Bid a commercial painting job from measured quantities, not a gut number. Read the bid documents, measure each surface, turn quantities into labor hours with your production rates, price material from the product’s spread rate, then add equipment, supervision, overhead and profit. Price at a target margin, and list your inclusions and exclusions.
When the number is ready, use the commercial painting proposal outline to present it.
1. Read the bid documents before you measure
Commercial jobs are priced as much by their conditions as by their square footage. Before any takeoff, note what the documents require:
- Scope: which areas, surfaces and substrates are included, and any alternates.
- Specification: the paint system, number of coats, surface preparation and finish.
- Schedule and access: occupied building, night or weekend work, phasing, lifts.
- Labor terms: prevailing wage on public work, union requirements, certified payroll.
- Commercial terms: bid bond, insurance limits, retainage, payment schedule.
- Addenda issued since the documents were released.
Prevailing wage is a common surprise. On federally funded construction and repair contracts over $2,000, the Davis-Bacon Act requires contractors and subcontractors to pay at least the locally prevailing wages and fringe benefits (U.S. Department of Labor). Many states have their own rules for state and local work.
2. Measure the work by surface
Do the takeoff one area and one surface at a time: wall square footage, ceilings, doors and frames counted by the each, trim and handrails by the linear foot, exterior elevations by square foot. Record heights, because work above reach needs ladders, scaffold or a lift and goes slower.
Keep each line in a sheet so the estimate can be checked. The free commercial painting estimate template has one row per area and surface.
3. Turn quantities into labor hours
A production rate is how much of one surface a painter completes in an hour, for one coat, under stated conditions. Labor hours are the quantity times the coats, divided by the rate. Labor cost is those hours times your loaded labor rate, meaning wages plus payroll taxes, insurance and benefits.
Use your own crews’ history wherever you have it, and adjust for height, access, occupied space and preparation. Published guides are a starting point, not a substitute for your numbers.
| Input | Example | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Wall area | 12,000 sq ft | |
| Coats | 2 | |
| Production rate | 150 sq ft per hour per coat | 12,000 × 2 ÷ 150 = 160 hours |
| Loaded labor rate | $55 per hour | 160 × $55 = $8,800.00 |
4. Price material from the spread rate
Gallons are the area times the coats, divided by the spread rate printed on the product data sheet for the specified film thickness. Add a waste allowance for rolling, cutting in and touch-up, then price the result. Add sundries such as caulk, tape, masking and patching as their own line.
| Input | Example | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Spread rate | 350 sq ft per gallon | 12,000 × 2 ÷ 350 = 68.6 gallons |
| Waste allowance | 10% | 75.4 gallons |
| Price per gallon | $40 | $3,017.14 |
5. Add equipment, overhead and profit, then price at a margin
Add lifts and scaffold, floor and furniture protection, travel, supervision and permits. Then recover overhead: the office, vehicles, insurance and estimating time that no single job pays for.
Price at a target margin rather than a markup, because the two are easy to confuse. Price equals total cost divided by one minus the margin. A job that costs $17,403.88 priced for a 20% margin sells for $21,754.85, a markup of 25% on cost. Adding 20% to cost would only give a margin of about 16.7%.
The estimate template carries this full example, from the wall line to the price.
6. Write a proposal the buyer can compare
Commercial buyers compare several bids line by line. Make yours easy to read: the areas and surfaces included, the paint system and coats, the schedule and working hours you assumed, inclusions, exclusions, alternates, and how long the price is valid. The Painting Contractors Association’s commercial repaint worksheet also stresses following up with the decision-maker after the bid goes in.
Not every invitation deserves a bid. Use the qualification questions before committing estimating time, and see where to find commercial painting bids.
Sources & editorial note
This guide combines Sourci’s recommended workflow with the industry references below. It is not a claim about past Sourci customer results.
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