Painting estimate template
Choose your country below to open the estimate maker with this preset selected.
A painting estimate prices a job room by room, so the client can see paint, preparation and labour as separate lines. Below is a worked example for a three-bedroom interior, then five plain questions.
Worked example: a three-bedroom interior
The amounts here are invented to show the method and are not a guide to what painters charge. The "$" can be any currency, and tax is left out.
The example types in 12 square metres of coverage for each litre of paint on each coat. That is a stand-in. Check your tin for the real figure. A day is 8 hours and costs $480.00, which is $60.00 an hour.
| Room | Wall area (m²) | Coats | Litres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bedroom 1 | 34 | 2 | 5.7 |
| Bedroom 2 | 30 | 2 | 5.0 |
| Bedroom 3 | 26 | 2 | 4.3 |
| Living room and hall | 60 | 2 | 10.0 |
| Walls total | 150 | 25.0 |
- Litres = wall area × coats ÷ 12. For Bedroom 1: 34 × 2 ÷ 12 = 5.67, shown as 5.7. For the total: 150 × 2 ÷ 12 = 25.0.
- Ceilings: 14 + 11 + 9 + 22 = 56 square metres. With 2 coats, 56 × 2 ÷ 12 = 9.33 litres. The estimate buys 10 litres.
Paint and supplies:
- Wall paint: 25 litres × $12.50 = $312.50.
- Ceiling paint: 10 litres × $9.50 = $95.00.
- Trim paint: 2 litres × $22.00 = $44.00.
- Small supplies (tape, drop sheets, filler): $60.00.
Labour, at $480.00 a day:
- Preparation of walls and trim: 12 hours, or 1.5 days = $720.00.
- Walls: 3 days = $1,440.00.
- Ceilings, including their own prep: 1 day = $480.00.
- Trim: 1.5 days = $720.00.
- Labour total: 7 days. $720.00 + $1,440.00 + $480.00 + $720.00 = $3,360.00.
| Without ceilings | With ceilings | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour | $2,880.00 | $3,360.00 |
| Paint | $356.50 | $451.50 |
| Small supplies | $60.00 | $60.00 |
| Total | $3,296.50 | $3,871.50 |
- Without ceilings: 6 days × $480.00 = $2,880.00. Paint is $312.50 + $44.00 = $356.50. Total: $2,880.00 + $356.50 + $60.00 = $3,296.50.
- With ceilings: add one day ($480.00) and the ceiling paint ($95.00). That is $575.00 more: $3,296.50 + $575.00 = $3,871.50.
- Working it from the other side: $3,360.00 + $451.50 + $60.00 = $3,871.50.
Labour is $3,360.00 and paint is $451.50. In this job, labour is more than seven times the cost of the paint.
Make your own estimate
Make an estimate with your own rooms, rates and coats. After a yes, raise a work order for the painters.
Five plain questions
How do I work out how much paint I need?
Multiply the area by the number of coats, then divide by the coverage on the tin. In the example, Bedroom 1 is 34 m² × 2 coats ÷ 12 = 5.67 litres. Use the wall area without doors and windows. Round up to the tin sizes you can buy.
Do I price ceilings and trim separately?
Yes, on their own lines. Then the client can see what each part costs and drop one. In the example, taking out the ceilings cuts the total from $3,871.50 to $3,296.50, a saving of $575.00. Separate lines are good practice. We found no official rule that requires them.
What counts as prep and what do I charge for it?
Prep is the work before the first coat: washing, filling holes, sanding, masking and covering floors. Charge it as its own line, in hours or days. The example has 12 hours of prep for walls and trim. Say what you will not do, such as repairing water damage, so the client does not assume it is included. None of this comes from an official page.
How many coats should I quote for?
Two coats is common, and the example uses two on walls and ceilings. State the number on the estimate. If a third wall coat is needed, the walls take 150 × 3 ÷ 12 = 37.5 litres. That is 12.5 litres more, or $156.25 of paint at $12.50 a litre, plus the time to apply it. The number of coats is a trade judgement, not a rule.
Should the client supply the paint?
You can allow it, but write it down. If the client supplies the paint, the paint lines come off the estimate. In the example, that is $451.50. Say who pays if the paint runs short. If you supply the paint, remember that prices change. The Australian government's business site lists a "quote expiry date" among the things a written quote should include. Set a date on your estimate.
Checked 22 October 2026 against business.gov.au (Prepare quotes).
Sources
- business.gov.au: Prepare quotes, read 22 October 2026
About this page: written by Papertern from the official sources linked on this page, and checked against them. Rules checked 22 October 2026.
Estimate makers by country
Each country edition uses the same tax name and business ID field as that country's invoice maker, with this preset selected.
| Country | Business ID field | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | ABN | GST |
| New Zealand | GST no. | GST |
| United Kingdom | VAT no. | VAT |
| Ireland | VAT no. | VAT |
| Canada | GST/HST no. | GST/HST |
| United States | EIN | Sales tax |
| Singapore | GST reg. number | GST |