Overview
Painters quote square metres, but the prep is half the price
A painting quote that just says 'paint the kitchen' is a quote you lose. The square metre rate covers two coats on a clean wall, and clean walls are the exception. The real quote has prep as its own line: filling holes, sanding skirting, masking windows, removing old wallpaper, and the inevitable patch of damp behind the radiator nobody mentioned. Customers don't price prep into their head before they call you, which is why undercharging on prep is the single fastest way for a painter to work a Saturday for nothing.
QuoteGenio gives painters a structure to surface all of it. Quote the paint at supplier price with a small margin, masking and prep as a separate day rate, and the coats line by line for each room. Send the quote via WhatsApp before you leave the customer's hallway, take a 25 percent deposit when they accept, and the same record turns into the final invoice when the last coat is dry. Quoting the prep up front is also the simplest defence against the 'but you didn't tell me there was lead paint' phone call.
Who it is for
Who uses QuoteGenio
Built for every type of painting and decorating business.
The problem
The quoting problems every painter faces
You're great at the job. The quoting process shouldn't be what holds you back.
Quoting paint jobs takes forever
Calculating materials, coats, prep, and labour manually takes hours, often after a long day on the tools.
Clients question your pricing
Without a clear itemised quote, clients push back on costs. A professional document justifies every line.
You lose jobs to faster painters
Homeowners get multiple quotes. The painter who responds first with a professional quote usually wins the job.
The fix
QuoteGenio makes it simple
A faster, cleaner workflow built around how painters actually work. On-site, on the move, on the phone.
The payoff
What you get with QuoteGenio
The everyday wins that add up across a year of quoting and invoicing.
Built for painters
Add materials, prep, priming, coats, and labour as separate line items. Quote every job accurately and confidently.
Quote from any device
Create a full quote on your phone while still at the client's home. Send it before you've even left the driveway.
Win jobs faster
A fast, professional response makes you look organised and trustworthy, and wins more jobs than a slow competitor.
Invoice from your quote
When the job is done, convert your accepted quote to an invoice with one click. No double entry, no mistakes.
Built for your trade
Quoting calibrated to how painters actually work
Pick your trade in Settings and the entire quote flow switches to fit. Line item presets, compliance fields, on-the-quote calculators, and per-m² / after-hours pricing all change to match your industry.
Trade-specific line items
Quick add picker pre-fills the common items your trade quotes. Skip the blank rows.
Brand-specific catalogues
Pylontech, Hikvision, Canadian Solar, Sunsynk and others pre-named. Pick the brand, the description writes itself.
Compliance fields built in
IOPSA, ECASA, PIRB, PSIRA, NHBRC, SAQCC. Set once. Every quote prints them under FROM.
Registration expiry alerts
Dashboard notification 60 days before your PSIRA, CoC or any dated registration lapses.
Per-m² / hour / day billing
Unit selector on every line item: m², hr, linear m, days. Stop doing the maths externally.
After-hours and emergency
1.5× and 2× multipliers as a one-tap toggle. Customer sees the breakdown on the quote.
Quote-flow calculators
Solar size, battery backup, cable run cost. Compute on the spot, drop straight onto the quote.
Staged payments
Deposit on acceptance + balance on completion as two separate amounts on the quote PDF.
Scope-of-work checklist
Structured Included / Not included lists. Client acceptance = signing the scope.
Site-survey mode
Log a location per line item: camera positions, fixtures by room, sensors by zone.
Regional rate hints
Pricing ranges per item per currency shown as you quote.
Free on every plan
All of the above included on the free plan. Premium is for capacity, not the trade tooling.
Why QuoteGenio
Why Painters choose QuoteGenio
The tools that matter most when you are quoting on-site, under pressure, and between jobs.
Quote from your phone
Most Painters build and send quotes directly from the job site. No laptop, no office, no delays.
Win more jobs, faster
The first professional quote a client receives usually wins. Respond in minutes, not hours.
Quote to invoice in one click
When the job is accepted, convert to an invoice instantly. No retyping, no double entry.
Pricing guide
Typical Painters job pricing
A rough guide to what painters charge for common jobs. Pricing varies by region, paint grade, ceiling height, and prep required. Use these as a sanity check on your own rate card, not as fixed prices.
