BuildWell
ESStart for free →
Product
Estimate and win the job
Estimating softwareAI estimatesEstimate appQuote softwareE-signature appClient portalSpanish estimates
Invoice and get paid
Invoicing softwareInvoice appDeposits and progress paymentsOnline payments
Brand and organize
Estimate templates and brandingJob photos and rendersClient management
IndustriesBathroom remodelingCarpentryCleaningConcreteDeck buildingDrywallElectricalFencingFlooringFramingGeneral contractorHandymanHVACKitchen remodelingLandscapingLawn carePaintingPlumbingRoofingSidingTileWindow and door
Free toolsAI estimate generatorEstimate generatorInvoice generatorQuote generatorCalculatorsTemplatesGlossary
PricingLog inEspañolStart for free →

Free painting estimate template

A painting estimate with 11 common line items already listed, each with its unit, and the terms painting jobs need. Add your quantities and prices, and send it.

Download PDFWordExcelImage

Free, no sign-up. Prices are left blank for your numbers.

The painting estimate template, with its line items listed

What’s on a painting estimate

Every line is one part of the painting job, priced on its own so the client can see what each part of the job costs.

Line itemUnitWhy it’s its own line
Move and cover furniture per roomeachMoving and covering furniture takes time per room, however big the walls are.
Patch nail holes and small dentseachPrep varies more than painting does. Its own lines let you price the walls you actually found.
Repair drywall crack with tape and compoundper linear ftCracks are measured by the foot and need taping, not just paint.
Caulk trim and casing jointsper linear ftCaulked joints are what make paint look finished, and they take time along every foot of trim.
Prime walls one coat with rollerper sq ftPrimer is needed on repairs, new drywall and big color changes, not on every wall, so it’s optional per room.
Brush and roll walls two coatsper sq ftWalls are the core of the job, priced by area for two coats.
Brush and roll ceiling two coatsper sq ftCeilings are slower than walls, so they carry their own rate.
Paint baseboard two coats in placeper linear ftTrim is linear and slower per foot than walls. A separate line lets clients choose walls only.
Paint door slab both sides two coatseachDoors are counted, not measured.
Prime and paint cabinet door with enameleachCabinet doors are detailed enamel work, priced per door and very different from walls.
Remove masking and detail touch-up per roomeachThe final detail pass is per room and is what the client inspects at the walkthrough.
How to fill it in

Your painting estimate in four steps

  1. 1

    Add your details

    Put in your business name, phone, email and license number once, and save the file as your master copy.

  2. 2

    Measure the job

    Measure wall and ceiling areas in square feet room by room, trim in linear feet, and count doors, windows and cabinet doors.

  3. 3

    Price each line

    Enter a quantity and your unit price on each line the job needs, in each, linear feet and square feet. Delete the lines you don’t need and add any that are missing.

  4. 4

    Send it for a signature

    Read the terms, fill in the blanks, save it as a PDF and send it. The client signs the acceptance line before you start.

How painting jobs are priced

Painters price walls and ceilings by the square foot of surface, trim by the linear foot, and doors, windows and cabinet doors each. Some quote by the room, but a room price is built from the same measurements: two coats on the walls, two on the ceiling, the baseboard and the door.

What separates a professional painting estimate from a cheap-looking one is prep. Patching, caulking, sanding and priming are where the time goes, and they vary far more from house to house than the painting itself. Listing prep on its own lines shows the client what they’re paying for and covers you when a wall needs more work than it looked like.

Ceilings and trim go slower than walls, deep colors may need a third coat, and cabinets are a different job entirely, priced per door in enamel. Clients often choose the paint; say in the terms whether paint is included and which product line, and what happens if they change colors once the work has started.

Terms already on the template

Fill in the blanks, or change them to match how you work.

  • This estimate is valid for 30 days.
  • Includes two coats of the specified paint. Deep colors needing a third coat are priced as a change.
  • Color changes after work starts are priced as a change.
  • Furniture moving covers normal room furniture; pianos, safes and fragile items are excluded.
  • A deposit is due at signing; the balance is due on completion.
BuildWell

Done with templates? Let it price the job.

Weekly
$7.99 / week
Billed weekly. Cancel anytime.
  • AI estimates priced for your area
  • Estimates, invoices, clients and projects
  • Clients sign on any phone
  • Card and bank payments, no extra BuildWell fee
  • iPhone, Android and the web
Start free trial
Best value
Annual
$79.99 / year
About $6.67 a month, billed yearly
  • AI estimates priced for your area
  • Estimates, invoices, clients and projects
  • Clients sign on any phone
  • Card and bank payments, no extra BuildWell fee
  • iPhone, Android and the web
Start free trial

Both plans include every feature and start with a 3-day free trial. Add a card to start; you’re not charged until the trial ends. Cancel anytime.

Painting estimate template FAQ

01Is this painting estimate template free?
Yes. Download the PDF, Word or Excel file and use it for as many jobs as you like. There’s no sign-up.
02Why are the prices blank?
Prices for painting work depend on your area, your suppliers and your crew, so the template lists the work and its unit and leaves the quantities and prices to you. In the Excel version, each line, the subtotal, the tax and the total calculate themselves once you fill them in.
03Can BuildWell price the estimate for me?
Yes, with a subscription. Describe the job by voice, text or photos and BuildWell lists the line items, prices materials at stores near the job (checked within 30 days) and labor at your metro’s median wage for each trade, plus your overhead and markup. It costs $7.99 a week or $79.99 a year after a 3-day free trial.
04Should I price painting by the room or by the square foot?
Square feet are more accurate and easier to explain, because rooms vary so much. You can still give the client a room price: keep each room’s lines together and add them up.
05Do I include the paint in the price?
Either way works. If you supply it, add it as its own line or build it into the per-square-foot price and name the product in the terms. If the client buys it, say so, so the price is clearly labor only.
06How do I account for prep work?
Give prep its own lines, such as patching, caulking and priming, instead of padding the wall price. It’s easier to explain, and you can add or remove it once you’ve seen the walls.

Browse by format

Guides for painting estimates

Browse by trade

Price your next painting job today

Estimates, invoices, e-signatures and payments in one place, on your phone and on the web.

Start for free →3-day free trial. Cancel anytime.