How to Estimate a Painting Job: 4 Steps to Guaranteed Profit

1. Estimate the cost of paint and materials

The cost of painting materials will depend on the job’s size and complexity. You’ll need different materials for an interior and exterior paint job.

You’ll only need to buy new paint and primer for most new jobs after you’ve bought materials for your first interior paint job. This can include rollers, brushes, trays, drop cloths, and painter’s tape. Those basic materials, minus paint, can cost about $30 to $50 for a 400-square-foot room.

Expect to buy more materials for exterior painting. For a 2,000 square foot home, it can cost between $130 to $160 (USD).

How to estimate paint costs

Paint will take up a large portion of your costs. Here’s how to estimate the amount of paint you need and how to accurately measure your paint site for interior and exterior paint jobs.

Interior paint costs

The average one-coat interior paint costs $25 to $65 per gallon, and higher-end paints can cost over $70. One gallon of paint will usually cover 300 to 400 square feet of wall or ceiling.

For projects that need primer, you should budget for $35 to $75 per gallon, depending on the type of primer. You need a bit more primer than you do paint—one gallon of primer will only cover 200 to 300 square feet.

Here are some examples of interior painting cost estimates based on home size (with primerless paint):

Home size	Gallons of paint	Total paint cost ($45 per gallon average)
1,500 sq ft.	5	$225
2,500 sq ft.	9	$405
4,000 sq ft.	14	$630

2. Estimate the cost of labor

To calculate your labor costs, start by inspecting the job site and estimating how long the work will take. After all, you need to be compensated for your time, not just for the paint and materials you purchased.

Visit the job site

When you visit your potential client’s home, take careful measurements and write down the square footage and how much prep work each room will need. Without inspecting the space, you could overestimate or underestimate how much labor you need—and set the wrong prices.

Take note of any obstacles that could slow down the job and increase your labor hours. Those could include:

• Hard-to-paint windows (e.g. vinyl, embedded)
• Height of the house (taller houses take more setup and equipment)
• Outdoor obstructions, like trees and ivy
• Time-intensive prep work (e.g., peeling, fixing wood damage, caulking failure)
• House structures that are hard to paint around (e.g., steep roofs)
• Needing more paint coats than expected

Calculate your labor costs

Once you know how much time the job will take, calculate your hourly labor cost (or direct labor cost). When you price your labor cost using an hourly strategy, you’ll incentivize your team to work quickly to complete more jobs in a day.

Estimating labor costs is more straightforward if you’re a solo entrepreneur. For example, if you set your hourly rate at $30 an hour and the job will take a full 8-hour day, you should estimate $240 in direct labor costs.

3. Estimate overhead costs

Your overhead costs are any additional expenses that keep your business operating, and they usually take up around 10% of your total costs.

Most of your overhead costs (like insurance or vehicle fuel) are likely monthly or annual, so it can be hard to calculate what your overhead will be for one specific job. You can estimate overhead costs for one specific project by finding your hourly overhead rate.

To calculate your overhead costs per hour, use this formula:

Total monthly overhead ÷ # of billable hours per month

Let’s say your overhead costs for the month are $5,000, and your team works 800 billable hours every month. Your overhead cost per hour would be $6.25.

To calculate your overhead costs for one specific project, multiply your hourly overhead rate by the number of hours your project will take. If you have a 2-day, 16-hour paint job, your overhead for the project will be $100.

Common Overhead Expenses

Here are some common overhead expenses to consider:

Business equipment

Pens and paper. Computers and tablets. This type of expense includes most supplies you use to run your business.

Office rent and utilities

If you lease or own a physical office or storage space, include these costs in your overhead. This is particularly important if you have a place to store equipment and supplies or an office for administrative tasks.

You may also have utility costs for electricity, water, and internet.

Reusable painting tools

This includes brushes, rollers, ladders, drop cloths, and other tools you use for multiple jobs. While these aren’t single-use items, they experience wear and tear over time. They need to be replaced periodically.

Factor in the cost of maintaining and replacing these tools as needed. Regular cleaning and proper storage can help them last longer.

