Template

Painting Estimate Template: What to Include

A clear estimate wins jobs and prevents arguments later. Use this checklist so every estimate you send answers the homeowner's questions before they ask.

The checklist

1. Your business details

• Company name, phone, and email
• License or registration number, if your state or city requires one
• A line saying you carry general liability insurance, if you do

2. Client and job site

• Client name and the job address, which may differ from their billing address
• Estimate number, date, and a valid-until date. Thirty days is common because paint prices change.

3. Scope of work, room by room

• Which surfaces get painted in each room: walls, ceiling, trim, doors
• Number of coats
• Prep included: patching nail holes, caulking gaps, sanding, spot priming
• Square footage, so the client can see how the price was built

4. Products

• Brand and product line, sheen (flat, eggshell, satin, semi-gloss), and colors if chosen
• Who supplies the paint if the client wants a specific product

5. Exclusions

Say what is not included. This is the line that prevents the most disputes.

• Moving furniture, removing wall hangings, or reinstalling fixtures
• Drywall repair beyond minor patching
• Closets, unless listed

6. Price breakdown

• Labor by room
• Materials: paint by gallon, plus supplies
• Sales tax, where it applies
• Total

7. Payment terms

• Deposit amount and when it is due
• When the balance is due, usually on completion
• Payment methods you accept

8. Change orders and signature

• One sentence on how extra work is handled: "Changes to the scope are priced in writing before work begins."
• Signature and date lines for the client

Sample scope wording

Rules to check in your state

• Deposit limits. Some states cap the down payment on home improvement work. California, for example, limits it to 10% of the contract price or $1,000, whichever is less (Business and Professions Code § 7159.5).
• Pre-1978 homes. Under the EPA's lead Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) rule, paid work that disturbs painted surfaces must be done by a certified firm, and the owner must receive the "Renovate Right" pamphlet no more than 60 days before work starts. Some states run their own version of the program.
• Contracts signed at the client's home. Under the FTC's Cooling-Off Rule (16 CFR Part 429), a sale of $25 or more made at the buyer's home can usually be canceled until midnight of the third business day, and the seller must hand over a cancellation form. Emergency repairs are an exception. Many states add their own cancellation rules for home improvement contracts.