How to Budget for Industrial Painting Projects

Paint is important. Properly applied, a good coat of paint will help protect important infrastructural investments by preventing the corrosion of metal surfaces, the decay of wooden surfaces, and the erosion of concrete surfaces. Moreover, the clean lines and vibrant colors a quality paint job adds to buildings and equipment will inspire confidence in customers and investors and inspire pride in employees. Given the importance of paint to both the function and presentation of a business, properly budgeting and planning for a painting project are vitally important. Here are a few tips to help you pull off your next painting project without a hitch.
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Don’t Wait Until the Last Minute to Budget for a Painting Project

It can be tempting to hold off on planning a major painting project until the last financial quarter of a year in order to earmark extra funds that were not allocated to earlier projects. This can backfire, especially when planning exterior painting projects which must be undertaken during the warmer months of the year. Waiting until the end of the year may result in seasonal delays that can negatively affect the bottom line. In some cases, allowing exterior structures and outdoor equipment to weather the harsh conditions of winter with an aging or nonexistent coat of paint can result in costly damage.

Determine your Painting Priorities

Some industrial painting projects can have price tags of hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars (though many can be accomplished for a few grand). For this reason, it may be necessary to plan and complete projects in phases. In these instances, it is crucial to determine the importance each project phase to your operation and prioritize accordingly. This may involve having equipment and exterior building surfaces painted before customer waiting areas and tour routes as the former will help to protect infrastructure from wear and damage.

Remember to Budget for Downtime

While we always strive to minimize the impact we will have on a facility’s day to day operation (we can often schedule our work for nights and weekends) it is an inevitability that a painting project will result in some downtime for staff and equipment. Equipment will typically need 2 to 3 days of inactivity for painting and curing, and the painting of other interior and exterior surfaces may require large areas of a facility to be temporarily vacated and cordoned off. It is therefore important to factor the cost of such operational disruptions into the “real cost” and overall budget of the project.

Don’t Throw Out a “Bad” Budget

In an ideal world, adequate funds would always be available for the full and timely completion of large infrastructure improvement projects. Unfortunately, the real world often requires compromise and adaptability. If your facility is in desperate need of a fresh coat of paint but the available funds for the project are less than ideal, don’t scrap the project without giving us a call first. We are always happy to work with our clients to help them plan and prioritize in a way that will get the most out of any budget.

Don’t Go it Alone

Estimating the cost of a large industrial paint project is a complicated process. Factors that can affect the final cost of such a project include the size of the facility, the amount of prep work required, the type of paint required, the number of coats needed, the amount of equipment and personnel needed, the frequency of foot and vehicle traffic in the area, and unforeseen conditions and considerations unique to your business.

For this reason, estimating the cost of and developing a budget for painting projects can seem overwhelming to the uninitiated. We therefore recommend our clients reach out to us for assistance in the earliest phases of project planning. We are always happy to provide detailed estimates and do what we can to help you get the biggest bang for your painting buck.

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Whether you need a fresh coat of paint to help sharpen up the look of your tour route or need to protect the exterior of your buildings from the elements, Preferred has the solutions you need. Contact us today for all of your industrial painting needs.

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