Estimating guide
How to Write a Painting Estimate
A good estimate does two jobs: it prices the work so you make money, and it explains the work so the homeowner says yes. Here is the process from walkthrough to signature.
1. Walk the job with the homeowner
Ask what they want painted and why. A move-out repaint, a color change, and a fix for scuffed hallways are three different jobs. While you walk, note:
- Which surfaces in each room: walls, ceiling, trim, doors, closets
- Current color and the new color, if they know it
- Prep: nail holes, cracks, water stains, peeling, glossy paint that needs sanding
- Furniture, wall hangings, and who will move them
- The year the home was built. Pre-1978 homes fall under the EPA's lead RRP rule.
2. Measure every room
Record length, width, and height, and count doors and windows. The measuring guide covers closets, L-shaped rooms, and gable walls.
3. Price the labor
Multiply wall square footage by your wall rate and ceiling square footage by your ceiling rate. Price heavy prep, trim, and doors as separate lines. If you don't have a rate yet, build one from your costs with the pricing guide.
4. Price the materials
Figure gallons for walls and ceilings separately and round up. Add supplies such as tape, plastic, caulk, and patching compound, often as a percentage of the paint cost. Add sales tax where your state requires it.
5. Write the scope
The scope is what the homeowner reads most closely. Be specific about what's included and what isn't. See how to write a painting scope of work for wording you can reuse.
6. Set the terms
- Deposit amount and when the balance is due. Some states cap deposits; California, for example, limits them to 10% or $1,000, whichever is less.
- How changes are handled. A written change order for any extra work.
- A valid-until date, usually 30 days
- Signature and date lines
Example: one bedroom
| Line | Detail | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Labor, walls | 14' × 12' × 8', 2 doors, 2 windows = 344 sq ft × $2.25 | $774.00 |
| Wall paint | 344 × 2 coats ÷ 350 = 2 gal × $52 | $104.00 |
| Supplies | 12% of paint | $12.48 |
| Sales tax | 7.5% of materials | $8.74 |
| Total | $899.22 |
Scope line: "Primary bedroom walls, 2 coats, eggshell. Patch minor nail holes before painting. Excludes ceiling, trim, doors, and closet."
7. Send it fast and follow up
Send the estimate the same day as the walkthrough while the job is fresh in the homeowner's mind, then follow up on a schedule. The follow-up templates give you the messages.
Do steps 2 through 6 in one screen and get a client-ready PDF.
Create an estimate