Painting Estimate Example: 3 Real Sample Estimates + Free Template

A real painting estimate example shows you what a professional painter’s line-itemed quote looks like for the most common residential jobs. Below are three full painting estimate examples — interior repaint, exterior repaint, and kitchen cabinet refinish — with every line, hour and dollar broken out so you can compare against any quote you’ve received.

Anatomy of a real painting estimate

Every example below uses the same 12-section structure that real painting estimates follow:

1. Header — painter’s business name, license, insurance, contact
2. Client & project — homeowner name, address, project name
3. Scope of work — what’s painted, what’s not
4. Surface-by-surface breakdown — walls, ceilings, trim, doors
5. Coats & paint — number of coats per surface, exact brand and product
6. Prep — patch, sand, caulk, mask, pressure-wash (line-itemed)
7. Labor — hours and burdened rate
8. Materials — paint, primer, caulk, tape, drop cloths
9. Overhead & profit — typically 15–25% on cost
10. Timeline — start date, working days, completion
11. Payment terms — deposit, progress, final
12. Warranty & change-order policy

The pillar guide on how to write a painting estimate walks through each section in detail. This page focuses on showing you what the actual filled-in numbers look like.

“A good painting estimate reads like a recipe. Anyone who picks it up should be able to see exactly what’s going into the job and exactly what they’re paying for. Vague estimates are how disputes start.”

Example 1: Interior repaint (1,500 sqft home)

Project: 3BR / 2BA single-family home interior repaint. Walls, ceilings, trim, 8 doors. Mid-grade paint, light color change throughout.

Section	Detail	Subtotal
Walls — patch, prime spots, two coats	22 hr × $45	$990
Ceilings — one coat flat	10 hr × $45	$450
Trim & baseboards — two coats satin	14 hr × $45	$630
Doors (8 slab) — two coats both sides	14 hr × $45	$630
Patch, sand, caulk	6 hr × $45	$270
Mask, move furniture, drop cloths	4 hr × $45	$180
Paint: SW ProMar 200 (5 gal) + ceiling (3 gal) + trim (1 gal)	—	$320
Materials: caulk, tape, plastic, sandpaper	—	$80
Subtotal		$3,550
Overhead & profit (20%)		$710
Total estimate		$4,260

Timeline: 5 working days. Deposit: 25% on signing, 50% on paint delivery, 25% on completion. Warranty: 3 years workmanship.

For more on what drives interior estimates, see interior painting estimate.

Example 2: Exterior repaint (2,000 sqft two-story)

Project: 2,000 sqft two-story home exterior. Body, trim, fascia, soffits, 2 garage doors. Cream body with navy trim. Hardie siding, intact paint.

Section	Detail	Subtotal
Pressure wash entire exterior	4 hr × $45	$180
Scrape loose paint, spot-prime	8 hr × $45	$360
Caulk gaps in siding and trim	6 hr × $45	$270
Mask windows, doors, fixtures	4 hr × $45	$180
Body — sprayed two coats	16 hr × $45	$720
Trim & fascia — brushed two coats	14 hr × $45	$630
Soffits — sprayed	4 hr × $45	$180
Garage doors (2) — two coats	4 hr × $45	$180
Final cleanup, plant bed paint chip removal	3 hr × $45	$135
Paint: SW Duration body (10 gal) + trim (3 gal) + primer (2 gal)	—	$870
Materials: caulk, masking, plastic, drop cloths	—	$160
Subtotal		$3,865
Overhead & profit (22%)		$850
Total estimate		$4,715

Timeline: 5 working days, weather permitting. Deposit: 33% on signing, balance on completion. Warranty: 5 years on workmanship.

For more on exterior estimates, see how to estimate exterior painting and exterior painting estimate template.

Example 3: Kitchen cabinet refinish

Project: Mid-size kitchen, 25 doors + 8 drawer faces, slab style, white shaker color, sprayed in shop, hybrid alkyd paint.

Section	Detail	Subtotal
Doors — sand, prime, two coats sprayed	25 × $75	$1,875
Drawer faces — sand, prime, two coats sprayed	8 × $45	$360
Cabinet boxes — degrease, sand, prime, two coats brushed	14 hr × $45	$630
Hardware removal & reinstall	3 hr × $45	$135
Mask, plastic, drop cloths	3 hr × $45	$135
Paint: BM Advance hybrid alkyd (2 gal) + bonding primer (1 gal)	—	$220
Materials: tack cloth, sandpaper, foam rollers	—	$60
Subtotal		$3,415
Overhead & profit (20%)		$683
Total estimate		$4,098

Timeline: 5 working days. Doors offsite days 2–4. Deposit: 33% on signing. Warranty: 5 years on workmanship.

For more on cabinet jobs, see cabinet painting estimate.

“Show me your estimate and I’ll tell you what kind of painter you’re working with. Vague one-line estimates come from painters who don’t know what they’re going to do until they get there. That’s a problem you don’t want.”

