In This Blog
- Why a Cheaper Painting Quote Often Costs More Later
- What “Financial Margin” Means on a Jeff Bryant Painting Quote
- The $4,000 Quote vs. the $3,200 Quote
- How Chasing Price Turns Into a Cycle of Disappointment
- Good Work Isn’t Cheap, Cheap Work Isn’t Good
- FAQ
- Get a Quote You Can Trust
Should you go with the cheapest painting quote you received? Usually, no. We’ve seen the same pattern play out again and again: the lower number up front does not always mean a lower number by the time the project is finished.
Going with the cheaper option often ends up costing close to what the higher quote would have anyway, once problems show up mid-project. And on top of that, you are left frustrated with the experience instead of happy with how your home turned out.
Here’s a closer look at how that plays out on an actual project, and why we build every quote intentionally from the start.
Why a Cheaper Painting Quote Often Costs More Later
When a painting quote comes in noticeably lower than the others, something about it is usually different. Lots of times the company underneath that lower number is using a step-down paint. A lower grade product meant to protect their margin. Not only that, but their pricing usually only works if the job goes exactly as planned, with no room built in for anything unexpected.
That is a hard bet to win, because painting projects almost never go exactly as planned.
What “Financial Margin” Means on a Jeff Bryant Painting Quote
On our estimates, we build in what we call financial margin. That margin exists to cover the reality that a project runs into something unexpected. A room might need a third coat of paint instead of two. There might be more patching than anyone could see before the work started. A color change might mean the priming step gets added back in.
Once you say yes to a project with us, all we need from you is a check and a color choice. Whatever comes up after that, we handle it. If it takes an extra coat or extra patching, that’s on us, not something we come back and add to your invoice. If you want to see what that looks like from the first phone call to the final walkthrough, we walk through our whole process here.
The $4,000 Quote vs. the $3,200 Quote
Here is the scenario. A homeowner gets a quote from us for $4,000, and they get a second quote for $3,200 from another company. The homeowner asks if we can meet in the middle at $3,600, and our answer is no. It is $4,000, because that number already accounts for what the job takes.
So they go with the $3,200 company. Halfway through, the homeowner decides the dark blue guest room should be off-white instead of gray, which means an extra coat. An old light fixture comes down and tears the drywall paper underneath, so that means a patch before that spot can be painted.
At the end of the job, the $3,200 company adds it up: an extra coat here, some patching there, and $490 gets added to the invoice. The $3,200 quote is now $3,690. The homeowner still technically saved some money compared to our $4,000 quote, but it didn’t feel that way because the number moved after they thought the price was already settled.
How Chasing Price Turns Into a Cycle of Disappointment
It goes beyond just one project. When a homeowner has an experience like the one above, it is easy to walk away thinking every painting company is the same. When price stops feeling like it protects you from a bad experience, it becomes the only thing left to compare.
Both sides end up setting expectations that can’t hold up. The homeowner is shopping only on price, and the company is pricing the job assuming nothing will go wrong. That drives quality and customer experience down across the whole industry.
At Jeff Bryant Painting, we want to break that cycle. If you are still early in comparing painters, our guide to choosing a contractor in West Michigan covers some essential questions that are worth asking.
Good Work Isn’t Cheap. Cheap Work Isn’t Good.
Good work isn’t cheap. Cheap work isn’t good. It’s as simple as that. If a bid seems noticeably lower than everything else you have received, ask why. Ask about the paint being used, and ask how the company plans to handle anything unexpected that may come up.
We would rather lose a project than be part of one where everyone involved ends up feeling just okay about the result.
FAQ
Why does Jeff Bryant Painting build financial margin into every quote?
So that unexpected work, like an extra coat of paint or drywall patching, does not turn into a surprise charge on your invoice. The cost of handling the unexpected is already built into the number we give you upfront.
Is the cheapest painting quote always the best option?
Not necessarily. A noticeably lower quote is often lower because of the paint being used or because the company is pricing the job assuming nothing will go wrong. When something does come up, that is when the invoice can grow.
What does “a check and a color” mean when working with Jeff Bryant Painting?
It’s how we describe what we need from you once you approve a project. You choose the color, we handle the schedule and the execution, and anything unexpected that comes up along the way is on us to solve, not something added to your bill.
What happens if something unexpected comes up mid-project?
We handle it. Whether it is an extra coat, additional patching, or a change you decide on partway through, it gets taken care of as part of the price you already agreed to.
Get a Quote You Can Trust
If you want a painting experience where the price you agree to is the price you pay, reach out to our team or get a free estimate. We are happy to walk you through exactly what goes into our number.
