Inspect the job before choosing a price
List the walls, ceilings and trim the customer wants painted. Note damage, stains, existing coatings, furniture and access. Confirm which rooms will remain occupied. Record the agreed condition with the customer’s permission so your written scope has a clear reference.
A small room with damaged surfaces can take more preparation than a larger room in good condition. Keep that work visible instead of hiding it inside a single painting line.
Measure surfaces and define the finish
For a rectangular room, gross wall area is perimeter × wall height. A 12 ft by 10 ft room with 8 ft walls has 44 × 8 = 352 sq ft of gross wall area. Adjust for openings using a consistent method; list ceilings and trim separately if included.
To plan paint quantity, multiply the area to be coated by the number of coats, then divide by the coverage on the selected product’s label. Substrate and application method affect actual coverage. Primer may need its own calculation. Confirm the finish and number of coats rather than promising an undefined “full repaint.”
Separate costs from your selling price
Estimate preparation, application and cleanup time from your experience with comparable work. Add materials, consumables and the overhead this job needs to carry. Apply your chosen markup once. If your selling rates already include overhead and profit, do not add them again.
Use the job profit calculator to check your own inputs. Our markup and margin guide explains why a 25% markup gives a 20% margin.
Describe what is included—and what needs another quote
State the preparation, surfaces, coating system, material responsibility, protection and cleanup. Identify excluded repairs and difficult-access work. If inspection reveals extra work, discuss the scope and price before proceeding.
Before sending, confirm currency, applicable tax, estimate validity and scheduling terms. The worked example below demonstrates the structure; its fictional rates are not local pricing guidance.
See the estimate take shape.
A worked example shows how scope, line items and exclusions fit together.
See the painting estimate example →Put the plan into a professional estimate.
Enter your reviewed items in BidBuddy, add the customer and preview your PDF. Keep the estimate and its next step together on your iPhone.
Create your estimate in BidBuddyFree to download. In-app subscriptions available. Website examples do not automatically import into the app.
Prepared by the team behind BidBuddy. Examples illustrate estimate preparation; fictional amounts are not local price guidance. Review the scope and figures against the actual job. Send a correction or question.
