2020 Bottom Job prices

Did a search on this and all I found were outdated posts for 2020 experiences.

In 2016 did a bottom job for $1900.00 (SR 410AC). Includes haul out, pressure washing, minor sanding and 3 gal paint.

2020. Same yard. Different shop owner. Same work $5445.00.

Over one hundred percent markup!!! [emoji15]

Have no other options (fresh water lake and no other haul out facility). What are your thoughts? I am meeting with him on Saturday to “discuss” his philosophy on price gouging.

What about DIY? We have painted many different boats ourselves. It is hard physical work but fairly simple as to technical work. Just sucks being under the boat on hands and knees.

A couple quotes last Oct near Brunswick, Ga for haul, block,pressure wash, minimal prep, 2 coats $100/gallon bottom paint, 4 zincs, splash after 1 week work?storage... 3 were right between $2000-$2500.

WOW!

I just went back and looked at my invoice from last August's bottom job.

$2544 for the bottom job.

$700 for 2 coats of Barnacle Barrier on all of the running gear. (included R&R new spur bearings).

So $3244 for a 53 foot boat. What length is yours - 40-45?

He REALLY needs to 'splain that!

We paid the yard the first time. Since then we have done it ourselves before splash in the spring. Dirty, messy job but is about half the cost.

If you must have it professionally done shop around

The yard I'm on is currently charging $65 per ft for bottom prep/paint + haul out. Running gear coating is additional.

Lollygag1 said:

If you must have it professionally done shop around

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I don't think there's any shopping around to be done. The OP stated he's on a lake with only one marina with haul out. Their way or the highway.

Thanks for the responses folks. More or less confirmed my suspicions.

Just had mine done

I just paid $1150 for my OA 456 to include running gear. I paid the yard separately for haul, pressure wash and blocking. I also provided my own paint.

I've never hired anyone to paint before and, while I think they did an OK job, I like my work better.

Gordon

All boat owners are millionaires so of course they are going to charge $5K+ for a 2 day job for unskilled labor. Cost, $$500. Profit, $4500.

SoWhat said:

All boat owners are millionaires so of course they are going to charge $5K+ for a 2 day job for unskilled labor. Cost, $$500. Profit, $4500.

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Where are you seeing bottom paint for that cost after labor?

Berkeley Marine in San Francisco Bay advertises about $60/ft for haul, wash, launch, paint with 2 coats. Plus paint (or $10/gal for your paint). They have limited slots for DIY.

Peter

For you DIY folks, how long does it take to apply one coat (and size of your boat)?


Suspect a good painter could pressure wash and roll a coat on in perhaps a day and a half?

Seevee said:

For you DIY folks, how long does it take to apply one coat (and size of your boat)?


Suspect a good painter could pressure wash and roll a coat on in perhaps a day and a half?

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Yeah, but I really like the fact that my guys don't just put on paint, they check the whole bottom over for other stuff.

A good example, my last bottom job in August they found that the line cutter bearings needed replaced so did that. I would never in a month of Sundays thought to ask them to check those. They eyeball and move the stabilizers, replace all the zincs including the two bonding zincs, clear out any growth from the through hulls looking in from out, check for any dings in the props etc. etc.

A yard you can trust is worth it's weight in gold.

I pressure wash a 40 foot boat as good as it gets in a couple hours. A younger operator would take a little less.

I wait till the next day to put on a coat. If pressure washed in early AM, then a coat of paint could go on at 300 PM and it should only take an hour.

Now at some point, zincs and painting running gear throw a couple extra hours in there between coats.

psneeld said:

I pressure wash a 40 foot boat as good as it gets in a couple hours. A younger operator would take a little less.

I wait till the next day to put on a coat. If pressure washed in early AM, then a coat of paint could go on at 300 PM and it should only take an hour.

Now at some point, zincs and painting running gear throw a couple extra hours in there between coats.

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Come do Sonas for $500 and I'll throw in a bottle of whiskey!

After a second career of working on other boats...I barely want to lift a finger on mine...make it $5000 and a bottle of Sailor Jerry Rum and we have a deal.

And it WILL be as good as the best yard you have ever used. But I am picky about weather.

