FREE PAINTING CONTRACTOR TOOL

Exterior Painting Cost Calculator

Estimate exterior painting price ranges with adjustments for stories, siding, prep, paint, and labor.

Set up your calculation

Exterior square feet

Actual paintable surface area in square feet. Measure length × height; deduct openings where appropriate. (ft²)

Stories

Siding type

Prep level

Light ×0.85, standard ×1, heavy ×1.35. Adjusts preparation hours; gallons stay the same.

Coats

Make the numbers yours

Labor cost per painter-hour

Wage plus payroll burden. Overhead and profit are added separately below. ($ / hr)

Paint cost per gallon

($ / gal)

Job overhead allocation

Allocate insurance, vehicle, office, and other overhead. Zero excludes these costs. (USD)

Target margin after overhead

The share of your selling price remaining after the costs you enter. (%)

Advanced assumptions

Editable starting values. Match production rates to your process and check the products you will use.

Coverage per gallon

Per-coat product coverage. Check its technical data sheet and adjust for the surface. (ft² / gal)

Application production rate

Per painter, per coat. Excludes prep. Editable starting value: use your job history. (ft² / hr)

Base prep + setup hours

Include protection, repairs, and cleanup. The prep factor applies once. (painter-hours)

Waste + touch-up allowance

Extra finish paint for losses and touch-ups. (%)

Other materials + equipment

Add primer, tape, caulk, rentals, and supplies. (USD)

Labor-hours allowance

The high end uses this percentage of extra labor hours at the same target margin. (%)

USD · square feet · US gallons

Your inputs stay in this browser tab, including when switching languages. Reset clears them.

YOUR RESULTLive calculation

Base bid → with labor allowance

$8,540 – $10,299

Based on your inputs and assumptions

Developed surface: 2,070 ft²
Painter-hours · base / allowance: 60.95 / 76.19 hr
Finish paint to buy: 16 gal
Labor cost: $4,571.25
Materials + equipment: $980.00
Allocated overhead: $0.00
Total job cost: $5,551.25
Profit after overhead · base: $2,989.13

Show the calculation

Surface = 1,800 ft² × 1.15 siding factor. Prep changes hours only.
Hours = (surface × 2 coats ÷ 92 ft²/hr + 8 prep hours × 1) × 1.15 access factor.
Paint = surface × coats × (1 + 10%) ÷ 300 ft²/gal, rounded up. Primer belongs in other materials.
Price = entered costs ÷ (1 − 35% margin).
High end allows 25% extra labor hours. Siding factors: smooth 1, lap 1.15, stucco 1.35, brick 1.2. Access: +15% per story above the first. These are starter assumptions.

Cost-based planning estimate in USD. Check scope and your production history before quoting. Sales tax is excluded. Overhead is currently $0; add your allocation to include it.

FROM ESTIMATE TO ACTUAL

Put your numbers to work.

Bring estimates, jobs, and invoices together with Painters Log.

See Painters Log

Your result$8,540 – $10,299View breakdown

KNOW THE MATH

A number you can explain.

Hours = (developed surface × coats ÷ application rate + preparation hours) × access factor. Price uses labor, materials, overhead, and your target margin.

Our methodology & assumptions

WORKED STARTING EXAMPLE

$8,540 – $10,299

Developed surface: 2,070 ft²
Painter-hours · base / allowance: 60.95 / 76.19 hr
Finish paint to buy: 16 gal
Labor cost: $4,571.25
Materials + equipment: $980.00
Allocated overhead: $0.00
Total job cost: $5,551.25
Profit after overhead · base: $2,989.13

Surface = 1,800 ft² × 1.15 siding factor. Prep changes hours only.
Hours = (surface × 2 coats ÷ 92 ft²/hr + 8 prep hours × 1) × 1.15 access factor.
Paint = surface × coats × (1 + 10%) ÷ 300 ft²/gal, rounded up. Primer belongs in other materials.
Price = entered costs ÷ (1 − 35% margin).
High end allows 25% extra labor hours. Siding factors: smooth 1, lap 1.15, stucco 1.35, brick 1.2. Access: +15% per story above the first. These are starter assumptions.

Before you quote

Do extra coats add labor?

Yes. Every coat adds application time and paint. Preparation is a separate allowance and is not repeated for each coat.

Does heavy preparation mean more finish paint?

The prep selector changes preparation hours only. Add exposed-substrate priming to the materials and labor allowances, and adjust product coverage when the surface requires it.

What about ladders, lifts, and difficult access?

The starting access allowance adds 15% labor per story above the first. It cannot describe every site. Adjust production and preparation for the job and include rentals in other materials and equipment.

Estimating framework: Painting Contractors Association. This tool's starting values are editable examples, not rates published by PCA.

Exterior Painting Cost Calculator

Set up your calculation

Make the numbers yours

A number you can explain.

Before you quote

Another tool for the job.

Markup & profit

Paint coverage

Interior painting