Insurance

General liability insurance covers any potential damage or accidents on the job. You might also need workers’ compensation insurance if you have employees. And even commercial auto insurance if you use paint trucks for your business.

The cost of insurance can vary depending on the size of your business and the extent of coverage.

Taxes

Set aside a portion of your income for federal, state, and local taxes. Stay compliant with tax regulations to avoid penalties.

If applicable, collect and remit sales taxes on your services.

If you’re self-employed, you’ll need to account for additional taxes that cover Social Security and Medicare.

Software subscriptions

You might be using software that helps manage your operations, such as business management software like Jobber. Software often comes with monthly or annual subscription fees.

READ MORE: Apps for painting contractors to help you streamline your workflow

Vehicles, fuel, and maintenance

Regular maintenance for your vehicles—such as oil changes, tire replacements, and brake checks—keeps them running smoothly and prevents costly repairs. Estimate your fuel expenses based on the average distance traveled for jobs and the fuel efficiency of your vehicles.

Travel time to the job

Calculate the cost of traveling to and from job sites. This includes fuel, vehicle repairs, and time spent traveling.

Marketing and advertising

This includes costs associated with:

• Maintaining your website
• Running online ads
• Paying consultants for services like SEO and social media
• Expenses for business cards, flyers, and vehicle wraps.

READ MORE: Guide to marketing your painting business

Most of your overhead costs are likely monthly or annual, so it can be hard to calculate what your overhead will be for one specific job. You can estimate overhead costs for one specific project by finding your hourly overhead rate.

To calculate your overhead costs per hour, use this formula:

Total monthly overhead ÷ # of billable hours per month

Let’s say your overhead costs for the month are $5,000, and your team works 800 billable hours every month. Your overhead cost per hour would be $6.25.

To calculate your overhead costs for one specific project, multiply your hourly overhead rate by the number of hours your project will take. If you have a 2-day, 16-hour paint job, your overhead for the project will be $100.

4. Total your costs and add markup

Now that you’ve figured out your material, labor, and overhead costs, add them together to get your total cost estimate. This is approximately how much you can expect to spend on the project.

To decide the total price you should charge for painting jobs:

• Make your cost estimate (material + labor + overhead costs)
• Choose your desired profit margin
• Calculate your markup
• Cost estimate + markup = total price for the job

Let’s say you’ve estimated the following costs for a paint job:

• $380 for paint and materials
• $170 for labor
• $90 for project overhead

Your cost estimate for this job is $640. Now, you need to set a price for the client that’ll bring you enough revenue to profit from the job.

Decide what you want your operating profit margin to be—that’s the difference between your revenue and your costs after a job.

Here’s how you calculate your operating profit margin on a job:

(Revenue – cost) ÷ revenue

In this example, if your costs are $640 and you charge the client $800, your operating profit margin is $160, or 20%.

To meet that profit margin, you need to add markup to your estimated material, labor, and overhead costs. Markup is the difference between the cost to you ($640) and the amount you charge to the customer.

If you charge your client $800, you’re charging 25% more than what the job cost you. That 25% is your markup.

READ MORE: How to start a painting business: an easy guide

How much do painters usually charge?

On average, interior painting contractors charge between $1.50 and $3.50 per square foot. Prices average around $1.50 to $3.50 for walls only and $3 to $4 if you include trims and ceilings. The U.S. national average cost to paint a home interior is $2,003, and the range is between $966 and $3,062.

Exterior painting services can cost $2 to $4.50 per square foot and an average of $1,810 and $4,512 per house.

Your painting estimate will depend on typical painting contractor pricing in your region, as well as job-related factors like:

• Square footage of the house
• Number of stories in the house
• Location of the house
• Conditions of the walls, windows, and other surfaces
• Paint and material prices
• Amount of coats you need to paint
• Amount of prep work required

If any of these job conditions demand more labor than expected, write them on your final invoice where you outline the work you’ve done. When it’s time to charge your client, use a painting invoice generator to easily add your services as line items on your invoice.

Pro Tip: Check what other painting contractors in your region are charging to make sure your pricing is competitive. If their websites don’t have pricing information, try calling for a quote.

READ MORE: Is an estimate a contract?