ToolbeltDocsHow to use this estimate template
- Enter your business details, the customer and the address, then choose interior or exterior, the number of coats, the paint product and colors.
- Add line items for prep, each room or surface, trim and doors, or pick them from the painting item list.
- Measure walls (perimeter × height, minus large openings), ceilings and trim, and enter the quantities.
- Add paint and supplies, tax and a deposit, and say who moves the furniture.
- Check the preview and download the painting estimate as a PDF, Word or Excel file.
What should a painting estimate include?
A painting estimate should list exactly which rooms or surfaces will be painted, the prep work, the number of coats, the paint product, sheen and colors, and who supplies the paint, so the customer knows what finish to expect and why the price is what it is. Clear exclusions — ceilings, closets, trim — prevent the most common disagreements.
- Rooms or surfaces
- Each room, wall, ceiling or exterior side being painted, with square footage or linear feet.
- Prep work
- Patching, sanding, caulking, scraping, pressure washing and priming.
- Coats and primer
- How many finish coats, and whether a primer coat is included.
- Paint product, sheen and colors
- Product quality level, sheen for walls and trim, and the chosen colors.
- Who supplies the paint
- Whether paint is included in the price or bought by the customer.
- Protection and cleanup
- Covering floors and furniture, masking, and daily and final cleanup.
- Furniture moving
- Who moves furniture and wall hangings before the job starts.
- Exclusions and repairs
- What isn't painted, and how wood rot or drywall damage found during prep will be priced.
Painting estimate example
Example only Here is a filled-in example for repainting a 14 × 12 ft living room with an 8 ft ceiling: walls (about 380 sq ft after subtracting the door and window), ceiling and trim, with a color change. The prices are made up for illustration only — your rates and paint costs will differ.
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Move furniture, cover floors and mask | 1 job | $75.00 | $75.00 |
| Patch nail holes, sand and caulk | 2 hr | $55.00 | $110.00 |
| Paint walls, primer + 2 coats (color change) | 380 sq ft | $1.60 | $608.00 |
| Paint ceiling, 1 coat | 168 sq ft | $1.10 | $184.80 |
| Paint baseboards and door and window trim | 70 lin ft | $2.25 | $157.50 |
| Paint, primer and supplies | 1 lot | $140.00 | $140.00 |
| Subtotal | $1,275.30 | ||
| Sales tax (0%) | $0.00 | ||
| Total | $1,275.30 | ||
Sales tax is left at 0% in this example because whether painting labor and paint is taxable depends on your state. Check with your state's department of revenue before adding tax.
Tips for a better painting estimate
- Measure, don't eyeballWall area is the room's perimeter times the wall height, minus big openings. Writing the square footage on the estimate shows your price is based on the actual room.
- Describe the prep level"Fill nail holes" and "skim-coat damaged walls" are very different jobs. Spell out what prep is included so the finish matches expectations.
- Name the product and sheenWriting the paint line and sheen for walls and trim avoids the classic complaint that the walls are too shiny or not washable enough.
- Say who moves the furnitureIt sounds small, but it's a common source of delays on the first morning of a job.
- Price surprises as change ordersIf prep uncovers rot or water damage, stop, photograph it and price the repair before you continue.
How we built and tested this
This painting estimate template was written from scratch for its job and is checked by automated tests every time the site changes. Here is what it is based on and how the math is tested.
- Written for this template. The 6 extra fields, the 5 starter lines and the 26-item list of common items were written for this painting estimate template, not copied from another website.
- Exact math, tested automatically. All money is calculated in whole cents, so there are no rounding errors, in a fixed order: subtotal, discount, tax on the discounted amount, total, deposit, then balance due. The site has 72 automated tests, 33 of them for the calculation engine, and they run on every change.
- Honest examples. The example above uses made-up prices, labelled as an example, and its totals are calculated by the same code as the tool.
- No legal or tax rules stated as fact. Where rules depend on your state or country, the page says so and points to the official body to check.
Built and tested by Muhammad Zaid · Last updated
Frequently asked questions
Is this painting estimate template really free?
Yes. You can write and download painting estimates for free as PDF, Word or Excel, with no sign-up and no watermark. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
How do I calculate square footage for a painting estimate?
Measure the room's perimeter, multiply it by the wall height, then subtract large openings such as doors and windows. For ceilings, multiply the room's length by its width. Trim is usually measured in linear feet.
Should a painting estimate include the cost of paint?
It can go either way, but the estimate must say which. If paint is included, list the product and quantity; if the customer buys it, name the exact product and sheen they need to buy.
How many coats of paint should I quote?
Quote what the job needs to look right. Color changes, new drywall and patched areas often need a primer coat plus two finish coats, while a fresh coat in the same color may need only one. Write the number of coats on the estimate.
What if I find damage during prep?
Stop, show the customer, and price the repair as a separate change before doing it. Your terms should say that repairs beyond normal patching are not included in the original price.
Can I use this for exterior or cabinet painting?
Yes. Choose exterior or cabinets in the dropdown and add lines for siding, trim, decks, or cabinet doors and boxes from the painting item list.
Should a painting estimate list each room separately?
Yes. Pricing room by room, or surface by surface, shows the customer what each area costs and lets them drop or add a room without a whole new estimate. It also makes it easy to price a change if they add a room later.
Do lead paint rules apply to painting older homes?
They can. In the US, if a job disturbs painted surfaces in a home or child-occupied facility built before 1978, the EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule may require your firm to be certified and to use lead-safe work practices, and some states run their own program. Check the EPA's RRP page for the rules and exceptions before you price the prep work.
Official source: Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program (EPA.gov)
How do I send the estimate to my customer?
Download the PDF and attach it to an email or a text message. On phones that support it, the "Share PDF" button that appears after the download sends the file straight to Messages, WhatsApp or email. Either way the file goes from your device to the app you choose, not through our servers.
Is my information safe? Is anything uploaded?
Nothing you type is uploaded. Your estimate is filled in and turned into a PDF, Word or Excel file in your browser, on your own device, so your customer details, prices and logo never reach our servers or anyone else. Your draft, the documents in "My documents" and, if you tick "Remember my business details", your business details are saved only in this browser, and clearing your browser data removes them. The site's analytics and ads count visits and downloads but never include what you type. On a shared computer, delete your documents from "My documents" when you are done. The privacy policy has the details.
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