How to Price a Painting Job

As a painting contractor, provide competitive pricing that will cover the cost of labor, materials and your time. Whether you're doing interior, exterior, decorative, residential or commercial painting jobs, an effective pricing method allows you to quickly produce accurate estimates.

Things You'll Need

• Calculator Tape measure

Instructions

1. Determine the square footage of the area to be painted, how much time the job will take, how many supplies are needed and whether you will need additional workers.

2. Surface preparation--scraping, pressure washing, etc.-- as well as covering woodwork, outlets and floor surfaces, and protecting the customer's property, are all as important as the painting itself.

3. You may need to purchase clean drop cloths, additional brushes or rollers, painter's tape, pan liners and other accessories. Provide a detailed listing.

4. Include lodging, mileage and fuel costs, if travel is needed. Keep these costs to a minimum by getting everything you need before arriving at the job site.

5. If you are doing a large exterior or commercial job, where time is of the essence, having additional painters is crucial to your success.

Tips & Warnings

• Price your work competitively without shortchanging yourself.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Calculating How Much Paint You Need
• 2009 National Painting Cost Estimator CDw/BOOK