What goes in a painting estimate
A homeowner comparing painting bids wants to know which surfaces you're painting, with what, and how many coats. A good painting estimate spells out:
- Each room or area, with the square footage of walls and ceilings, or a price per room.
- Prep: protecting floors, patching nail holes and dings, caulking and spot priming.
- The paint for each surface: product, color, sheen and number of coats.
- Trim and doors: baseboard by the foot, doors and windows by the piece.
- Primer where it's needed: bare drywall, water stains or a big color change.
- What's not included, like moving furniture, wallpaper removal or major drywall repair.
- Schedule, deposit and how long the price holds.
Typli drafts all of this from the notes you'd jot down on the walkthrough. You check the prices, change anything you like, and send it.
Measuring walls, ceilings and trim
For walls, add up the wall lengths and multiply by the ceiling height. A 12 by 14 ft bedroom with 8 ft ceilings has 52 ft of wall, or 416 sq ft. Take off big openings like a slider, but leave standard windows in: cutting in around them takes about as long as painting the wall would.
Price per square foot with paint included, or by the room once you know your numbers. A gallon covers roughly 350 to 400 sq ft per coat on smooth, painted walls, and less on texture or bare drywall. Two coats is standard, so that bedroom takes a little over two gallons.
Trim goes by the foot, and doors and windows by the piece. Doors are easy to miss on the walkthrough and slow to paint well.
Prep is where the price changes
Nail holes and a few dings are part of any repaint. Cracks, water stains, peeling paint, wallpaper and bad old patches are not, and the homeowner rarely sees the difference until you point it out.
Build normal prep into your rates and put anything beyond it on its own line, as a fixed price or an hourly allowance ("drywall repair beyond nail holes, $65 an hour"). Water stains need a stain-blocking primer or they'll bleed through. A big color change, like deep red to pale gray, may need primer or a third coat, so say which.
Outside, write the prep out in plain words: "scrape loose paint, prime bare wood, caulk open joints." It's what the homeowner will check when you're done.
Older homes and lead paint
If the house was built before 1978 and you'll be sanding, scraping or cutting painted surfaces, assume lead-safe rules apply unless testing shows otherwise. The EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) rule requires a certified firm and lead-safe work practices once you disturb more than 6 sq ft of paint in a room or 20 sq ft outside. Containment and cleanup take real time, so give lead-safe prep its own line.
Tips for estimates that win the job
- Name the paint. Product, color and sheen for each surface. It shows you listened and settles arguments later.
- Say how many coats, so your price compares fairly with a bid that doesn't.
- List what's not included, like moving furniture, wallpaper removal or closet interiors.
- Price extra colors. An accent wall or a different color in each room means more cutting in.
- Ask for the deposit on the estimate, with what it pays for, when the balance is due, and a valid-until date.
Frequently asked questions
Is the painting estimate generator free?
Yes. Drafting is free, with no account needed. To download the PDF or send a link, create a free account; free accounts can save 3 documents a month. Paid plans save unlimited documents, add your logo and remove the Typli footer.
Can I use my own prices?
Yes. Save your hourly rate and price list in your details and every estimate uses them exactly. You can also put prices in your notes ("walls $2.25 a sq ft, doors $95 each") and the draft uses them. Every line and price can be edited before you send it.
Can I send it to the homeowner?
Yes. Download a PDF to email or print, or send a link the homeowner can open on their phone.
Does it work for exterior and cabinet painting?
Yes. Describe the job (square footage of siding, how many cabinet doors and drawer fronts, the prep you'll do) and the estimate uses the right items and units.