Painter & Decorator Estimate Template
Decorating is one of the trades where an estimate often comes before a quote. Customers ring with a room count and a rough description, and expect a ballpark figure before they will commit to a site visit. This template is built for exactly that situation: an approximate price based on the information available, clearly marked as subject to a site survey, so the customer gets a number and you keep the freedom to revise it once you have seen the walls.
The reason estimates matter so much in painting and decorating is what hides under the surface. Old wallpaper can come away to reveal blown plaster that needs skimming before any paint goes on. Damp staining may need sealing and treating first. Exterior woodwork can turn out to have rotten sills once preparation starts, and walls assumed sound may need lining paper throughout. A good estimate names these as assumptions: it prices two coats of emulsion over sound, prepared walls, notes a mist coat where new plaster is expected, and states plainly that the figure can change if hidden problems appear once work is opened up.
Set out the areas covered room by room or per square metre, state whether the figure assumes trade paint that you supply or paint the customer provides, and note anything excluded such as wallpaper stripping or access equipment for exterior masonry work. When the survey is done, convert the estimate into a fixed quote. Download the template below in Word or PDF, or build the document online using the quote generator, title it as an estimate, and save it as a PDF from your browser.
What to include in a painter and decorator estimate
- Your business details and the customer's name, address and site address
- Estimate number, date and how long the figure is held for
- Wording that the figure is approximate and subject to a site survey
- Areas covered, room by room or per square metre, with the assumed wall and ceiling condition
- Preparation allowance stated as provisional: filling, sanding, caulking and sugar soap
- Assumed paint system: trade paint, finish and number of coats, mist coat on new plaster
- Who supplies the paint, and the effect of customer-supplied paint on the figure
- Exclusions such as wallpaper stripping, lining paper and exterior access equipment
- A note that the price can change if hidden problems appear once work is opened up, plus VAT if registered
Download the template
Or build it online, free
The quote generator produces the same professional document in your browser and calculates the totals for you. Build your document there, title it as an estimate, and save it as a PDF. No download needed.
Open the quote generatorPainter & decorator estimate FAQs
What is the difference between an estimate and a quote?
A quote is a fixed price for defined work, and once accepted you are held to it. An estimate is an approximate figure based on the information available at the time, and it can change if the job turns out differently once seen or opened up. For decorating, estimates suit work priced from photos or a description, before a site survey.
When can a decorating estimate change?
When the reality differs from what was described or assumed. Common examples are blown plaster behind old wallpaper, damp staining that needs treating before paint, rotten window sills discovered during preparation, or walls needing lining paper that was not allowed for. State on the estimate that the figure is subject to survey and may change if hidden problems appear.
Should an estimate state who supplies the paint?
Yes, even at estimate stage. If your figure assumes trade paint that you supply, say so. If the customer intends to buy their own, note that coverage and the number of coats, and therefore the labour, may change depending on the paint they choose.
Can I use the quote generator to produce an estimate?
Yes. Build the document in the free quote generator as normal, then title it as an estimate and add wording that the figure is approximate and subject to a site survey. Save it as a PDF from your browser when you are done.