What a painting estimate is for
Painting estimates vary wildly in what they include, so customers comparing three of them often compare paint quality, prep and coats without knowing it. An estimate that names the paint line and sheen, the number of coats, the prep and who moves the furniture stops that guessing. It also puts color choice and touch-up rules on paper before the first brush goes in a can.
What to put on a painting estimate
- Rooms or areas, with wall and ceiling area.
- Paint line, sheen and number of coats.
- Prep: patching, sanding, caulk, primer on stains.
- Trim, doors and anything not included.
- Who moves furniture and removes wall hangings.
- When colors are chosen and what a later change costs.
- Deposit and how long the price holds.
A worked example
A main floor repaint: living room, dining room, hall and kitchen, with nail holes and a water stain on the dining ceiling. Wall and ceiling lines carry typical prices from our painting cost calculator, measured for this floor.
| Line | Qty | Unit | Price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paint walls * | 1,017 | sq ft | $1.50 | $1,525.50 |
| Paint ceilings * | 432 | sq ft | $1.75 | $756.00 |
| Paint baseboards and door casings | 260 | ft | Your price | |
| Patch nail holes and sand | 3 | hour | Your price | |
| Stain-blocking primer on ceiling stain | 20 | sq ft | Your price | |
| Move and cover furniture | 4 | room | Your price |
The wall and ceiling areas come from the calculator's defaults; change the quantities to the rooms you measured and keep the prices or use your own. Name the paint line in the walls line before sending.
* Typical price from our free painting cost calculator, which lists its sources. Your own costs and market come first.
Line items painters use
| Line item | Unit | How to write it |
|---|---|---|
| Paint walls, two coats | sq ft | Wall area, not floor area; say the paint line and sheen. |
| Paint ceilings | sq ft | Flat ceiling paint unless the customer asks otherwise. |
| Paint trim and baseboards | ft | By the foot, or per room if you prefer. |
| Paint doors and frames | each | Both sides and the frame, or say otherwise. |
| Paint cabinets | each | Per door and drawer front; say whether boxes are included. |
| Drywall patching and sanding | hour | Nail pops, dents and small holes before paint. |
| Prime stains or new drywall | sq ft | Stain-blocking primer where water or smoke marks are. |
| Caulk gaps at trim | ft | Where trim meets wall. |
| Exterior siding, wash, scrape and paint | sq ft | Prep matters most outside; describe it. |
| Scrape and prime bare wood | hour | Exterior prep that varies by condition. |
| Move and cover furniture | room | Say whether you move it or the customer does. |
| Wallpaper removal | sq ft | Price separately; condition varies. |
| Lead-safe work practices | each | For homes built before 1978, where federal rules apply to disturbing paint. |
Terms and deposit language for painting
- Deposit. A deposit at signing reserves the dates and covers the paint order. On short interior jobs some painters take none. Check your state's rules on home improvement deposits.
- Payment. Balance due when the walk-through is done and touch-ups are finished. Larger exterior jobs can split payment at the halfway point.
- Warranty. State how long you cover peeling or flaking from your workmanship, and that it does not cover damage, moisture problems or surfaces you advised against painting.
- Colors are confirmed in writing before paint is bought; changing a color after purchase is a change order.
- Exterior work depends on weather; say how a rain day moves the schedule.
- Furniture moving, wall hangings and outlet covers: say who handles each.
How to fill it in
- Put in your business details once; this browser keeps them for every template.
- Fill in the customer and the job.
- Change the line items to fit this job and add your prices.
- Set tax, the deposit and the good-until date.
- Print to PDF, download Word or CSV, or send it from Koira.
Free tools for painting
The same estimate for other trades: appliance repair, auto detailing, carpet cleaning, chimney, house cleaning, commercial cleaning, concrete, drywall, electrical, fence, flooring, garage door, general contractor, gutter, handyman, hvac, irrigation, junk removal, landscaping, lawn care, locksmith, moving, pest control, plumbing, pool service, pressure washing, remodeling, roofing, septic, snow removal, solar, tree service, waterproofing, window cleaning.
More for painters: how painters run on Koira.