Painting
Painting Quote Calculator
Builds a painting quote, where what you exclude matters as much as what you include.
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. A quote differs from an internal estimate in that it is the document the customer holds you to, so the scope definition carries as much weight as the number. Surfaces covered, number of coats, preparation standard, what repairs are included, who moves furniture, and what happens if hidden damage appears are all better settled in writing than assumed.
What moves the number
- Scope clarity, which determines whether the quote holds.
- Number of coats and preparation standard specified.
- What repairs and remediation are included or excluded.
- Whether a variation process is agreed.
Where this one goes wrong
The disputes in painting are almost all about scope rather than quality. Whether the ceiling was included, whether the insides of cupboards were in, how many coats, whether filling cracks was covered, and who was moving the furniture account for most of them, and all are avoidable with a few lines. Hidden damage is the one genuine unknown: rot behind paint, substrate failure and water damage are not visible until work starts, so naming them as variations with a rate beforehand is better than negotiating mid-job.
Before you quote
- List surfaces included and explicitly excluded.
- State the number of coats and the preparation standard.
- Name hidden damage as a variation with an agreed rate.
- Agree who moves and protects furniture.
Questions
About this calculator
What causes most painting disputes?
Scope rather than quality. Whether the ceiling was included, how many coats, whether crack filling was covered and who moves the furniture account for most disagreements, and all of them are avoidable with a few lines in the quote.
How should hidden damage be handled?
Named as a variation with an agreed rate before starting. Rot behind paint, failing substrate and water damage are genuinely not visible until work begins, so agreeing in advance how they will be priced is better than negotiating with a half-prepared wall.
Should the number of coats be in the quote?
Always, because it is the easiest place for expectations to diverge and the hardest to prove afterwards. Two coats over a colour change may not cover, and a customer expecting three has a different job in mind than one priced for two.
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.