Painting at the Friend Rate
Several years ago, my neighbor was tackling a master bedroom and bathroom remodel. Both she and her partner were not into painting at all. But they had a long time friend who was a painter who without hesitation volunteered his services to his dear friends to paint the master suite at the friend rate.
This didn’t seem like too big a deal, it was just a master bedroom and bathroom. This is what the DIYer saw. However, both rooms had vaulted ceilings. Plus, the bedroom had 2 sets of french doors. The bathroom had a separate toilet room. Also, there was a walk-in closet and a set of bookshelves. The room had baseboard trim at the floor, case moulding at doors and windows, and window sills with apron. But all of these items together is what the painter saw. From his review estimated it would take 2 weeks using 2 of his guys.
2 Weeks, 2 guys?
So your first question is why 2 weeks with 2 guys? Well, the ceiling is one color and sheen. The walls were 2 colors of a different sheen. Then base, case and window trim are all painted in a different sheen. Each door had to be painted separately from these other areas also. Then there is the closet and bookshelves. Then each area required preparation and taping off the trim. Painting done right really is more than just a roller, pan and can of paint.
But that really wasn’t where the challenge began, it was more the 2 weeks. You see, no one clarified the details of the timeline because it would take the two guys 2 weeks working daily at a full time schedule. Meaning every day Monday thru Saturday for about 6 to 7 hours the crew would be working and the protection for the area to keep paint from splattering onto adjacent surfaces would stay in place.
The Friend Rate?
But it was the friend rate, meaning it was done after hours when the guys weren’t working their normal jobs. Meaning evenings and Sundays; but not every evening or every Sunday. And because the work was not done daily the area protection was taken down and put back several times taking away from the time needed to do the painting.
In total, the painting of these areas took an agonizing 4 months. The work was done well as they had expected. But it dramatically delayed their project completion and impacted their use of their personal space during that entire time. So to avoid project delays and possibly ruining a friendship be sure to get very specific about work completion timelines. Also, sometimes it is ultimately ‘cheaper’ to pay someone to do the work than to have a someone “paint the master suite at the friend rate”.
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