how do you estimate exterior painting

How To Estimate Exterior Commercial Painting

• The size of the area: To calculate the area you need to paint, you must multiply the height by the length of each wall.
• Determine the amount of paint needed: Usually, one gallon of paint covers about 400 square feet of smooth surface and...
• Calculate the total cost for materials: Since good-quality exterior paint costs about...

Full Answer

What is the average cost of painting an exterior house?

The cost to paint your home’s exterior will be a bit less overall, though the paint products themselves are a bit more costly. On average, expect to pay between $3,500 and $7,000. On top of enhancing your curb appeal, repainting your exterior increases the value of your home.

How much exterior painting cost?

To determine how much it costs to paint a house, first consider whether you plan to hire a professional painter or tackle the project as a do-it-yourself job. The national average for professionals to paint the exterior of a 1,500- to 2,500-square-foot home ranges between $1,000 to $6,000, according to HomeAdvisor.

How to properly paint your homes exterior?

How to Properly Paint the Exterior of Your Home

• Gather the Materials. When it comes to proper exterior painting, one of the first things you’ll need to do is gather the necessary materials.
• Clean the Surface. After gathering the necessary materials, you’ll need to start cleaning the surface of the exterior. ...
• Make Repairs. ...
• Choose a Paint. ...
• Apply the Paint. ...
• Start Exterior Painting the Right Way. ...

How much to paint a house exterior?

“The estimated cost to paint both the interior and exterior of a house would cost somewhere between $15-20k. This is dependent on fixings and detail within the property itself - for example, if you have French windows throughout your house, it will take a painter a much longer time to complete the job.”

How do you charge for exterior painting?

Some painters keep it simple and just charge by square foot; If you charge $1.25 per square foot, 2500 sq ft. would cost $3,125 for the homeowner etc. (for exterior). For interior you'll want to charge $2 per square foot minimum.

How do you calculate exterior paint?

Multiply the perimeter of the home by the height. Tip: For a more accurate estimate, subtract doors and windows from your wall area calculation. An average window is 15 square feet and an average door is 20 square feet. If you have gables, multiply the width of the gable by its height, and divide by two.

How do you figure square footage for exterior painting?

The first part is easy. Measure the perimeter of your house (the distance around it) – the main part, not including porches or other appendages. Then, multiply that number by the height, and you have the square footage (the area to be painted).

How do I estimate labor cost for painting?

Some contractors use a rough base rate of $1.50 or $2.00 per square foot, some multiply 4 to 6 times the paint cost, some estimate the time the job will take and add it to an estimate of materials—and some may simply offer the lowest price to outbid the competition.

How do you bid on a paint job?

Let's say one gallon of paint covers 400 square feet and the job is a total of 1,500 square feet. Four gallons of paint would cover 1,600 square feet, which would be more than enough for your job. You then would multiply those paint prices by the price it costs for one gallon.

How much should it cost to paint the exterior of a 2000 square foot house?

The average cost to paint the exterior of a 2,000-square-foot home is about $5,200, but that number rises to the $5,000–$12,000 cost range for a three-story house. Regardless of the number of stories or the square footage of your home, average outdoor painting prices break down to $1–$4 per square foot.

How do painters calculate square footage?

Painters calculate the square footage by multiplying the length of each room in your home by their corresponding width to determine the total amount of square footage in a particular space.

How much does it cost to paint a 1500 square foot house?

For example, a 1,500 square foot home will need five gallons of paint for a single coat with a 300 square foot coverage (1,500 ÷ 300 = 5). There are also free paint calculators available online to assist with this calculation. Keep in mind that most homes will need two coats of paint.

How many square feet will 5 gallons of paint cover?

According to our paint estimator, 5 gallons of paint can cover up to 1,800 square feet. A quart of paint will cover about 90 square feet of space.

What should a painting quote include?

Quotes should include not only the window of time that it will take for the painters to complete the job but also how soon they will be able to get started and complete the work for you. Quotes should include terms and a guarantee. You will want to know that your painter is insured and bonded.

How do you quote a house for painting?

Do a Site Visit. Do yourself a favor and visit the site first before you start your estimate. ... Estimate the Cost of Paint. ... Estimate the Cost of Materials. ... Estimate the Cost of Labor. ... Estimate the Cost of Marketing. ... Apply Your Markup. ... Do the Final Calculation.

How much does it cost to paint a 1600 sq ft house?

Typically, it costs $2 to $6 per square foot, including paint and materials, with most jobs averaging $3.50 per square foot....Interior Painting by Square Footage.Square FootAverage Cost to Paint Inside a Home1,200$4,2001,300$4,5501,500$5,2501,600$5,6005 more rows

How much paint do I need for 1000 square feet exterior?

As per general guidelines, for painting of house of a 1000 square foot area, generally you will need approximately 5 to 7 gallons or 20 to 25 litres of exterior paint and 1 gallon paint for exterior trim for about two coat.

How many gallons of paint do I need for exterior house?

