Been painting a rather large room today. Realized it's going to take more time than I have, so I picked up a day laborer at Home Depot to add a second coat and do touch-ups. What should I pay this guy for roughly fours hours of work? He's doing a pretty good job.

12 bucks an hour

Tell him you won't call INS.

Enough so he doesn't come back later and steal everything

It's Colombian!!

I generally start at $10 an hour and might go up a little if they do a good job or if the work is extra sheety.

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12 bucks an hour

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That's more than I pay my common laborers.
Pay him $50 and a beer for the day.

Umm, Catch...

You did realize that the OP said 4 hrs right? (4x12=48)

You said to pay 50 (50/4=12.5)

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Umm, Catch...

You did realize that the OP said 4 hrs right? (4x12=48)

You said to pay 50 (50/4=12.5)

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Doh! Nope, didn't see the 4 hours thing.

Still, $12 an hour is higher that Davis Bacon wage rates for a painter. There's no point in paying a day laborer that much an hour when you could pay a real painter less to do the job.

Sixer of bud light lime and a torta for lunch.

Duck tacos.

Never done it before but no way I would pay 10/hour. Most of them if they were working on a construction crew wouldn't dream of making that much.

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Duck tacos.

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Well played!

Try finding a painter to come over and do any job for 48 bucks. Don't be a cheap dick you can afford it.

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Try finding a painter to come over and do any job for 48 bucks. Don't be a cheap dick you can afford it.

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I have no problem paying $10 an hour for a sheety job I don't want to do.

Also I have offered them a beer after the job every time and none of them have ever take me up on it.

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Also I have offered them a beer after the job every time and none of them have ever take me up on it.

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Must of been a real ****ty beer or you did not offer any lime.

Barry keep some twangers on hand for those occasions

*****ing about 10 an hour for work you don't want to do? Wow. Generally you give a good hand 80-100 dollars a day these days if they're good. Good painters generally fetch 120 or more a day. And that's a bargain compared to what a contractor charges.

You can get away with paying less to a random illegal in the home depot parking lot, but I don't short my family or friends' dependable hands.

[This message has been edited by ftbendtxag (edited 5/8/2012 9:19p).]

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Umm, Catch...

You did realize that the OP said 4 hrs right? (4x12=48)

You said to pay 50 (50/4=12.5)

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I wouldn't pay a day laborer by the hour, pay em by the job. They are very capable of milking the clock.

I've only done it once, to paint our house when we bought it, they were painting other new construction down the st. Two guys did the whole house for $80 ea. Took em about 5-6 hours.

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Also I have offered them a beer after the job every time and none of them have ever take me up on it.

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Are you offering Meeler Lite?

The last time I did this I was moving into my new house. I paid two guys 20 bucks a piece an hour. They busted their A$$ and the job was done in an hour. Guess they had to meet other appointments! Haha

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Good painters generally fetch 120 or more a day. And that's a bargain compared to what a contractor charges.

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I'm a general contractor and my painter may charge me $120 a day for a painter, but that includes all labor burden, overhead and profit.

Without all that extra he has to tack on the painter would be making around $9 an hour. Meaning he's taking home maybe between $6-$7 an hour. And thats for a good professional painter that does the **** day in and day out. If I had one come do a side job at my house, they'd be thrilled with $60 cash for an 8 hr day.

I'm with Johnsmith...My main concern would be them scoping the place out.

Catch, could you email me? In profile.

Catch,

I'm also a contractor. You'll not find a "real" painter to show up for a 60 dollar job.

The OP asked what should he pay a day laborer to help with 4 hours of painting. Standard is probably ten bucks. I always pay 12 and get their #. They usually work their arse off.

You can make them work harder/faster if you set a price on the job regardless of hourly work. Just a thought.

yep, that's what I said.

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*****ing about 10 an hour for work you don't want to do? Wow. Generally you give a good hand 80-100 dollars a day these days if they're good. Good painters generally fetch 120 or more a day. And that's a bargain compared to what a contractor charges.

You can get away with paying less to a random illegal in the home depot parking lot, but I don't short my family or friends' dependable hands.

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First of all, we live in different worlds if you are referring to someone as a "hand".

Secondly, I don't really give a sheet what you think about what I pay a couple of illegals that I picked up off Durham and I-10. They seem pretty happy to have the work.

Lastly, you guys that are worried about a guy casing your joint just b/c he wants to earn a few bucks for the day need to evolve into the 21st century. If he wanted to break into your house he would have done it already.

Durham and I-10 has some good workers. You pretty much have to beat them off with a stick if you drive through with a u-haul. I have normally paid 10 dollars for an hour.

not sure where the break down occured, but i was responding to redags, and sorta agreeing with you

You can go through labor shops (Pacesetter/Labor Ready) for $12-15/hr last time I checked (its been a while, so it might have changed)

I would go with something like this.

English speaking - $10/hr ($9/hr + beer/food)
Spanish speaking - $8/hr ($7/hr + beer/food)

I guess the problem I have with paying as much as some of y'all do is as Catch said, you are paying more than a professional painter makes per hour.

Or you could go the route of a labor sourcing company and pay a legal company/employee.

OP you are part of the problem....you are allowing this person to stay in the U.S. another day with whatever amount you pay him. Not only that, you are encouraging him to show up to Home Depot the next day!! The following week you will be beetchin about how illegals should be deported.