Example of a bad estimate (and what’s wrong)

Here’s a real example of the kind of vague estimate homeowners get and shouldn’t accept:

PAINTING ESTIMATE

Interior of house: $2,800
Two coats included.
Paint provided by painter.
Start next week. 50% deposit.

What’s wrong with it:

• No scope — which rooms? walls only? ceilings? trim?
• No paint brand — could be cheap builder-grade or premium, no way to know
• No prep mentioned — patches? caulk? furniture moves?
• 50% deposit is high — 25–33% is the standard
• No timeline — “next week” isn’t a start date
• No warranty — what happens if paint peels in three months?
• No license or insurance reference
• No change-order policy

If you got this estimate, the right response is “Can you send me a detailed line-itemed version showing prep, paint product, coats per surface, and warranty?” Real painters update without complaint. Painters who can’t or won’t are telling you something.

Free template — copy into your own quotes

Painters who want a free reusable template can copy this skeleton and fill in their own numbers:

[BUSINESS HEADER]
[Painter Name / Company]
License #: [STATE LICENSE]
Liability ins: [CARRIER + EXPIRY]
Workers comp: [CARRIER + EXPIRY]
Phone / Email

CLIENT
Name: [HOMEOWNER]
Address: [PROPERTY]
Estimate #: [###]
Date: [MM/DD/YYYY]
Valid through: [DATE + 60d]

SCOPE OF WORK
- [Surface 1]: [coats, paint product]
- [Surface 2]: [coats, paint product]
- Excluded: [explicitly list anything not painted]

LABOR
- Walls: [hr] × [$rate] = [$subtotal]
- Ceilings: [hr] × [$rate] = [$subtotal]
- Trim: [hr] × [$rate] = [$subtotal]
- Doors: [count] × [$piece] = [$subtotal]
- Prep (patch, caulk, mask): [hr] × [$rate] = [$subtotal]

MATERIALS
- Paint: [brand, line, gallons, $/gal]
- Primer: [brand, gallons]
- Other: caulk, tape, plastic, drop cloths

SUBTOTAL: [$cost]
Overhead & profit (20%): [$markup]
TOTAL: [$final]

TIMELINE
Start: [date]
Working days: [n]
Completion: [date]

PAYMENT TERMS
Deposit (25–33%) on signing
Progress (33–50%) on paint delivery
Balance on completion

WARRANTY
[Years] workmanship; manufacturer covers paint product

CHANGE ORDERS
Any scope change requires written change order signed by both parties before work continues.

SIGNATURE
[Painter signature + date] _______________________
[Homeowner signature + date] _______________________

For a more polished pre-filled version, see painting estimate template.

How to compare two estimates side-by-side

If you have two estimates and they’re $1,500 apart, here’s the side-by-side check that exposes which one is genuinely cheaper:

1. Same scope? Both include walls, ceilings, trim, doors, closets — or one of them quietly excluded ceilings?
2. Same coats? Two coats on every surface, or one coat hidden as “premium one-coat coverage”?
3. Same paint? Both naming a specific brand and line — or one says “premium paint” without specifics?
4. Same prep? Patch + caulk + sand on both, or one just “minor prep”?
5. Same warranty length? 5-year vs. 1-year is a real difference
6. Same insurance? Both have proof — or one has nothing on file?

If the cheaper estimate is missing line items the more expensive one has, the cheaper one isn’t cheaper — it’s a different scope at a different price. Get them to match before comparing the numbers.

FAQ

Where can I get a painting estimate template I can edit?

The skeleton above is the most complete free version online. For polished pre-filled versions, see painting estimate template for interior and exterior painting estimate template.

What software do most painters use to write estimates?

PaintScout, Jobber, Housecall Pro, and ProEst are the dominant residential tools. Excel works fine for solo painters. See best painting estimate apps for a comparison.

Should I sign an estimate or wait for a contract?

For most residential painting, the signed estimate IS the contract. Make sure it includes scope, paint specs, payment terms, warranty, and change-order policy. If it’s missing those, ask for a revised version before signing.

Are these example numbers accurate for my house?

The structure is universally accurate. The numbers will vary 20–40% by region. For your area, see cost to paint a house for regional pricing.

Can I negotiate the estimate?

Yes — but negotiate scope, not price. Ask “what would change if we removed the trim from the scope?” Painters can adjust. Asking “can you do it cheaper with the same scope?” usually means a corner gets cut.

What if the estimate misses something I want included?

Ask for a revised estimate before signing. Verbal additions don’t survive mid-job disputes. Anything not in writing didn’t get quoted.

Sources & references

Pricing ranges, labor benchmarks and sample numbers on this page are informed by the following sources, combined with 15+ years of residential painting experience contributed by John Miller.

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Painters, Construction and Maintenance (OES 47-2141)
• Painting Contractors Association (PDCA) — Industry Standards & Production Rates
• Sherwin-Williams Pro — Product Data Sheets & Coverage Specs
• Benjamin Moore for Contractors — Technical Data & Coverage