You walked through the house, the homeowner pointed at every wall, and you nodded: "No problem." Now you're at the kitchen table with a tape measure's worth of numbers on a napkin, trying to remember if the hallway had one door or two.
This painting estimate template turns those numbers into a clean, professional estimate. The Excel and Google Sheets versions calculate the wall and ceiling area of every room, subtract doors and windows, work out how many gallons you need and price the whole job, with a likely range so nobody gets surprised.
Download the free painting estimate template
No email required. In the Excel file, everything in blue is yours to fill in. Everything in black calculates on its own.
What's in this painting estimate template
- Room-by-room measurements for up to 8 rooms: length, width, height, doors and windows.
- Wall and ceiling area, calculated: perimeter times height, minus doors and windows, plus the ceiling.
- A paint calculator: set the coverage per gallon and the number of coats, and it tells you how many gallons to buy for walls and ceilings.
- Line items that fill themselves in: wall labor, ceiling labor and paint use the calculated numbers. Trim, prep, supplies and furniture are yours to add.
- Subtotal, discount, tax, estimated total and a likely price range. Set the range to 0% for a fixed-price quote.
- Notes for paint brand and finish, number of coats and what's not included, plus a signature line.
How to estimate a painting job (step by step)
1. Measure every room
Length, width and wall height, in feet. Count the doors and windows. Note anything unusual: high ceilings, stairwells, dark colors that need extra coats.
2. Calculate the paintable area
- Walls: 2 × (length + width) × height. A 12 × 12 room with 8-foot walls has 384 sq ft of wall.
- Subtract openings: about 21 sq ft per door and 15 sq ft per window. With one door and two windows, that room has 333 sq ft to paint.
- Ceiling: length × width. That room's ceiling is 144 sq ft.
The template does all of this for every room.
3. Work out the paint
Divide the area by the coverage on the can (350 sq ft per gallon is a common figure) and multiply by the number of coats. Round up. 1,321 sq ft of wall with 2 coats needs 8 gallons.
4. Don't forget the prep
Patching, sanding, caulking, taping and covering floors take real time, and they're where painters lose the most money on a job. Price prep separately, by the hour, so the customer sees it and you get paid for it.
5. Add trim, supplies and the extras
Baseboards and door casings by the linear foot. Tape, plastic, rollers and brushes. Moving furniture. Every line you add makes your estimate look more thorough than the competitor's single number.
6. Show a range and set an expiry date
A range like "$3,451 to $4,218" sets honest expectations. An expiry date (30 days is common) protects you when paint prices go up.
How to price a painting job: 3 ways
| Method | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Per square foot | Rate × paintable area | Most jobs; easy to explain and to compare |
| Per room | A set price per standard room | Repeat work on similar homes or apartments |
| Per hour | Hourly rate × estimated hours, plus materials | Small touch-ups or jobs with lots of unknowns |
The template uses per square foot for walls and ceilings and per hour for prep, which is a common mix. Whatever you choose, know your own numbers: how many square feet your crew really paints in a day.
Painting estimate example
Here's the template filled in for an interior repaint (example prices only, since rates vary a lot by region):
| Room | Size (L × W × H) | Doors | Windows | Wall sq ft | Ceiling sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Living room | 16 × 14 × 8 | 2 | 3 | 393 | 224 |
| Kitchen | 12 × 10 × 8 | 2 | 1 | 295 | 120 |
| Bedroom 1 | 12 × 12 × 8 | 1 | 2 | 333 | 144 |
| Bedroom 2 | 11 × 10 × 8 | 1 | 1 | 300 | 110 |
| Total | 1,321 | 598 |
| # | Description | Qty | Unit price | Line total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wall painting labor (per sq ft) | 1,321 | $1.50 | $1,981.50 |
| 2 | Ceiling painting labor (per sq ft) | 598 | $1.00 | $598.00 |
| 3 | Trim and baseboards (linear ft) | 220 | $1.25 | $275.00 |
| 4 | Prep: patch, sand, caulk and tape (hours) | 6 | $55.00 | $330.00 |
| 5 | Wall paint (gallons, 2 coats) | 8 | $45.00 | $360.00 |
| 6 | Ceiling paint (gallons, 1 coat) | 2 | $35.00 | $70.00 |
| 7 | Supplies: tape, plastic, rollers | 1 | $120.00 | $120.00 |
| 8 | Move and cover furniture | 1 | $100.00 | $100.00 |
| Estimated total | $3,834.50 | |||
| Likely range (± 10%) | $3,451 to $4,218 |
Interior vs exterior painting estimates
The method is the same, but exterior jobs add their own lines:
- Measure each side of the house as width × height (use the template's room rows for this, and leave the ceiling column empty).
- Add surface prep: pressure washing, scraping, priming bare wood.
- Add access: ladders, scaffolding or a lift for second stories.
- Plan for weather: say in the notes that dates depend on dry weather and temperature.
What to say to customers
When you send it:
Hi [name], here's your painting estimate for [rooms]. The likely range is [$low] to [$high], including prep, two coats on the walls and all materials. Once you've picked your colors, we can lock in a start date.
Follow-up after 3 days:
Hi [name], just checking you got the estimate. Any questions about the colors or the finish? I have an opening on [date], and the estimate is valid until [date].
Ready to commit to a fixed number? Turn it into a quote. Not sure which you're giving? See estimate vs quote.
Write it faster with AI
Walk the house and record a 2-minute voice note: each room's size, doors and windows, condition of the walls, colors. Turn it into text and paste it into an AI assistant (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Copilot) with this prompt:
Turn my notes into a clear painting estimate for [customer name]: a one-sentence job description, a list of rooms with length, width, height, doors and windows, line items for labor, prep, paint and supplies, what's not included and a timeline. Plain English, friendly tone. My notes: [paste]
Copy the room sizes into the template so the areas and paint calculate. AI drafts, you decide.
More free estimate templates
- By trade: Roofing estimate template, Landscaping estimate template, Plumbing estimate template, Handyman estimate template, HVAC estimate template.
- Estimate template: for any job, with a likely price range.
- Quote template: for fixed-price jobs.
Frequently asked questions
How many gallons of paint do I need for a room?
Calculate the wall area (perimeter × height, minus doors and windows), multiply by the number of coats and divide by the coverage on the can, often around 350 sq ft per gallon. A typical 12 × 12 bedroom with two coats needs about 2 gallons for the walls.
How do you calculate square footage for painting?
For walls: add the length and width of the room, multiply by 2, then by the wall height. Subtract about 21 sq ft per door and 15 sq ft per window. For ceilings: length × width.
Should painting estimates be free?
Most painters give free estimates for residential jobs, since it's how they win work. Some charge for color consultations or large commercial bids and credit it back if the customer books.
How long should a painting estimate be valid?
30 days is common. Paint prices and your schedule change, so an expiry date protects you.
Can I use this painting estimate template in Google Sheets?
Yes. Use the Google Sheets link above to make your own copy, or upload the Excel file to Google Drive and open it with Google Sheets. The formulas work in both.
Want to win more of the jobs you estimate?
This template comes from Close More Deals, book 2 of the AI for Small Business series. It shows you how to reply to new inquiries fast, turn a voice note into an estimate in minutes, follow up without being pushy and bring past customers back, with ready-to-copy messages and a Sales Tracker spreadsheet.
See the full kit · or start with the free 5 Quick Wins guide