Commercial painting bids and quotes
A competitive commercial painting bid is a takeoff by paint system, priced with your own production rates, then wrapped in a scope letter a GC can compare line for line. The money is won or lost in prep, access, touch-up and the assumptions you write down.
- Takeoff by system
- Labor and materials
- Prep, access and touch-up
- Scope letter
Build the number
- Take off by system from the finish schedule and Division 09 91 00 spec: walls, ceilings, doors, frames, trim, exposed structure, specialty coatings.
- Labor hours: area × coats ÷ production rate, by system and condition, plus prep, setup and cleanup. Production tables, including PCA's, exclude prep, setup and cleanup, so price those separately.
- Materials: gallons by system from the data sheet spread rate (or 1,604 × volume solids ÷ dry mils), plus your loss factor, plus sundries (tape, plastic, caulk, patch, rollers).
- Access: lifts, scaffolding, ladders, and the time to move them.
- Conditions: occupied space, night or weekend work, phasing and multiple mobilizations.
- Labor burden: taxes, insurance, benefits, and prevailing wage where it applies.
- General conditions: supervision, submittals, mock-ups, attic stock, cleanup, punch.
- Overhead and profit.
Pricing a floor
Illustrative quantities and rates. Use your own production history and costs.
| System | Quantity | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| GWB walls, primer + 2 eggshell | 18,000 sf | Roll; production by your rate; 3 coats |
| HM doors and frames | 60 EA | Per each, both sides |
| Exposed deck and joists, dryfall | 4,000 sf plan area | Spray; apply your deck multiplier for true surface; masking |
| Lifts for deck | 2 scissor lifts, 2 weeks | Rental plus delivery |
| Phasing | 3 mobilizations | Setup and cleanup each |
Walls, labor: 18,000 × 3 ÷ your sf/hr rate + prep + setup + cleanup
Where bids lose money
- Who repairs drywall damage from other trades? Exclude it, price it as an allowance, or price it per hour.
- Finish level: if the spec calls for paint over Level 4 drywall but owner expectations are Level 5 (under GA-214, Level 5 is recommended for gloss, dark colors and critical lighting), address it before you bid.
- Caulking: at frames, base and dissimilar materials, often in the painting spec.
- Surface prep for metals: primed steel, galvanized and existing coatings each need specified prep. High-performance coatings may cite SSPC/AMPP surface preparation standards and hold points between coats.
- Lead: in older buildings, EPA's RRP Rule (housing and child-occupied facilities built before 1978) or OSHA 29 CFR 1926.62 can apply.
Define "done"
The Painting Contractors Association's industry standards help settle finish disputes before they start:
- PCA P1: defines a properly painted surface, judged without magnification from 39 inches (1 m) or more, under finished lighting from a normal viewing position. It also covers touch-up of your own deficiencies vs. damage by others.
- PCA P4: responsibilities for inspecting and accepting surfaces before painting.
- PCA P5: benchmark samples (mock-ups) that set the achievable finish before production.
Reference them in your scope letter. "Touch-up per PCA P1; repair of damage by others at time and material" is a clearer promise than "touch-up included."
Read the spec
- Specified products and sheens per surface; substitutions need approval before bid or as voluntary alternates.
- Required mock-ups, sample areas and color counts (accent walls and extra colors cost labor).
- Inspections and recoat windows on high-performance coatings.
- Working hours, occupied areas, and VOC limits in some regions.
- Attic stock quantities.
Prevailing wage
On federally funded or assisted contracts over $2,000 for construction, alteration or repair, including painting and decorating, the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts require prevailing wages and fringe benefits from the applicable wage determination. Many states have their own prevailing wage laws. Price the correct classification and certified payroll time.
What to state
- Systems by area, number of coats, sheen and color count
- Prep included, with drywall repair responsibility stated
- Finish level assumed and inspection standard (PCA P1 at 39 in.)
- Touch-up and punch included; damage by others excluded or priced
- Access assumptions (lifts by you or by GC)
- Phasing and number of mobilizations
- Exclusions: wallcovering, specialty coatings, equipment painting, piping not called for, caulking by others, lead abatement
- Prevailing wage and bonds, if applicable
GCs level painting bids by scope. A clear letter makes your number easier to carry.
Wall and ceiling areas off the drawings, with sources.
RenderDraw's AI takeoff proposes paintable areas, counts and finish references from plans, elevations and finish schedules, each tied to its sheet, then holds uncertain items for estimator review.
- Areas by room and finish. Matched to the finish schedule and kept traceable.
- Doors, frames and openings counted. So deductions and trim items are not guesswork.
- Addenda through the same review. Send the changed sheets back through takeoff and estimator review.
- Your production rates. Coats, rates, crew and margin stay in your hands.
Send one painting set
Plans, finish schedule and specs. Files stay private while RenderDraw assesses the request. No obligation.
RenderDraw does not publish accuracy percentages or time-saved claims. Test it on your own plan set.
Questions estimators ask.
How do you price a commercial painting job?
Take off areas and counts by paint system, convert to hours with your production rates plus prep, setup and cleanup, add materials, access, conditions, labor burden and general conditions, then overhead and profit.
What is a properly painted surface?
Under PCA Standard P1, a surface applied per the contract documents and data sheets, uniform in appearance, color, texture, hiding and sheen, judged without magnification from 39 inches or more under finished lighting.
Where do painting bids lose money?
Prep, especially drywall repair for other trades, finish level mismatches, access, touch-up of damage by others and multiple mobilizations.
Does prevailing wage apply to painting?
On federally funded or assisted construction contracts over $2,000, Davis-Bacon applies and explicitly includes painting and decorating. State laws may also apply.
What should a painting scope letter include?
Systems, coats, colors, prep, finish level, inspection standard, touch-up terms, access, phasing, exclusions and labor terms.
Can RenderDraw help with painting takeoffs?
RenderDraw's AI takeoff proposes room areas, wall lengths and door counts from drawings with the source sheet on each row, for your estimator to review. Get a free sample takeoff.
Faster painting takeoffs.
Send a set. RenderDraw proposes room areas and door counts with sources so you can price sooner.
- Upload the plans, specs and schedules, plus an addendum if you have one.
- RenderDraw reviews the set and the scope you want tested.
- We follow up with extracted quantities, flagged items and next steps.
Where these numbers come from
We checked this guide against the standards, manufacturer documents and industry references below (last reviewed November 2026). Figures marked as rules of thumb are typical ranges, not requirements; your project documents, local code and your own cost history govern.
- PCA Standard P1: Touch up painting and definition of a properly painted surface (PDF)
- PCA Standard P4: Inspection and acceptance of surfaces prior to painting (PDF)
- PCA Standard P5: Benchmark sample procedures (PDF)
- PCA: 10 tips for estimating
- U.S. DOL: Davis-Bacon and Related Acts
- National Gypsum: Gypsum board finish levels
- Dunn-Edwards: Volume solids technical bulletin (PDF)