FREE TOOL FOR PAINTING CONTRACTORS

Estimate the paint.
Price the job.

Calculate gallons for interior walls, labor and supplies costs, then apply your own markup. A clear starting point for a painting quote, without an account or subscription.

✓ Instant calculations✓ No signup✓ Editable assumptions
YOUR PAINTING JOBEditable example figures, not recommended prices
1. Paint coverage

Enter paintable wall area, not room floor area. Coverage varies by surface, product, color, and application method. Use the paint manufacturer's specification.

2. Your project costs

Labor rate is a cost input, not a recommended customer billing rate. Include any labor burden, subcontractor costs or travel costs you want reflected in the total.

3. Pricing markup

Markup is a percentage of cost, not profit margin. Sales tax and unentered overhead or fees are excluded.

Calculations run in this browser. This free tool does not save customer records or send data to Quote Desk. Do not enter personal customer details.

LIVE ESTIMATEBEFORE TAX
Estimated customer price$1,313.75
Estimated paint required8 gallons1,200 sq ft × 2 coats + 10% waste
Paint materials$304.00
Labor cost$672.00
Other supplies$75.00
Estimated total cost$1,051.00
Gross profit on entered cost$262.75
Gross margin20.0%

Planning estimate, not a binding bid. Paint quantity is rounded up to full gallons. Account for doors/windows, ceilings, trim, primer, specialty prep, packaging sizes, and local tax separately.

FROM ONE ESTIMATE TO ALL YOUR QUOTES

Need to keep the quotes and follow-ups organized?

This free calculator helps price one job. Quote Desk saves multiple customer estimates, creates printable customer-ready quotes, tracks their status and follow-up dates, and provides manual backups. One-time $39.

See Quote Desk · $39 ↗

How to estimate an interior painting job

Start with measured paintable surface area. For each surface, multiply the area by the number of coats. Divide by the paint's stated coverage per gallon, and add an allowance for waste and touch-ups. Round up to full gallons for an initial purchase estimate. Confirm product package sizes and required primer separately.

For pricing, add your actual paint purchase cost to labor and other direct expenses, then apply your chosen markup. This is a cost-based estimate; it doesn't tell you what customers in your city will pay or whether your price adequately covers fixed overhead, insurance and risk.

What if my room is 12 by 12 feet?

Room floor area is not the same as paintable wall area. For a simple rectangular room, approximate wall area as room perimeter multiplied by wall height, then subtract openings as appropriate. The calculator takes wall surface area directly.

Does it calculate interior ceiling, trim or primer?

No, not individually. Calculate those separately with appropriate coverage, materials and labor assumptions. The gallons result applies to the surface area you entered.

Is markup the same as margin?

No. A 25% markup on $100 in entered costs produces a $125 price and a 20% gross margin, before costs you haven't included.

Does it save customer estimates?

No. This free calculator intentionally does not save customer records. The paid Quote Desk software supports stored estimates and follow-up tracking in a compatible desktop browser, with manual backups.