Why bids for the same house differ
Get three painting proposals for the same house and you may see three quite different totals. Usually none of the painters is wrong; they're pricing different jobs. One plans to scrape and spot-prime, another to sand every wall and prime it all, a third to wash and roll one coat. This page shows how to line bids up so you're comparing like with like.
Fort Knox/Godman: the figures and their source
The figures in this section are the Fort Knox/Godman station's, not Elizabethtown measurements. In an average year at Fort Knox/Godman, about 15 miles from Elizabethtown, NOAA counts about 598 hours with the wet-bulb temperature above 73°F and about 1,807 hours above 67°F. NOAA's engineering weather data for that station lists a 50-year basic wind speed of 90 mph (3-second gust at 33 feet), a 100-year rainfall rate of 3.3 inches per hour and about 46 freeze-thaw cycles in an average year.
Each of those touches a line in a painting proposal. Freeze-thaw cycles work on open joints, so caulking matters. Heavy rain finds gaps and wets bare wood, so drying time and priming matter. Warm, moist hours slow drying and feed mildew, so washing and scheduling matter.
Line one: scope
Does each bid list the same surfaces? Look for siding, trim, soffits, fascia, doors, shutters, porch ceilings, railings and any foundation coating. A bid that leaves out the porch ceiling isn't cheaper; it's smaller.
Line two: preparation
This is where the money goes. Compare the words used:
- Wash or pressure wash, and mildew treatment
- Scrape loose paint to a firm edge
- Sand edges smooth, or feather them
- Repair or replace soft wood, and who supplies it
- Caulk joints and nail holes, and with what
- Prime spots, or prime everything
If a bid says only "prep included," ask what that means.
Line three: products and coats
Look for named primer and paint products, the sheen for walls and trim, and the number of finish coats. One coat of a premium paint is not the same as two coats of anything. Our paint sheens and finishes guide explains the sheen choice.
Line four: schedule and weather
A realistic bid says roughly when work starts, how long it takes and what happens on wet or cold days. Be wary of a firm finish date promised months ahead with no allowance for rain.
Line five: lead-safe work
The EPA's lead rule for paid work on pre-1978 homes is printed word for word in the EPA source card on this page. If your house was built before 1978, each bid should describe containment and cleanup. You can ask the painter whether their firm holds RRP certification.
Line six: cleanup and leftovers
Does the bid include daily cleanup, debris removal and leftover paint left with you, labeled by color? Small items, but they show how a painter works.
Line seven: payment and changes
Read when deposits and payments fall, and how extra work found during prep is priced. A short written change order beats a verbal "we'll sort it out."
Putting it together
Once the bids are lined up, the highest number may turn out to be the only one that includes the work you need. The pricing guide explains each cost driver, and exterior painting describes a full prep sequence. If you'd like one more proposal to put in the lineup, a callback request goes to one independent local painter serving Elizabethtown.