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Interior room repaint (standard bedroom, walls + ceiling) | R4,628 - R9,090 |
| Interior room repaint (with heavy prep or feature wall) | R7,933 - R14,048 |
| Full house interior repaint (3-bed) | R39,665 - R90,899 |
| Exterior house repaint (single storey, 3-bed) | R52,886 - R123,953 |
| Roof repaint (metal or corrugated, 1600 sq ft) | R23,138 - R46,276 |
| Wallpaper hanging (per roll) | R578 - R1,405 / roll |
| Epoxy floor coating (per sq ft) | R66 - R149 / sq ft |
Pricing converted from USD to ZAR at indicative rates. Rates vary significantly by country, region, currency, and market.
Call-out fees
Painters typically quote for free on local jobs. For properties out of area or where a detailed prep assessment is needed, a R1,240 to R2,314 site-visit fee is reasonable. Refund it against the contract if the job proceeds.
Hourly vs fixed pricing
Hourly (R744 to R1,240 per hour) works for small touch-ups. Per m² (around R99 to R149 per sq ft for walls) works for open spaces. Per room works best for residential repaints. Mix all three on the same quote if that suits the job.
See it in action
Example quote breakdown
Here's what a clean, itemised quote for a typical three-bedroom interior repaint looks like. Every element is visible: prep, coats, paint grade, trim, and clean-up. That transparency wins jobs and kills disputes before they start.
Try it yourself
Job size
Region
Sample quote
Interior repaint, 3-bed house (walls and ceilings)
Site preparation (drop cloths, mask outlets and trim)
Wall prep (fill, sand, spot-prime)
Ceiling paint (two coats, flat white)
Wall paint (two coats, off-white matte)
Trim and door frames (semi-gloss enamel)
Minor repairs (hairline cracks, picture holes)
Clean-up and snag walk-through
| Description | Qty | Rate | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Site preparation (drop cloths, mask outlets and trim) | 1 | R2,314 | R2,314 |
| Wall prep (fill, sand, spot-prime) | 1500 | R7 / sq ft | R11,156 |
| Ceiling paint (two coats, flat white) | 900 | R13 / sq ft | R11,899 |
| Wall paint (two coats, off-white matte) | 1500 | R16 / sq ft | R23,551 |
| Trim and door frames (semi-gloss enamel) | 1 | R5,619 | R5,619 |
| Minor repairs (hairline cracks, picture holes) | 1 | R1,983 | R1,983 |
| Clean-up and snag walk-through | 1 | R1,322 | R1,322 |
| Subtotal | R57,845 | ||
| Tax (10%) | R5,784 | ||
| Total incl. tax | R63,629 | ||
Totals recalculate as you change the controls above. Tax rate inferred from the sample quote.
Items often forgotten
Dust sheets and masking tape, spot-priming after filler, second coats for dark-over-light, window and door frame enamel, skirting board refresh, post-job touch-ups, and disposal of old tins. These eat into margin when they're absorbed silently.
Peer snapshot
How Painters actually use QuoteGenio
Indicative activity for Painters on the platform. Use it as a benchmark for how often to quote and how fast to respond.
18
Quotes sent per month
42%
Average quote acceptance
2 min
Median time to send quote
R63,629
Typical quote value
Figures are indicative platform averages for this trade segment.
Start quoting Painter jobs like this, free
Build your first quote in under 2 minutes. No credit card, no setup fee, no contract.
Avoid these
Common quoting mistakes
We talk to a lot of painters. The same issues come up: underpricing prep, forgetting coats, and absorbing touch-ups. Fix these and your profitability on every job improves.
Mistake: Quoting a lump-sum price with no detail
Better: Itemise by room or area. Clients who can see 'lounge: R2,975' and 'passage: R1,570' accept faster than those who see 'interior paint: R15,701'.
Mistake: Not accounting for prep time
Better: Prep often takes longer than painting. List 'filling, sanding, priming' as its own line, charged per square metre or per hour. It teaches the client that prep is real work, not free.
Mistake: Forgetting second coat coverage
Better: Dark colours over light (or vice versa) often need three coats. State the number of coats on each line so scope can't be disputed later.
Mistake: Underestimating ceiling height
Better: Double-volume entrances and high ceilings need scaffolding or taller access. Price scaffolding or tower hire as a line item, not as part of labour.
Mistake: Using retail paint prices
Better: Always quote in trade-grade paint (Dulux Trade, Plascon Professional). It covers better and lasts longer. Client-supplied paint exposes you to colour and quality complaints.