Bottom painting

Comodave said:

What about DIY? We have painted many different boats ourselves. It is hard physical work but fairly simple as to technical work. Just sucks being under the boat on hands and knees.

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I’m in P’cola, Fl. When I get hauled out for bottom paint, it’s a flat charge of $2500 for out and in, yard time and a great bottom job.
I know every area is different but that seems exorbitant. Maybe find a different yard or put it in a different DIY yard. It’s not a easy job but what they are quoting you is way too much.

I've painted the bottom on Beachcomber and, while it's a job I wouldn't want to do now, it wasn't bad when I did it 6 years ago. The hardest part was getting the taping just right. I'm a fussy old fart and wanted to top line of the paint to be just perfect.

My only costs were for the paint, several rollers and pans, the plastic tarps beneath the boat and the clothing I had to throw out when the job was done.

I prep ours and then the wife puts on the suit and paints it. This year we will just need to touch up some places.

I think total time for prep and 2 coats is 6-8hrs. Thankfully our yard is cool w DIY

Bottom jobs for both my boats (33' power and 36' full keel sail) came to about $400. Each boat takes a bit over an hour. It is not hard or even messy work. Cost is for three gallons of Sea Hark Monterrey ablative water based bottom paint, two roller covers and masking tape. Haul and pressure wash are not included because both boats are hauled for winter storage and pressure wash is included in the storage fee. I bottom paint annually. Zincs cost an additional $35 or so.

On our current boat the bottom paint is blue and I want to paint it black. The yard where we bought it said it was painted in 2014 with 2 year paint. We bought it in 2015 so I figured we would paint it in 16. However it is still good so we are going to wait until the paint is gone or stops working. On a previous boat we had the bottom soda blasted to gel coat. Then the yard brought it down to our house and blocked it up on the driveway. We finished up doing the last bit of sanding needed. Then we put 6 coats of Interprotect on it followed by 2 coats of bottom paint with a 3 around the waterline. It was nice being on concrete so I could roll around on a creeper. We did each coat and then recoated when it was thumbprint dry. It took about 5 days plus about 5 more days for painting under the blocking since some days we put a coat on early and then another coat on late in the day. Total cost was $35 per foot for the soda blasting and the cost for the paint and supplies. The yard didn’t charge for moving the boat to our house and then moving the blocking so we could paint under the blocking, nice living in a small town. It wasn’t too bad since the soda blasting did all the hard work. It was a 32’ boat and would take about an hour to roll on a coat.

Haul and sit on the hard for a month was $600.
2 gallons of Petit Trinidad SR ( for BY use only) was $375 per gallon.
Sean Labor $60 per hour plus tip. Light sand, coat the bare spots, sides, transom, and one complete coat.

Ted

Decision was to accomplish DIY. Had some other things pop up so the weather window for outdoor painting may be lost until the Spring. Certainly not going to be held hostage at $125 a ft.

I really wonder why the OP needs bottom paint on an interior fresh water lake? My surveyor said that if I did not want to lock thru to salt water then no bottom paint is needed for a strictly fresh water boat. Just passing that along.

Barabus said:

I really wonder why the OP needs bottom paint on an interior fresh water lake? My surveyor said that if I did not want to lock thru to salt water then no bottom paint is needed for a strictly fresh water boat. Just passing that along.

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All the boats here are bottom painted. Your surveyor is wrong.

Comodave said:

All the boats here are bottom painted. Your surveyor is wrong.

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Not sure about Michigan, but it is not uncommon for strictly lake boats here to not be bottom painted. They get an easy to brush off slim, but no barnacles. Do the Great Lakes boats grow barnacles or something else that requires bottom paint?

Probably big issue is barrier coat. I assume freshwater boats can still get blisters.

Ted

River Forest runs a special for $50/ft.

He did it for $44 on my 36.

Work was so nice I did not want to get it wet. Killer yard.

You could put it on a big trailer and just pull it out and paint it near a ramp. But near Austin the tree huggers will get you.

I think the local DIY yards are really strict about any sanding done on bottom paint. I have heard some require tenting the boat and also using a vacuum attachment. Plus a respirator is needed, of course.