Painting/Quote template

Painting quote template for Australian painters

A good quote wins the job and protects you when the scope changes. Here's what an Australian painter's quote should include, and a free tool that builds one from your job notes.

What to put on a painting quote

1. Your business details: business name, ABN, painting contractor licence / registration no. (where required), phone and email.
2. Quote number, date and validity: for example "valid for 30 days", so material price rises don't catch you out.
3. Customer and job address.
4. Scope of work: a plain-English description of exactly what you will do.
5. Itemised pricing: labour (hours × your rate), materials at your sell price (cost plus your markup), and any callout fee.
6. GST: if you're registered, show the ex-GST subtotal, GST (10%) and the GST-inclusive total.
7. Inclusions, exclusions and assumptions: the part that prevents arguments later.
8. Payment terms and a place for the customer to sign and accept.

How GST works on a quote

If your business is registered for GST, add 10% to the ex-GST price. For example, $1,000 ex GST + $100 GST = $1,100 inc GST. To find the GST inside a GST-inclusive price, divide by 11. If you aren't registered for GST (generally businesses with turnover under $75,000), don't charge GST, and it's good practice to say so on the quote. Check the ATO website or your accountant for your own situation.

Should you show your materials markup?

No. Most painters mark up materials (often 10–30%) to cover ordering, pick-up, waste and warranty risk. Show the customer one price per item that already includes your markup, and keep the cost and margin for yourself. QuoteAce does this for you: enter materials at cost, set your markup once, and the quote shows only the final prices. GST is then added on the whole subtotal.

Pricing by the room or by the m²

Pick one method per surface and say it on the quote: by the room (walls, ceiling and trims of a standard room), by the square metre (measured wall or ceiling area), or by the hour plus paint. Name the paint system (sealer or undercoat where needed, then 2 top coats) and who chooses colours. If the home was built before about 1970, assume lead paint may be present and say how it will be handled. Painting licence or registration rules vary by state, so put your number on the quote where your state requires one.

Common painting jobs to quote

• Interior rooms (by room): Repaint the interior of 3 bedrooms and a hallway: walls 2 coats low-sheen acrylic, ceilings 2 coats flat, doors and skirting semi-gloss enamel, fill minor cracks and nail holes, light sand, customer to choose colours.
• Exterior repaint (by m²): Repaint the exterior of a single-storey weatherboard house, approx 160 m² of walls: pressure wash, scrape loose paint, sand, spot prime bare timber, fill and caulk gaps, 2 coats exterior low-sheen acrylic on walls, gloss on window frames, fascias and doors.
• Ceilings (by m²): Repaint ceilings throughout a 3-bedroom house, approx 110 m²: fix minor cracks, stain block water marks, 2 coats flat ceiling white.
• Prep & patching: Prep and patch before painting: patch 6 holes in plasterboard walls (door handle and anchor holes), set and sand, fill cracks in cornices, sand back and spot prime, ready for painting.
• Feature wall / single room: Paint one living room feature wall (approx 12 m²) in a dark colour, 1 coat sealer and 2 top coats, cut in neatly to the ceiling and skirting.

Each of these is a one-tap preset in QuoteAce. You can edit everything before you send it.

Make yours in under a minute

Type the job in plain words. QuoteAce writes the scope, line items, exclusions and payment terms, works out the GST, and lays it out as a printable A4 quote you can save as a PDF. It's free during the beta.

Make a free quote