How much to charge to paint a room
Price it from your own shop rate, not a national average. The True Rate kit's Price Book puts this task at 5 to 8 hours per room and starts you at 6 hours, plus $80 in supplies. At the worked example's $90 shop rate, that's $640 per room flat. Across the typical range it runs $550 to $820, before the trip charge and the minimum.
- Typical time
- 5 to 8 hours per room
- Starter hours
- 6 h per room
- Supplies
- $80 per room
- At $90/hr
- $640 per room
This task, priced
This is an estimate from the numbers above, not a quote. Materials and fixtures the customer picks (the faucet, the fan, the door) bill separately at your materials markup.
What your rate does to this price
Same 6 starter hours and $80 in supplies, priced at three rates from the kit's worked example. Break-even covers the $2,870 a month overhead and the $60,000 pay goal and nothing more. The shop rate adds the 20% margin, rounded up to the next $5.
| Shop rate | Flat price |
|---|---|
| $65/hr, below break-even | $490 per room |
| $70.52/hr, break-even (no profit) | $525 per room |
| $90/hr, the worked example's shop rate | $640 per room |
Charging $65 an hour instead of $90 takes $150 off this job (per room), every time you do it. The price follows the rate because the hours don't change. That's why the kit starts with your rate, not someone else's price list.
Not sure your rate covers your costs? Run the free calculator. Why a 25% markup on supplies is only a 20% margin: markup vs margin, with a calculator.
What gets left off this estimate
These are the lines from the kit's "Did you forget?" list that apply to this job, and where the kit bills each one.
- Floor and furniture protection, dust control. Custom line, or raise the contingency.
- Consumables (caulk, screws, blades, tape, anchors). Make sure Supplies isn't $0 on tasks that use them.
- "While you're here…" extras. Don't do them free. Text a change order first (Get Paid Texts, #1).
Price Book note. Two coats, about 2 gallons, light patching.
Before you send the number
- Count the patches and look for peeling paint before you quote. Prep is where a room runs long.
- Write that the price covers two coats and light patching. Going from dark to light can take more.
- If the walls need more patching than you priced, stop and re-quote before you open the paint.
Starting points, not a price list to copy
These numbers are the True Rate kit's starter hours and supplies for a solo tradesperson with a few years in, on an ordinary house. They aren't industry data, a survey of what others charge, or a promise of how long the job takes you. Edit the hours for your market and your own speed. An old house, a seized nut or a fussy customer changes the job.
The $90 shop rate is only the kit's worked example ($2,870 a month overhead, $60,000 pay goal, 62% of hours billable, 20% margin). Your rate comes from your costs.
How long does it take to paint a room?
The True Rate kit's Price Book puts it at 5 to 8 hours per room, and starts the price at 6 hours. That's a solo tradesperson with a few years in, on an ordinary house: tools out, the work and clean-up, with no drive time. If yours runs long, raise the hours, not your rate.
Does that include a trip charge or minimum?
No. The flat price is the task alone. In the kit's Price This Job sheet, a ticket with only this task adds a $35 trip charge and a 5% contingency. At $90 an hour, that's $709 for this task on its own. Those are the kit's starter settings. Set your own.
Where do these hours come from?
They're the True Rate kit's starter hours for a solo tradesperson with a few years in, working on an ordinary house. That's tools out, the work, and clean-up. Drive time isn't in them. They're not industry data or a survey of your market. Old houses and tight spaces take longer, so log your real times and edit them.
Price the whole ticket
The True Rate kit is a spreadsheet that prices all 80 jobs from your own rate. Its Price This Job sheet adds materials, the trip charge and the minimum, and shows your margin before you send the number. $39 once, for Google Sheets or Excel.