How to Estimate a Painting Job

A practical method to measure, price and write up interior and exterior painting estimates.

Painting looks like one of the easiest jobs to price, which is exactly why so many painters underprice it. The paint itself is rarely the big cost. Prep, cutting in, trim and moving furniture are where the hours go. This guide walks through a method you can use for interior and exterior jobs, and how to write it up so customers understand what they're paying for.

1. Walk the job and take notes

Go room by room, or side by side for exteriors, and write down:

• Which surfaces get painted: walls, ceilings, trim, doors, windows, cabinets, siding, soffits.
• Current condition: nail holes, cracks, peeling, water stains, glossy surfaces that need sanding.
• Color changes, especially dark to light, which can need more coats or a primer.
• Access: high ceilings, stairwells, steep slopes or second stories.
• Furniture and belongings that need moving or covering.

Photos help you remember, but notes on condition are what keep your prep time realistic.

2. Measure the surfaces

For walls, multiply the perimeter of the room by the wall height. Subtract large openings like wide doorways and big windows; small ones are usually left in, since cutting around them takes time anyway. Ceilings are length times width. Trim and baseboards are measured in linear feet. Doors and windows are counted as units.

For exteriors, measure each side of the house: width times height to the eaves, plus gable triangles. Count windows, doors and shutters, and measure fascia and soffit in linear feet.

3. Estimate your labor

Labor is usually the biggest part of a painting estimate. Build it from production rates: how many square feet of wall you can roll per hour, how many linear feet of trim you can cut, how long a door takes. Track these on your own jobs, because they vary by painter, surface and product. Then add time for:

• Prep: patching, caulking, sanding, scraping, priming and masking.
• Setup and cleanup each day.
• Moving and covering furniture and floors.
• Extra coats for color changes or new drywall.
• Difficult access, such as ladders, scaffolding or stairwells.

Multiply the total hours by your hourly rate. If you're not sure what your rate should be, work it out with the freelance hourly rate calculator, which accounts for unpaid hours, expenses and time off.

4. Calculate materials

Divide the area to paint by the coverage listed on the paint can, then multiply by the number of coats. Round up, and add primer where needed. Then add caulk, patching compound, tape, plastic, sandpaper, rollers and brushes. Name the brand, product line and sheen on the estimate: it's one of the main reasons painting estimates differ, and customers comparing bids need to know they're comparing the same product.

5. Choose how to present the price

Painters typically present price in one of three ways:

• Per square foot of surface, with separate rates for walls, ceilings and trim.
• Per room for standard interiors, with a clear room size definition.
• Per job, built from your hours and materials, and broken into line items.

Whatever you choose, itemize it. A customer who sees "Walls," "Ceilings," "Trim," "Doors," "Prep" and "Materials" on separate lines understands your number and can choose to drop items to fit a budget. Prices vary a lot by region, so build from your own costs rather than national averages.

6. Add exterior-specific factors

Exterior work has extra variables: scraping and priming bare wood, caulking gaps, pressure washing first, protecting plants and roofs, and weather. Paint usually needs minimum temperatures and dry conditions, so write a weather clause. If the home was built before 1978, federal rules may require lead-safe work practices for disturbing painted surfaces; check current EPA rules and whether you need certification.

7. Write the terms

• Number of coats and the exact product.
• What prep is included and what counts as extra repair.
• Who moves furniture and what you'll protect.
• Color selection deadline and the cost of changing colors after work starts.
• Validity period, deposit and payment schedule. Some states limit home-improvement deposits; check your state's rules.

8. Put it together

Start from the painting estimate template, which already has typical lines and notes, adjust quantities and prices, and download it as a PDF. If drywall repair is part of the job, the drywall estimate template shows how to list it separately. When the customer pays the deposit, send a receipt from the receipt maker.

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Frequently asked questions