I need to give an estimate for painting an 1800 sq ft condo. Should I charge by the hour & if so, how much?

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it all depends on where you live and what the average labor rates are . I am a painting contractor in the upper midwest and I bill my guys out at 65 an hour, when my guys do side jobs on their own the usually bill their time at 35 an hour...that is for journeyman level painters...if you want to go by sq ft bid ...around here for one coat it is 65 cents ...for two coats about 1.25 sq ft ...of course any additional prep work beyond the normal will add to the price and this is labor costs only materials are extra.