Line item guide
Painting Estimate Line Items: What to Include
A useful line item describes work your customer can recognize. Specific descriptions make pricing easier to understand and your experience easier to reuse.
Answer what, where, and what is included
“Painting” is vague. “Apply agreed finish coats to living room walls, including labor and materials” says much more. Separate details that may vary from one job to another.
Create categories that match your work
Start with the work you do regularly, then add to your library as needed.
- Furniture, floor, and site protection.
- Washing and surface preparation.
- Specified repairs and caulking.
- Primer application.
- Finish painting by surface or element.
- Removal of protection and final cleanup.
Match the quantity to the unit price
If you enter square feet, the price must be for one square foot of the described work. A fixed job amount needs a clear scope. Check units every time you reuse an item on a different project.
Reuse without changing earlier estimates
Inserting a library item copies it into your estimate. You can change that copy without changing your library or previous proposals. Always review the copy before sending: similar jobs can have different requirements.