Painting looks simple to customers, which is exactly why careful quoting matters: if you don't show the prep, the coats and the materials, you'll be compared on price alone. Here's how to measure, price and present a painting job like a pro.
1. Measure properly
Wall area = room perimeter × wall height, minus doors and windows. For a 14 × 12 ft room with 8 ft walls: perimeter 52 ft × 8 = 416 sq ft. Subtract one door (about 21 sq ft) and two windows (about 15 sq ft each) = 365 sq ft to paint.
Paint needed: check the can — many interior paints cover roughly 350–400 sq ft per gallon per coat on smooth, primed walls. Two coats on 365 sq ft is 730 sq ft; at 375 sq ft per gallon that's about 1.95 gallons, so buy 2. Rough, porous or dark-to-light colour changes need more (and often primer).
2. Price by area, by room, or by the hour
Most painters quote by area (per square foot of wall/ceiling, per linear foot of trim, per door) because it scales fairly with the job and is easy to explain. Room prices are simpler for customers but hide the difference between a small bedroom and a large living room. Use hourly only for unpredictable repair and prep work, with an estimate.
Whatever you use, base it on your production rate: how many square feet you and your crew actually finish per hour, including cutting in. Track it on a few jobs — it's the single most useful number in a painting business.
3. Put the prep on the quote
Prep — moving furniture, protecting floors, filling holes, sanding, caulking, priming patches — is where the quality comes from and where many painters lose money by not charging for it. Make it a visible line.
| Item | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prep — fill, sand, caulk, protect floors & furniture | 9 hr | $65.00 | $585.00 |
| Walls, two coats | 1,095 sq ft | $1.35 | $1,478.25 |
| Ceilings, one coat | 504 sq ft | $0.95 | $478.80 |
| Doors & frames | 6 each | $85.00 | $510.00 |
| Baseboards | 156 lin ft | $1.60 | $249.60 |
| Paint & materials (premium line) | 1 lot | $420.00 | $420.00 |
| Subtotal | $3,721.65 | ||
| Tax (13% — use your own local rate) | $483.81 | ||
| Total | $4,205.46 | ||
Each room: 14 × 12 ft, 8 ft ceilings → 416 sq ft of wall minus 51 sq ft of door and windows = 365 sq ft. Ceiling 14 × 12 = 168 sq ft.
Example numbers only — prices vary a lot by area, season and job. Use your own costs.
Exterior jobs
For exteriors, add lines for washing, scraping, priming bare wood, caulking, access (ladders, lifts or scaffold) and weather. Say what surfaces are included — siding, trim, soffits, doors, decks — and what's not.
4. Getting local painting jobs
- Before-and-after photos. Painting sells visually. Post every finished room.
- Realtors. Pre-listing touch-ups and neutral repaints are fast, repeat work.
- Property managers. Every tenant turnover needs paint. Offer clear per-room turnover pricing.
- Colour help. Offering simple colour advice or sample boards makes you the expert customers want.
- Genie. Claim local painting projects you want and send quotes with optional extras the client can tick on.
5. Painting quote checklist
- ✅ Rooms and surfaces listed (walls, ceilings, trim, doors)
- ✅ Areas measured and openings deducted
- ✅ Number of coats and paint line stated
- ✅ Prep work itemized
- ✅ Who moves furniture stated
- ✅ Colour changes / primer allowed for
- ✅ Clean-up and touch-up visit included
- ✅ Optional extras (closets, accent walls) as add-ons