Painting
Painting Bid Calculator
Builds a painting bid, where the measurement is quick and the condition assessment is not.
Result
A planning estimate, not a quote. Access, the age of the equipment, what is found once it is opened up and local labour rates all move the real figure, sometimes a long way.
Get a Free Business AuditHow the calculation works
Hours times crew times rate, plus materials and the call-out, then tax. Measuring a building is straightforward and the material follows from coverage rates. The bid stands or falls on the hours, and those depend on surface condition rather than area: the same square footage can be a wash and two coats or a full scrape, prime and recoat. Assessing that condition accurately, and describing it in the bid, is the skill.
What moves the number
- Surface condition, which is the dominant labour variable.
- How much preparation is specified in the bid.
- Access and height, which affect productivity substantially.
- Whether lead-safe practices apply, which adds containment time.
Where this one goes wrong
Describe the preparation in the bid rather than quoting a price for painting. Customers comparing bids cannot see the difference between a wash and spot prime and a full scrape and prime, so the cheaper bid wins and the thorough one looks overpriced. Writing out what is included is how a properly scoped bid competes. On pre-1978 buildings, the lead-safe requirements add containment, specific work practices and cleanup verification, and a bid that has not accounted for them is either non-compliant or about to be revised.
Before you quote
- Describe the preparation explicitly so bids are comparable.
- Assess condition rather than measuring area alone.
- Include lead-safe containment time on pre-1978 buildings.
Where the rules come from
Questions
About this calculator
Why should a bid describe the preparation?
Because that is where bids differ and customers cannot see it. A wash and spot prime against a full scrape and prime is a large difference in hours and in durability, and without describing it the cheaper bid simply wins. Writing it out is how a thorough bid competes.
What makes a painting bid go wrong?
Underestimating condition. Measuring the area is easy; judging whether it needs washing or scraping back to bare substrate is the skill, and the error runs toward optimism. Discovering widespread failure after starting means either absorbing it or a difficult conversation.
Do lead rules affect the bid?
In pre-1978 buildings, yes. Containment, specific work practices and cleanup verification all add time, and a certified firm is required. A bid priced without them is either not compliant or will have to be revised, so they belong in the estimate from the start.
The formula
total = hours x people x rate + parts + call-out, then sales tax
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How to use this calculator
- Hours on site (h). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 32 h.
- People needed. Enter your own figure; the page starts at 1.
- Labour rate charged ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $68.
- Parts and materials ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $520.
- Call-out or diagnostic fee ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $95.
- Sales tax (%). Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
The result updates as you type, so you can try a figure, see what it does to estimated total, and change it back. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or saved.
A worked example
These are the figures the calculator opens with. Every number in the results column below is produced by the same calculation the page runs, so you can follow it through before putting your own figures in.
What goes in
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Hours on site | 32 h |
| People needed | 1 |
| Labour rate charged | $68 |
| Parts and materials | $520 |
| Call-out or diagnostic fee | $95 |
| Sales tax | 0% |
What comes out
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Estimated total main result | $2,791 |
| Labour | $2,176 |
| Before tax | $2,791 |
| Sales tax | $0 |
About $2,791: $2,176 of labour, $520 of parts and a $95 call-out.
How sensitive the answer is
Holding everything else steady and changing only labour rate charged, this is what happens to estimated total. It is worth knowing which of your inputs the answer actually hinges on, and which barely move it.
| Labour rate charged ($) | Estimated total |
|---|---|
| $34 | $1,703 |
| $51 | $2,247 |
| $68 example above | $2,791 |
| $102 | $3,879 |
| $136 | $4,967 |
Every other input is held at the example value while this one changes, which is not how a real job behaves. Treat it as a guide to which number matters most, not as five separate quotes.
What each figure means
- Hours on site (h)
- Measured in h, between 0 and 400, starting at 32 h.
- People needed
- A number, between 0 and 40, starting at 1.
- Labour rate charged ($)
- A money amount, starting at $68.
- Parts and materials ($)
- A money amount, starting at $520.
- Call-out or diagnostic fee ($)
- A money amount, starting at $95.
- Sales tax (%)
- Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
What the results tell you
| Result | What it is |
|---|---|
| Estimated total | The headline result. A money figure. |
| Labour | A money figure. |
| Before tax | A money figure. |
| Sales tax | A money figure. |
Estimating is the easy part
The jobs you never hear about cost more than the ones you mis-measure. BDEVY builds the marketing, systems and automation that bring them in.