Painting Cost Estimator
Painting is sold by the wall and won or lost on preparation — which is labour, not material.
Drop plan sheets or site photos
Up to 6 files — they're read together as one job
Ballpark for planning and bid-checking — not a quote. Confirm against local supplier and subcontractor pricing.
What a complete painting estimate covers
- Surface prep / patchingSF
- Masking and protectionSF
- PrimerSF
- Wall coatsSF
- CeilingSF
- Trim and doorsLF
- Pressure washing (exterior)SF
- Staging / accesslot
Scope most often left out
These are the lines that turn a won bid into a loss. Price them or exclude them in writing — never assume them.
- Prep on damaged or previously poorly painted surfaces
- Colour changes requiring an extra coat, especially dark to light
- Masking time in occupied or furnished spaces
- Trim, doors and windows — priced by the piece, not the wall area
- Exterior access: ladders, staging and multi-storey work
Prep is most of the labour
Material is a small share of a paint job. Scraping, patching, sanding, caulking and masking are the hours, and they vary enormously with the condition of what you are painting. Two rooms of identical size can differ by a factor of three on prep alone — walk the surfaces before you price them.
Count coats explicitly
A dark-to-light colour change, bare drywall, or a heavy-bodied colour can need an extra coat. State the number of coats in the estimate so the assumption is on the record and a change of colour is a priced change, not an argument.
FAQ
How do you estimate a painting job?
Price prep and masking separately from coats, because prep is where the hours are. Take off wall and ceiling area in square feet, trim and doors by piece or linear foot, and state the number of coats explicitly. Add access and staging for exterior work, The estimator does this from your uploads or description.
Why does surface condition change the price so much?
Because paint material is a small fraction of the cost and preparation is most of the labour. Scraping, patching, sanding and caulking on a poorly maintained surface can take several times as long as prepping sound walls of the same area.
Should I state the number of coats in the estimate?
Always. Dark-to-light changes, bare substrate and certain pigments need an extra coat. Writing the coat count down turns a scope disagreement into a priced change.
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