I
never bid new construction anymore; it" a financial suicide move for me. I get a lot of calls from builders who can't get their painters to come back or aren't keeping up with the schedule (I assume because the painter underbid and has reached the point of saturation and has begun to lose money), and I charge them on a stiff time & material basis and tell them that the first time a check is not received within one week of submission of the bill, don't bother to call me again...I do not trust generals (in general
), at least around here...
When I did bid new, back in the day, it was easiest having a set rate per sq. ft of liveable, plus a linear footage rate for chair rail, crown, etc...I've known so many painters who lost their butts by bidding from prints--
YA GOTTA GO LOOK AT THE HOUSE!!!! Exterior was the same, I based my price on interior liveable sq ftage. I don't remember what those rates were...That was a lifetime ago...
...BTW, a "set rate" would be different for different types of builds, such as large oppulent customs or tract-style ranches, etc...
Good luck