How to Bid a Painting Job: Measure, Price, and Sample Bid Math

To bid a painting job, measure the surfaces, work out materials and labor hours, add overhead and profit, and put it all on a clear estimate. Here’s the process, with sample numbers for one room.

Step 1: Measure

Wall area = room perimeter x ceiling height, minus large openings. A 12 x 14 ft room with 8 ft ceilings has a perimeter of 52 ft, so 416 sq ft of wall. Subtract one door and two windows (about 60 sq ft) and you get roughly 356 sq ft. Add 168 sq ft for the ceiling. Our square footage calculator helps with odd shapes.

Step 2: Materials

Paint covers about 350 to 400 sq ft per gallon on smooth walls. Walls with two coats: 356 x 2 = 712 sq ft, so about 2 gallons. Add primer, tape, plastic, patching compound and rollers. Charge materials at your cost plus markup.

Step 3: Labor

Estimate hours for each task, not the whole job at once.

Task	Hours
Move and cover furniture, mask	1.0
Patch and sand	1.5
Prime and cut in	1.5
Roll two coats	2.5
Cleanup	0.5
Total	7.0

Step 4: Sample bid math

• Labor: 7 hours x $50 = $350
• Materials: $140
• Direct cost: $490
• Overhead and profit at 30% markup: $147
• Bid: $637

For 356 + 168 = 524 sq ft, that’s about $1.22 per sq ft. If your result is far from what local painters charge per square foot, recheck your hours. These numbers are only an example.

Step 5: Write it up

List what’s included (walls, ceilings, trim), the paint brand and number of coats, what’s excluded (furniture moving, wallpaper removal), the payment terms and how long the bid is valid. Use a construction estimate template for the layout, and read markup vs margin before choosing your percentage. After the job, send a contractor invoice.

Common bidding mistakes

• Skipping prep time, which is the biggest hidden cost.
• Forgetting a second coat over dark colors.
• Not checking for lead paint in older homes. Homes built before 1978 may have it, and rules for working on them apply to contractors.