How to price a painting job

Question

Kate Swindlehurst · Accepted Answer

To price a painting job, you should detail exactly what you plan on doing and then give an exact price. You can walk the area with the client to ensure you both know exactly what needs to be done and how it will be completed, including things like whether or not you include washing the area down or painting trim.

Painting jobs are typically priced in three ways. They are either priced hourly by how long the job takes. Some people may multiply the cost of materials by some number like 5.

Some contractors have a rough base rate of $1.50 to $2.00 per square foot. Finding whatever way works best for you is key to pricing your job.

You can measure out the area if you want to do it exactly by square feet. If you do this route, it does include a bit more mathematics but can be more exact if you prefer that way.

You can also do it hourly, depending on what works best for you and your business. The material pricing one can also be useful, and you could even do some sort of combination of multiple.

To finalize the pricing for your job, you should look into competitor pricing in your area. This allows you to see what is fair and reasonable. You should ensure you aren't charging more than 15% over what other competitors are charging. You also should ensure you aren't the cheapest option, as that can cheapen your work.