paint jobs

[sambo]

I was bowled over to learn about the cost of painting a Cobra when I first inquired. To me, a lot of people just accept these numbers "because it's a Cobra". How someone can look at a car for a few minutes (or not at all) and come up with a number just shows that they build a lot of fat into the equation.

Is it fair to ask a few questions, such as a) how much for raw materials / consumables, b) how many man hours required, and c) the hourly rate?

Do many painters offer any kind of warranty? Eg, in the event of shrinkage within a certain time frame? I know one Melbourne painter who insists on doing the whole job himself to minimise any such claims, whereas others will let the owner do some of the prep.