How Much Paint do You Need? Picture Guide – Exterior + InteriorHouse SizeBody/WallsTotal Gallons1500 sq ft.12152500 sq ft.18223500 sq ft.25315000 sq ft.3543Jan 9, 2018

How much exterior paint do I need for a 3000 square foot house?

The average two story home (about 2,500 square feet) will take 22 to 25 gallons of paint for siding, soffits, and overhangs and 3 to 5 gallons for accented trim. For a larger home (around 3000 square feet), it will take 25 to 30 gallons and 5 to 7 gallons for the accented trim.

How many gallons of paint do I need for a 2200 square foot house?

You may be wondering how many gallons of paint do I need for a 2200 square feet house:– as per general guidelines, for painting of house of a 2200 square foot area, generally you will need approximately 10 to 12 gallons of exterior paint, 2 gallons paint for exterior trim, 15 to 16 gallons of interior paint and 3 ...

How much does it cost to paint a gallon of exterior paint?

Calculate the total cost for materials: Since good-quality exterior paint costs about $25 to $40 per gallon, you’ll have to pay between $140 (5.5x$25) and $300 (7.5x$40) only for the paint. You may also want to add brushes, rollers, paint trays, and drop cloths.

How long does it take to paint a 50 square foot area?

If a worker, for instance, can prepare 50 square feet and paint roughly 150 square feet per hour, the project will take about 57 hours (2,108÷50=42.16 hours to prepare the area; 2,108÷150=14.05 hours to paint the area). Then, you need to multiply the number of hours by what you pay your workers.

How many square feet does a gallon of paint cover?

Determine the amount of paint needed: Usually, one gallon of paint covers about 400 square feet of smooth surface and 300 square feet of textured surface. If we consider the aforementioned example, you need about 5.5 gallons of paint to cover 2,108 square feet of smooth surface and 7.5 gallons of paint for textured surface. If two coats are needed, you will double the amount of project listed above.

Why is accurate cost estimate important?

Accurate cost estimates are necessary for the successful completion of any project. When it comes to exterior commercial painting, professional painters must be able to calculate the costs associated with labor, materials, equipment, and miscellaneous items. For the best results, estimates should be flexible and adaptable to project modifications.

How to come up with an accurate cost estimate?

To come up with an accurate cost estimate, you need to assess the scope of the project along with the technical implications. Below are a few things to consider when estimating the cost of a commercial painting job.

Do painters price their work according to square footage?

One important thing to keep in mind is that cost estimates increase with the size of the area to be painted. For this reason, painters price their work according to the square footage. Since certain things, such as the intricacy of trim details, difficulty of prep tasks, safety tasks and outdoor obstructions can complicate a painting job considerably, most painters also factor in these details.

How many hours to paint trim?

We plan to paint trim at 40 feet per hour. If you have 300 feet of trim on the house, then that would be 7.5 hours of work. You also need to consider your total hours for prep work. You can estimate exterior paint jobs prep work by area.

How long does it take to spray paint a house?

For any area being sprayed, calculate the square footage. If you are spraying one coat of paint, assume it will take 1 hour for 200 square feet. This estimate includes the masking and prep time, as well as spraying. Include the eaves in the square footage of the area to be sprayed. Also include windows in that calculation because they need to be masked off.

How to calculate labor cost?

Step 2: Calculating you price 1 Add them up. Labor + Materials = Total Cost 2 Take your Total Cost and Divide by .42 (the price should be a little more than double your cost). This is your total price. 3 Multiply that price by .9 (this is the 10% discount you can offer). This is your price including discounts. 4 The discounted price should be a little more than double your cost. That little bit extra will cover materials like tape, paper, plastic, and any other miscellaneous things you did not include.

How many feet of fascia is a window?

For example, a window trim is 5×5. That’s about 20 feet of linear trim. If the house is 30 feet wide, the first story of fascia is probably 30 feet.

How many square feet does body paint cover?

Body paint covers 200 square feet per gallon. If it’s stucco, you are rolling the house, it’s really dry and you can tell it is going to soak up a ton of paint, or you are covering a dark color with a light color… then it’s 150 square feet per gallon.

How long does it take to caulk a house?

Caulking is typically 1 hour on the low end up to 8 hours on the high end if there is tons of cracking on a huge house. To finalize your cost of labor, multiply total hours by $20 (pretty standard market rate after insurance, workers’ comp, and payroll).

How to figure out how many gallons of water you need?

Add up the total square footage and divide by 200 (or by 150) to come up with the number of gallons.

What are the most common mistakes painters make when estimating?

"The two most common mistakes painters make when estimating are miscalculating prep time and not setting the right expectations with the prospect,” explains Diego Garnica, estimator and co-owner of CMG Painting and Design in Randolph, New Jersey. “Most of us know how to do our job well, but we need to learn how to listen and interpret what the customer wants to translate it to an attainable best result.”#N#Take timing into account as well. For new construction, delays in electrical or plumbing can trickle down to painters, who are typically the last trade professionals on the job. Exterior jobs can be delayed by bad weather. Labor also includes costs like insurance and taxes, so be sure to account for the whole picture as seen in our Labor Checklist in the blue box.

