnishing, like I originally suggested. He does in fact want that now, that's good, but not really, he wants it for the same price as 3 coats of 18.5%!
I tell him that is impossible, I'm losing money on the deal. Back and forth, he wants the most for the least and will not budge. My last ditch effort was 21% latex instead of 18.5%, still 3 coats, same price. That's about $25 more for materials, maybe 1-1.5 hours extra time, for free. No.
Well then you can pay me for this room I did. No. He was very close to needing a doctor himself. Not worth getting physical, I called the police. They said, "bill him and when he doesn't pay the bill, file in commercial claims court". This is not criminal, it is not their problem. Big help they were!
About $15 worth of material and nearly 3 hours time down the crapper, but I will not let it ruin my day.
He tells me he wants a very low price. The painting is nearly done. I should come in and do 3 coats of 18.5% latex finish. That is in my brochure at 35.5¢ per sq ft. That's a teaser rate. Nobody wants 3 coats of 18.5%. But if they insist, they will get it. I prefer 4 coats of 21% latex. That's 45.5¢ per sq ft. Maybe we can get by with a 22% acrylic and 3 coats. That is about 39.5¢ per sq ft, but I really think you need 4 coats or more, plus burnishing at least once, which is only 10¢ per sf. I'd come do that 24-48 hours later.
For NY, these prices are reasonable. He insists he only wants 3 coats of 18%. I have nothing better to do, so I go get my buffer an a pail of finish and some stripper. I plan on doing one of the exam rooms, like 150 sq ft, let him see it and then upsell it. Takes like 15 minutes to strip it. While it is drying, I start to dust mop the whole place. I come back and put on the first coat. Waiting for that to dry, I decide I'll damp mop the place. With 24" microfiber pads, it takes some time. I had my 24" and 36" dust mops with me. I do about 1/2 the building before coming back for coat 2. Finish up and put coat 3 on. While it dries, I start to put my things in my car. I go find the doctor who is outside caulking his own windows and repainting the frames. I want him to see 3 coats of 18%. I want him to be unimpressed. He doesn't like it. I'm thinking I will get him for 4-5 coats of 22% acrylic and burnishing, like I originally suggested. He does in fact want that now, that's good, but not really, he wants it for the same price as 3 coats of 18.5%!
I tell him that is impossible, I'm losing money on the deal. Back and forth, he wants the most for the least and will not budge. My last ditch effort was 21% latex instead of 18.5%, still 3 coats, same price. That's about $25 more for materials, maybe 1-1.5 hours extra time, for free. No.
Well then you can pay me for this room I did. No. He was very close to needing a doctor himself. Not worth getting physical, I called the police. They said, "bill him and when he doesn't pay the bill, file in commercial claims court". This is not criminal, it is not their problem. Big help they were!
About $15 worth of material and nearly 3 hours time down the crapper, but I will not let it ruin my day.
