Painting estimate template
An estimate is your best professional judgment of what a job will cost, given before the work starts. Download this one as a PDF or an Excel spreadsheet, or fill it in online: it comes preloaded with 12 painting line items you can edit, delete or price your own way, then export a PDF straight from the browser. Free, no signup, and nothing you type is uploaded anywhere.
Download the Painting estimate template
The same sample document in two formats. The PDF is what a finished estimate looks like; the spreadsheet has live formulas, so change a quantity or a rate and the totals follow.
No signup, no email, no watermark. Sample figures — edit everything. Opens in Excel, Numbers and Google Sheets.
See this estimate filled in, in the builder — the same sample, editable.
Your Company Name
EstimateNo. EST-1001
Bill to
Client Name
456 Client Street · Their City, ST 00000
Date Sep 1, 2026
Valid until Oct 1, 2026
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labor | |||
| Interior walls, two finish coats | 400 sq ft | $2.15 | $860.00 |
| Ceilings, flat white, two coats | 400 sq ft | $1.85 | $740.00 |
| Trim, doors and casing, brush and roll | 40 ft | $4.25 | $170.00 |
| Interior door, both faces and edges | 1 ea | $110.00 | $110.00 |
| Materials | |||
| Premium interior latex, eggshell | 5 gal | $68.00 | $340.00 |
| Exterior acrylic, satin | 5 gal | $82.00 | $410.00 |
| Stain-blocking primer | 5 gal | $55.00 | $275.00 |
| Masking, drop cloths and floor protection | 1 ea | $135.00 | $135.00 |
| Subtotal | $3,040.00 | ||
| Tax (8.25%) | $95.70 | ||
| Total | $3,135.70 | ||
| Deposit due | $940.71 | ||
| Balance | $2,194.99 | ||
What a Painting estimate needs on it
Estimate exteriors and anything with unknown substrate condition. Failed caulk, chalking, rot at trim and lead-era coatings on pre-1978 homes all change scope, and an estimate that names them lets you reprice without it feeling like a bait and switch.
- Number of coats, per surface — walls, ceilings and trim are often different
- Prep included: patching, sanding, caulking, priming, and what level of repair is excluded
- A unit rate per repair type, so a finding is priced rather than renegotiated on the day
- Surfaces excluded — closets, ceilings, inside cabinets are the usual arguments
- That carpentry repair and lead-safe remediation are priced separately if found
And what every estimate needs
Use an estimate when the scope is clear but the final number can still move — concealed damage, a substrate you cannot see until demo, or material prices that change between bid and start date.
- An expiry date, so a months-old number cannot be held against you
- Scope written plainly enough that a homeowner knows what is excluded
- A deposit or payment schedule if you need money before mobilising
- A signature line, so acceptance is recorded rather than remembered
Painting line items included in this template
These load into the builder ready to edit. Prices are starting points, not our opinion of what you should charge — set your own and they save to your price book.
| Item | Unit | Typical rate |
|---|---|---|
| Labor | ||
| Interior walls, two finish coats | sq ft | $2.15 |
| Ceilings, flat white, two coats | sq ft | $1.85 |
| Trim, doors and casing, brush and roll | ft | $4.25 |
| Interior door, both faces and edges | ea | $110.00 |
| Cabinet doors and frames, sprayed | ea | $145.00 |
| Exterior siding, prep and two coats | sq ft | $3.10 |
| Patch, sand, caulk and spot-prime | hr | $78.00 |
| Pressure wash and surface prep, exterior | ea | $425.00 |
| Materials | ||
| Premium interior latex, eggshell | gal | $68.00 |
| Exterior acrylic, satin | gal | $82.00 |
| Stain-blocking primer | gal | $55.00 |
| Masking, drop cloths and floor protection | ea | $135.00 |
Rates are illustrative US figures and vary widely by market. Price your own work.
Questions
- How many coats should a painting estimate specify?
- Say it explicitly, per surface. Two finish coats is standard for a colour change; one may be defensible on a same-colour refresh over sound paint. The number of coats is the single biggest driver of a painting price, so leaving it unstated makes your bid impossible to compare with anyone else's.
- What should I exclude on an exterior painting bid?
- Carpentry repair, glazing, roof and gutter work, and any lead-safe remediation on pre-1978 homes. List them as excluded with a note that they can be priced separately — that way finding rot at the fascia becomes an add-on rather than an argument about what "prep" covered.
- How do I estimate an exterior when I cannot tell what the substrate is doing?
- Price the work assuming sound substrate and say that is what you assumed. Failed caulk, chalking and rot at trim all change scope, and an estimate that names them lets you reprice without it feeling like a bait and switch. Give each one a unit rate so the conversation later is arithmetic.
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