For Painting Contractors

Painting Estimates
Done Right

By the BidOrca TeamUpdated March 2026

Interior, exterior, trim, ceilings — your line items are pre-loaded. Walk through the home, snap some photos, and have a polished estimate ready before you leave the driveway.

Your Price Book, Pre-Loaded

Paint, primer, prep, labor — the stuff you actually bid on, already in there. Adjust prices to your market and go.

Interior Paint
$45/gal
Primer
$35/gal
Painter's Tape
$6/roll
Drop Cloth
$15/ea
Painting Labor
$45/hr
Power Wash Prep
$0.15/sqft

Photo to Payment. Here's the Flow.

Photo
AI Estimate
Edit
PDF
Send
Get Paid

Why Painters Choose BidOrca

Pre-loaded paint and prep materials
Calculate coverage from room dimensions
Separate interior and exterior line items
Professional PDF estimates with your branding
Track which estimates convert to jobs
Send estimates while still on the walkthrough

Professional Estimates That Win Jobs

Homeowners trust clean, itemized estimates. Show them the breakdown — paint, prep, labor, coats — and close more painting jobs.

What Painting Contractors Actually Need from Software

Painting estimates live and die on accurate square footage calculations. You need to measure wall area, account for windows and doors, factor in ceiling height, and calculate paint coverage. Getting these numbers right determines how many gallons you need and what to charge.

Prep work is where painting jobs get complicated. A freshly built home with pristine drywall is fast to paint. A 1960s house with lead paint, wallpaper, and cracked plaster is a completely different job. Your estimating software needs prep line items that reflect the actual scope.

Color management is another area where painters need software. Tracking which paint brand, color code, and sheen was used in each room creates a valuable record for touch-ups and callbacks.

Painting contractors often juggle many small jobs simultaneously. Being able to estimate quickly during walkthroughs, send a polished PDF immediately, and track which estimates were accepted helps fill your schedule.

Common Painting Jobs and How to Estimate Them

Job TypeTypical Price RangeKey Line Items
Interior Bedroom Paint$300 - $700Paint, primer, prep, tape, labor
Whole-House Interior$3,000 - $8,000Paint, primer, wall repair, ceilings, trim
Exterior House Paint$4,000 - $12,000Pressure wash, scrape, prime, paint, trim
Cabinet Painting$2,000 - $6,000Remove doors, sand, prime, spray, reinstall
Deck Staining$500 - $2,000Power wash, brightener, stain, labor
Fence Staining (150 LF)$500 - $1,500Power wash, stain, sprayer rental, labor
Wallpaper Removal + Paint$800 - $2,500Steamer, scraping, skim coat, prime, paint
Commercial Office Paint$1 - $3/sqftWalls, ceilings, after-hours labor premium

Getting Started with BidOrca for Painting

Sign up and pick painting as your trade. BidOrca pre-loads interior and exterior paint, primer, prep materials, tape, drop cloths, and labor rates. Walk through the home, snap photos of each room, describe the scope, and BidOrca generates a room-by-room estimate in seconds. Send a branded PDF before you get back in the van.

Try It on Your Next Job

Free plan. No credit card. No catch. Set up between jobs — it takes about 2 minutes.

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