Painting
Painting Installation Revenue Calculator
Works revenue from new work, where new construction behaves differently from repainting.
Result
Service lines rarely carry the same margin. Splitting them is the only way to see which part of the business is paying for the rest, which is frequently not the part that looks busiest.
Get a Free Business AuditHow the calculation works
Jobs per month times average value with margin applied. New construction painting differs from repainting in ways that affect both revenue and risk: surfaces are bare and uniform so production rates are higher and more predictable, the work is often subcontracted from a builder on their terms, and payment follows construction industry practice with retention and longer terms rather than completion.
What moves the number
- Production rates, which are higher on bare uniform surfaces.
- Whether the work is direct or subcontracted from a builder.
- Payment terms, which in construction are longer.
- Schedule dependency on other trades finishing.
Where this one goes wrong
New construction brings a cash flow profile that repainting does not: longer payment terms, retention held until completion, and a schedule dependent on other trades, so a crew can be stood down because the drywall is not finished. That combination has ended painting businesses that were profitable on paper. Price it knowing you are funding the work for longer, and be careful about concentration, since one builder representing most of your revenue is a single point of failure on both work and payment.
Before you quote
- Price for longer payment terms and retention.
- Avoid dependence on a single builder for most revenue.
- Build schedule flexibility, since other trades will run late.
Questions
About this calculator
Is new construction painting better business than repainting?
Production rates are higher and more predictable on bare uniform surfaces, and the cash flow is worse: longer payment terms, retention held to completion, and a schedule dependent on other trades. Many businesses do both so neither weakness dominates.
What is the risk in builder subcontract work?
Concentration and payment. One builder representing most of your revenue is a single point of failure on both work and money, and construction payment terms with retention mean funding the work far longer than on residential repainting. Both are manageable and both need pricing for.
Why do painting crews get stood down on new builds?
Because painting is near the end of the sequence and depends on drywall, trim and others finishing first. When they run late the painting slot moves, and a crew booked for that week has nothing to do. Schedule flexibility is part of operating in that market.
The formula
revenue = jobs x average value; gross profit = revenue x margin
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How to use this calculator
- Repair jobs per month. Enter your own figure; the page starts at 28.
- Average value ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $2,900.
- Gross margin on this work (%). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 42%.
- Share of total revenue (%). Used to show what the whole business turns over.
The result updates as you type, so you can try a figure, see what it does to repair revenue per month, 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 |
|---|---|
| Repair jobs per month | 28 |
| Average value | $2,900 |
| Gross margin on this work | 42% |
| Share of total revenue | 40% |
What comes out
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Repair revenue per month main result | $81,200 |
| Per year | $974,400 |
| Gross profit per year | $409,248 |
| Implied total business revenue | $2,436,000 |
The repair line brings in $974,400 a year and earns $409,248 of gross profit on it.
How sensitive the answer is
Holding everything else steady and changing only average value, this is what happens to repair revenue per month. It is worth knowing which of your inputs the answer actually hinges on, and which barely move it.
| Average value ($) | Repair revenue per month |
|---|---|
| $1,450 | $40,600 |
| $2,175 | $60,900 |
| $2,900 example above | $81,200 |
| $4,350 | $121,800 |
| $5,800 | $162,400 |
Every other input is held at the example value while this one changes, which is not how a real job behaves. Treat it as a guide to which number matters most, not as five separate quotes.
What each figure means
- Repair jobs per month
- A number, between 0 and 10000, starting at 28.
- Average value ($)
- A money amount, starting at $2,900.
- Gross margin on this work (%)
- A percentage, between 0 and 95, starting at 42%.
- Share of total revenue (%)
- Used to show what the whole business turns over.
What the results tell you
| Result | What it is |
|---|---|
| Repair revenue per month | The headline result. A money figure. |
| Per year | A money figure. |
| Gross profit per year | A money figure. |
| Implied total business revenue | 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.