Free quote template
Painting and decorating quote template
Decorating quotes get undercut because customers compare a number, not a specification. Write down the prep and the number of coats and you stop competing with someone doing one thin coat over filler.
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Your details
Priced items
What the customer sees
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Worked example: three rooms, hallway and stairs
A realistic worked example you can copy line for line, then change the numbers to your own. Total: £2,940 plus materials.
| Item | Detail | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Preparation | Fill, caulk, sand, wash down, mask and sheet up | £680 |
| Ceilings | Two coats matt emulsion, four ceilings | £520 |
| Walls | Mist coat where required plus two coats emulsion | £840 |
| Woodwork | Skirting, architrave, doors — prime and two coats | £720 |
| Stairwell | Access equipment for high-level stairwell walls | £180 |
| Materials | Trade paint, sundries (customer may supply instead) | By choice |
What every decorating quote must contain
Miss any of these and you leave yourself open to an argument about price when the job is done.
- How many coats, on what surfaces — this is your whole pitch
- The preparation included: filling, caulking, sanding, washing down
- Who supplies the paint, and which brand and finish is assumed
- Whether furniture moving and floor protection is included
- Access equipment for stairwells and high ceilings
- What is excluded — plastering repairs, wallpaper stripping, damp treatment
- Drying times and how many days you will be in the property
Notes for this trade
Always quote the specification, not just the price. "Two full coats of Dulux Trade over prepared surfaces, all woodwork primed and finished in two coats of satinwood" is a completely different product from a number on its own, and it is how you justify being dearer.
Paint supply is worth deciding early. If the customer supplies, exclude colour-coverage problems: "Additional coats required due to customer colour choice or customer-supplied paint coverage are chargeable at the day rate."
For older properties, exclude the unknowns: "Price assumes existing surfaces are sound. Plaster repairs, damp treatment and stripping of multiple wallpaper layers are not included and will be priced separately."
Day rate is a useful backstop for snagging and touch-ups after other trades. State it in the quote so the follow-up visit does not become a favour.
Quoting questions
How do decorators price a job?
Usually by day rate multiplied by the days the work takes, cross-checked against the area to be covered. Quote the total as a fixed price where you can, and state your day rate separately for extra work.
Should the quote include paint?
Either way works, but be explicit. Supplying paint yourself protects quality and gives you a small margin; customer-supplied paint means you must exclude coverage problems caused by their choice of colour or brand.
How many coats should I quote for?
Two coats over a prepared surface is the standard specification, plus a mist coat on new plaster and a primer on bare wood. Strong colour changes may need three — say so up front rather than discovering it on day two.
What should a decorating quote exclude?
Plaster repairs beyond basic filling, damp and mould treatment, wallpaper stripping where multiple layers are found, and moving heavy furniture. List them so the customer knows the price assumes a straightforward job.