Anonymous wrote:Just thought I would update on our painting saga. We hired a company that estimated 18k total (another estimate came in at 22k) to paint and replace visibly rotting boards and trim. After a few days they said that more than half the boards are rotting (they showed us, I got up on a ladder and it was crumbling under a slight tap). The additional cost for labor and materials brings us up to 33k. Which is only 12 k less than replacing all our siding with Hardie. So now we have to decide: stop work and pay these guys 5k for the labor and materials they’ve already done (they have replaced most of the siding on our carport and a lot do trim) and go with hardi or sink 33k into replacing half our crap siding and painting it. Not sure if we can salvage any of the new siding (maybe leave the garage as is if it doesn’t look too weird). So total cost would be 50k vs 33k.

Wwyd? We are leaning to hardie since replacing everything with it will probably save us from dealing with this in 8 years and/or replace resale value (probably downside e in 6-10 years).

Anonymous wrote:I moved to Del Ray in 2001 and bought a tiny (1300 sqf) 2 bed bungalow. It needed the exterior painted so I called some local guys. Winkler painting quoted me...... I kid you not....$21,000. Again, this was 25 years ago too.

I called the guy, legitamately asking if he'd made a typo, maybe he meant $2100? And he flew off the handle, basically telling me I was going to 'ruin' my house if I didn't go with him for 21k. And that I had 'no idea' of what it took to paint a teeny little house. LOL.

Anyway, there are crooks out there. Just get another bid.

Anonymous wrote:Get more quotes. Find local recommendations on a listserv or NextDoor. That is very high (even for DC), but not out of line with what some of the high end companies charge around here. But LOTS of reputable painting companies charge much, much less.