Mistake: No allowance for touch-ups after other trades
Better: If plumbers or tilers come in after you, their scrapes are yours to fix. Add a small 'post-trades touch-up' line on renovation work.
Mistake: Fixed price with no colour change clause
Better: State clearly that the quote includes one colour per room. Additional accent walls or colour changes after job start are variations, not included.
Mistake: No follow-up after sending the quote
Better: Most quotes that don't close, don't close because nobody followed up. Send a polite check-in 48 hours after the quote lands, and a second nudge at day 7. Two of every three accepted quotes get there because someone followed up.
Step by step
How to quote painting jobs
Walk the site before you price anything. Measure wall and ceiling area in square feet, count the number of rooms, and note ceiling heights and access. Check the current coating: glossy surfaces need sanding or a bonding primer, flaking walls need scraping and spot-priming, and a dark-over-light colour change almost always needs a third coat. These site-visit observations are what separate a profitable painting quote from a loss-making one.
Itemise prep separately from painting. List filling, sanding, and priming as its own line charged per square foot or per hour so the client understands that prep is real labour, not a free bonus. Break painting into coats (first coat, second coat, third coat where needed), separate trim and door frames from walls and ceilings, and price scaffolding or tower hire as its own line whenever you need to work above standard reach. Always specify the paint grade you are quoting on (Dulux Trade, Plascon Professional) so your quote cannot be compared directly against a painter using cheap retail paint.
Set a 30 day validity on every painting quote. Paint prices move with the exchange rate, especially for imported premium brands, so a quote you wrote six weeks ago may no longer cover your cost. State clearly that the quote covers one colour per room and that additional accent walls or colour changes after the job starts are chargeable variations. Include your payment terms on the same page: most painters ask for a 40 to 50 percent deposit on materials before starting, with the balance due on completion.
Send the quote before you leave the driveway. Homeowners collect multiple painting quotes and the first professional document in their inbox usually wins the job, even if the price is not the cheapest. Build the quote on your phone during the site visit, share it as a WhatsApp link before you pack up, and follow up politely after two or three days if you have not heard back. A short, friendly follow-up message after a quote has been sent doubles acceptance rates on residential painting work.
FAQ
Common questions from painters
Everything you need to know before getting started.
Yes. Add as many line items as you need: paint, primer, prep, labour per room, scaffolding, or any other charge. Each line has its own description, quantity, and price.
Yes. Add separate line items for each room, area, or scope of work. You can use the description field to keep everything clearly labelled.
Yes. Once your quote is ready, share it as a link directly via WhatsApp. Your client gets a professional branded document instantly, before you've left the job.
Yes. Every quote has a unique public link. Clients open it on their phone and accept it online. No account or app needed.
Yes. Convert any accepted quote to an invoice with one click. All line items carry over automatically.
Yes. The free plan gives you 5 quotes and 2 invoices per month with no credit card required. Upgrade to Premium for unlimited quotes, invoices, statements, and reports.
Both work. Per-room pricing is easier for clients to compare and accept for residential jobs. Per-square-metre pricing is more accurate for commercial jobs and large open areas. For awkward spaces, a mix of 'per room fixed' and 'per m² for walls' is often the cleanest format.
State clearly on the quote that when paint is client-supplied, you take no responsibility for coverage, colour accuracy, or longevity. Quote labour only, and include a line for 'primer, thinners, masking tape' which you supply. Be upfront that an extra coat (if paint under-covers) is chargeable.
Yes. Always itemise scaffolding, tower hire, or cherry picker as a separate line. Daily hire costs are visible, and if the job over-runs because of weather the client sees why the costs rise.
30 days is standard. Paint prices move with exchange rate, especially imported premium brands. A dated validity means if the job is delayed past six weeks, you can re-quote without a fight.
Still have questions? We would rather answer them now than after you have signed up.
Pricing benchmark
What do painters charge in 2026?
Hourly rates by region, common job prices, a worked sample quote, and the FAQs customers actually ask. The complete pricing reference for painters.
Typical hourly
$35-$90/hr
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Reviews
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Real feedback from people who quote for a living.
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Fence Installer · Houston
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Marketing Consultant · Perth
"I use it daily. Swift, multi-currency, and works perfectly on my phone. Worth every krona."
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Handyman · Stockholm
Guides
Guides for Painters
Practical advice to help you quote better, get paid faster, and grow your business.
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