Why is it important to estimate paint jobs?

It may take a bit longer, but careful estimating will help you be more profitable, look more professional to potential customers, and win the jobs that are best for your business. Because the only thing worse than getting outbid on a job is winning it by being the lowest bidder—who then loses money. Here’s how to estimate a paint job correctly.

Why do you need to calculate paint job estimate?

How you calculate your paint job estimate ensures that you’ll have cash flow coming in that isn’t automatically earmarked for required expenses and can be applied to company improvements.

How much does it cost to paint a house?

Some contractors use a rough base rate of $1.50 or $2.00 per square foot, some multiply 4 to 6 times the paint cost, some estimate the time the job will take and add it to an estimate of materials—and some may simply offer the lowest price to outbid the competition. Each of these methods will work sometimes, but if you want to have a successful business based on providing a fairly priced, reliable service to customers who give you free word-of-mouth marketing, it pays to be as accurate as possible on the front end with your paint job estimate.

What is the first variable to factor into what to charge for painting?

The first variable anyone factors into what to charge for painting is how much paint they will need —but even that basic calculation requires some extra thought:

What is the ideal profit margin?

Different sources will give you an ideal profit margin that ranges anywhere from the single digits up to 50% —but when you look at how it’s calculated, those figures often still include overhead charges, owner salary, sometimes even labor costs. Keeping your profit calculation purely focused on business growth will allow you to more cleanly differentiate between business expenses and business expansion. Other factors include your personal business objectives and the region in which you practice business.

How long does it take to paint an interior?

Also differentiate between interior vs. exterior painting—with more prep, detail and cleanup work, interiors can take 2 to 3 times as many hours as the same exterior square footage.

How Much Do Painters Charge per Square Foot?

Painters usually charge between $1.50 and $3.50 per square foot to paint the interior of a house. Add in ceilings, walls and trim and the number rises to $3 to $4 per square foot, according to Smart Asset.

How much does it cost to paint an interior room?

Painters charge $380 to $790 on average to paint an interior room, according to Home Advisor. Interiors painting estimates will vary from state to state and will also depend on other factors, some of which we’ve outlined below.

How much does it cost to paint a gallon?

Paint can cost from $15 to $80 a gallon depending on the brand, your discount and the quality. Contractors typically pay up to $45 per gallon, according to Painting Leads.

What percentage of markup is good for painting?

What percentage markup you apply depends on if you’re new to the painting business or not. A 30 percent markup works well for a new business. A 50 percent markup is good for a larger, more experienced painting company, according to Painting Business Pro.

How much does labor cost for painting?

Labor can be tricky to estimate because there are so many elements. Labor cost is typically $20/hour per person , according to Painting Business Pro.

How much does a 1,500 square foot house cost?

A a 1,500 square foot house would cost the customer $1,500 to $2,500 and a 3,000 square foot house would cost the customer $3,500 to $4,500, according to Painting Leads.

How long does it take to build a 1,500 square foot house?

A 1,500 square foot house will take a day ($800) and a 4,000 square foot house will take three days ($2400).

How much does exterior paint cost?

Top-quality exterior paint runs $40-$90 per gallon. Some brands cost less, but they’re more likely to fade and peel over time, so they’re not a good value. Contractors typically get a discount on better paint because they purchase in bulk.

How much does it cost to paint a 2500 square foot house?

Two coats are usually recommended, making the cost of paint $640 – $1440 depending on the per-gallon cost.

What is the best way to remove bubbled paint from siding?

Most siding material needs at least some sort of scraping, sanding or stripping before repainting. Chipped or bubbled paint not firmly adhered to a surface creates a weak area that leaves fresh paint more vulnerable to damage. Scraping removes large loose pieces. Sanding then smooths the edges of whatever paint remains. Keep in mind the process varies based on the type of siding.

Why is paint thicker than regular paint?

Better paints are thicker because they have a higher percentage of resin to water. You’ll pay more because there are more raw ingredients in the can, but each gallon covers more surface area and hides older colors more thoroughly. All-in-one paint and primer formulas are thicker versions of regular paint, and their coverage is exceptional. In the long run, you’ll save by using less, and the results will speak for themselves.

How long does paint last on a house?

Painting is a project that requires intense preparation but done well; it can last up to 15 years and add curb appeal that increases the value of your property.

How much does it cost to repaint a 2 story house?

Painting the exterior of your home is an investment. Whether you want a fresh new look, or your paint is in disrepair, it will cost roughly $3600 – $4800 to repaint an average 2500 square-foot two-story home. Why the wide range in price?

Which is better, paint or pigment?

Quality paints have better pigments. Pigment powders are among the most expensive ingredients in paint, so while shades requiring large amounts cost more to make, their hues stay vibrant longer, and they’re less vulnerable to fading. Select pigments also require more effort to disperse in a batch of paint when mixed.