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Free painting estimate template

A painting estimate that's ready to fill in: prep, walls and ceilings by the square foot, trim by the linear foot, doors, the number of coats, and the paint in gallons, each on its own line. The sample is an interior repaint of four rooms with made-up prices, so change them to yours. Edit it here, then print it or save it as a PDF. No signup, and nothing you type leaves your browser.

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Below is a working estimate with a sample painting job filled in. Type over anything, add your business details once (they're saved in this browser and shared with the invoice maker), and print it. Jump to what a painting estimate should include, how to figure square footage and gallons, or the sample text to send with it.

1. Your business

Add your logo (optional)PNG or JPG. Your logo stays in this browser. It is never uploaded.

2. Customer and job

3. Estimate number and dates

4. Line items and totals

+ Add a line

Leave Qty blank for a flat price line, like a trip charge. Units are up to you: ea, hr, sq ft, ln ft, visit, lot.

5. Notes and terms

Put the example terms back

7. Send it

Save the estimate as a PDF, then send it with one of these. Your customer's name, the job, the total, and the valid-until date are filled in from the estimate. Anything still in [brackets] is yours to finish.

Heard nothing back? Use the three-text quote follow-up plan. Not sure your price is right? Check it with the free pricing calculator before you send. For reminders, invoices, and review requests with your details filled in, use the free text generator.

What a painting estimate should include

Every estimate needs your business details, the customer, an estimate number, the date, the line items, the total, and how long the price holds. The estimate maker above handles those. These are the lines that matter most for painting work:

• Rooms or areas, with the square footage. Name each room (or each side of the house for exterior work) and the wall and ceiling area. Customers compare bids room by room, and the numbers show you measured.
• Prep, on its own line. Moving furniture, masking, patching, caulking, and sanding, plus scraping and power washing outside. Prep is often most of the labor, and listing it shows why your price is higher than the low bid.
• Number of coats. Two coats on walls is common, and one on ceilings that only need freshening. A big color change or new drywall may need primer first, so say so.
• Paint in gallons, with the sheen. Gallons for walls, ceilings, and trim, and the sheen (flat, eggshell, satin, semi-gloss). Leave room for the brand and product line the customer picked.
• Trim and doors. Baseboards and casings by the linear foot, and doors by the each, one side or both.
• Colors, and when you need them. Leave blanks for colors and say when you need them so the start date doesn't slip.
• Exterior extras. For exterior jobs: siding square footage, number of stories, ladder or lift work, power washing, scraping and spot priming, and caulking around windows and trim.
• What's not included, the deposit, and how long the price holds. Wallpaper removal, big drywall repairs, or moving heavy items, plus the deposit to schedule and a valid-until date.

How to figure square footage and gallons

Walls: add up the room's perimeter and multiply by the ceiling height, then take off about 20 sq ft per door and 15 sq ft per window. A 14 × 16 ft living room with 8 ft ceilings: (14 + 16 + 14 + 16) × 8 = 480 sq ft, minus 2 doors and 3 windows (85 sq ft) = 395 sq ft of wall.

Ceilings: length times width. The same room has 224 sq ft of ceiling.

Gallons: area times coats, divided by the coverage on the can. Most wall paint covers about 350 to 400 sq ft per gallon per coat on smooth walls. The sample's 1,450 sq ft of wall × 2 coats ÷ 350 = 8.3, so the estimate rounds up to 9 gallons. Rough or porous surfaces take more.

By the room instead: many painters price a standard bedroom as one number and adjust for high ceilings, dark colors, or lots of trim. The estimate handles both: put the square feet in Qty with "sq ft" as the unit, or leave Qty blank for a flat price per room.

The sample painting estimate, line by line

Here is the sample above as plain numbers, so you can check the math or copy the line names. The prices are made up for this example.

Sample text to send with a painting estimate

Save the estimate as a PDF, then send it with a short text like this one. Step 7 above fills it in from your estimate. Here it is with blanks:

Hi [first name], it's [your name] with [business]. Here's the estimate for your [job]: [link]. Total is [$]. It lists the prep, the square footage, the coats, and the paint by the gallon. It's good until [date]. Send me your colors when you're ready and we'll get you on the schedule. Questions? Call or text [phone].

Job done? Edit this estimate, then open the free invoice maker and click "Start from my last estimate": the customer, job, line items, and deposit come over. Scope changed mid-job? The free change order maker starts from this estimate and shows the new contract total. Not sure your price is right? Check it with the free pricing calculator before you send.

Estimate templates for other trades

Each one starts with that trade's usual line items: roofing, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, handyman, landscaping, house cleaning. See them all on the estimate templates page, or use the blank estimate maker.

Painting estimate questions

What should a painting estimate include?

Your business name, phone, and license number if your state requires one, the customer and job address, an estimate number, the date, and how long the price holds. Then each room or area with its square footage, prep, the number of coats, trim and doors, the paint in gallons with the sheen, supplies, what's not included, the total, and the deposit.

Should painters price by the square foot or by the room?

Both are common. Per square foot is easy to compare and works for any size, so many painters use it for walls, ceilings, and exteriors. Per room is faster to quote for standard bedrooms. Whichever you use, list prep and paint separately so the customer can see what they're paying for. Prices vary by region, so use your own numbers in place of the sample's.

How many gallons of paint should I put on the estimate?

Multiply the area by the number of coats and divide by the coverage on the can, often about 350 to 400 sq ft per gallon. For 1,450 sq ft of wall with 2 coats, that's 2,900 divided by 350, or 8.3, so plan on 9 gallons. Add more for rough surfaces, new drywall, or a big color change.

Should the paint be on my estimate, or should the customer buy it?

Most painters include the paint so they control the product and the amount, and price it at cost or with a markup like other materials. If the customer wants to buy their own, say on the estimate who supplies it and that your price covers labor and supplies only.