I'm curious about the high charges for painters in this city. I recently received a quote for painting a medium-sized bathroom, mainly focusing on the ceiling and walls from head-height upwards since the lower part is tiled. The quote I got was 2500 pesos! This seems more expensive than what you'd expect in the US or UK for a similar job. Has anyone had better experiences or luck finding more reasonable rates for painting services? I might end up doing the job myself to save costs.
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- Thread starter CeciEres
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I would recommend doing it yourself as well. It's not that difficult. It's just a bit of a pain, but then you finish with a feeling of accomplishment.
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Richardegs
New member
I agree that the charges you can get from most contractors is outrageous . I cannot understand that 2 days work at most can cost 2500 pesos . This calculates on a 8 hour day at 150 pesos per hour .
I can attest to huge differences in quotes as I needed to replace a 40 metre wooden section of an apartment and the quotes varied from 2000 to 5500 pesos for the same job .
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SerenaCerv
New member
That job should be five hundred pesos AT MOST. Try asking the local pintureria or hardware store for a painter - they generally have cards of painters who live in the area - I've been lucky getting referrals that way.
My advice is, get the best quality paint and do it yourself - I've done it several times and it is at most a half-day job. If you add a small bottle of anti-mold stuff to the paint, you'll have a clean ceiling for a few years.
As a reference, I just got a five-thousand pesos estimate to paint my three bedroom house - both inside and outside.
Part of the problem could be your nationality. Remember, to Porteños all Americans, Britons etc. are rich. Then there is the mentality that you SHOULD pay more because you are from a rich country so money is irrelevant to you. I gave a painter a lot of work and then when he came to give an estimate recently on a job he quoted a wild price. I went elsewhere. It's like that in BA.
Yes, it's a nationality thing.....trouble is, we can't do all of the works in our house ourselves, my husband does most of the plumbing and electircal fixes, I'm pregnant and with a toddler so not much help. We end up with the choice of not getting it done or being fleeced & paying a sh*tload. You can't bargain with Argentinians....after 4 years, nothing's changed, although we live simply we're still treated like the rich foreigners and the situation's so depressing we're thinking of moving back to US or UK.
I really don't think it's about being a foreigner. We were quoted 5,000 pesos (and ten days work!!!) to get our apartment painted...2 rooms (no more than 45m) (that's not including the tiny kitchen and bathroom which would've been extra). I wasn't even at home so the painter had no idea there was a foreigner living there. He came over, looked at the place and then phoned us with the quote 24 hours later. Of course, when we said no way, he re-quoted us for a "quick job" - 2,000 pesos + 5 days...Christ knows how he managed to drop his price so drastically. In the end, we did it ourselves...400/500 pesos for paint, brushes etc and two weekends. It's not a great job - but it'll do for what we wanted - un "lavado de cara" (we're only renting so didn't want to spend an age on it). I know plenty of people though who painted themselves, took a bit more time and care and it looks just as good as a professional job.
earlyretirement
Moderator
I totally agree that painters are expensive here in the city for the most part. I don't have the time to paint myself and I've tried some cheaper painters that didn't do a good job. But generally I've found the professional painters aren't cheap here compared to other countries in Latin America.
I just had a 55 sq. meter apartment completely repainted recently using high quality paint and I think I paid about 3,200 pesos. It's not that cheap here for painters surprisingly.
I just had a 55 sq. meter apartment completely repainted recently using high quality paint and I think I paid about 3,200 pesos. It's not that cheap here for painters surprisingly.
SerenaCerv
New member
Painting with high-quality latex paint is a straightforward process. These paints are forgiving, and I even keep the brush wrapped in foil in the freezer between sessions to avoid washing it each time. You can split the painting process over multiple days without leaving visible lines.
In Argentina, a comprehensive paint job involves four days for patching, filling, sanding, and priming the walls, with only half a day dedicated to the actual painting. This might explain the substantial drop in the painter's estimate.
Painters often charge more not only for their expertise but also based on the neighborhood. For instance, a painter in Ciudadela might charge less than one in Palermo.
In Argentina, a comprehensive paint job involves four days for patching, filling, sanding, and priming the walls, with only half a day dedicated to the actual painting. This might explain the substantial drop in the painter's estimate.
Painters often charge more not only for their expertise but also based on the neighborhood. For instance, a painter in Ciudadela might charge less than one in Palermo.
CarlaNervs
New member
As others have suggested, there's really no need to shell out a fortune for a contractor to paint a bathroom; it's not a complicated task. If you're unable to handle it entirely yourself due to the pregnancy, consider enlisting the help of friends. Alternatively, if your friends have teenagers, you could offer them around 30 pesos per hour to take care of the more labor-intensive aspects while you oversee the project.
MarianoMKSd
New member
These situations are precisely why I hesitate to consider returning to Argentina. As an Argentine living abroad, it's frustrating to see that I'm expected to pay additional fees for various services simply because there's an assumption that anyone living abroad has achieved financial success.
earlyretirement
Moderator
I've tried a few of those cheaper quoting places in the past few years and most of them do a very poor job. I've found that any professional painter here is not cheap. As the others mentioned, if you can do it yourself then that's the best but you have to factor in things like time, painting supplies, paint, cleaning supplies, etc.
I gave up on the super cheapo type painters and stuck with professionals. They charge a lot more but the work seems to last a few years.
I gave up on the super cheapo type painters and stuck with professionals. They charge a lot more but the work seems to last a few years.
Charging $600 for a 40-square-meter painting job is exorbitant, working out to $15 per square meter. I don't mind paying a fair price for quality work, but this seems like an unreasonable and outrageous rate. I'm seeking reasonable and affordable quotes, not something that feels like a rip-off.
Mart
Member
Contractors worldwide are somewhat notorious for overcharging, but the quoted price for your bathroom seems excessively high. Consider seeking recommendations, perhaps from your portero, who may have a list of trusted workers. It's advisable to have a local make the initial call, and negotiating is expected. Don't hesitate to walk away if the price doesn't align with your expectations.
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