What belongs on a painting estimate, line by line

Who it's from and what it's for

Start with the basics. The estimate should name the business, give you a way to reach the person responsible, and say whose home and which address the work is for. It should carry a date, and if the price is only good for a set time, it should say how long.

That sounds obvious, and it's the line people skip when a quote arrives as a quick message. A document with no name on it is hard to hold anyone to later.

Scope: the rooms and surfaces

Scope is the list of what's actually being painted. DATCP, Wisconsin's consumer protection agency, says a contract should contain a full description of the job, and Wisconsin's home improvement rules call for a description of the work to be done. In practice that means rooms by name, and for each room which surfaces: walls, ceilings, trim, doors, closets.

A good estimate also says what's not included. If the ceilings are separate, or the inside of the closets, or a stairwell that needs special equipment, it should be written down. An exclusion is fine as long as you can see it.

Prep: what happens before the paint

The prep line is where an estimate shows whether the painter has thought about your walls. Look for protection of floors and furniture, repairs to holes and cracks, sanding where it's needed, cleaning and primer for stains or bare spots. Prep included, with no detail, is worth a question.

Ours covers floors, furniture and everything nearby before any paint comes out, and small holes are repaired as part of the job. If your home is older, mention its age: plaster and old oil-based trim often need extra steps, and the estimate should say so. Our guide to prepping walls for painting shows what each step does.

Cabinet estimates need the prep spelled out even more clearly, since most painted cabinet failures start under the paint. Our five-line quote test shows which steps a cabinet quote should name.

Products: the paint, primer and sheen

Wisconsin's home improvement rules call for the principal products and materials to be described, and DATCP advises a detailed list of materials, including brand and quantity. For a paint job that means the paint brand, the sheen, the color name or code, whether primer is included and how many coats are planned.

It should also say who buys the paint and whether it's in the price. We use premium paint from Sherwin-Williams and Behr, and Behr is the more economical of the two. If you'd rather use another brand, say so, because the quote is built around the paint you pick. Our guides to paint sheens and how many coats of paint explain the two details people ask about most.

Price: the total and what it's built on

The estimate needs a total. Wisconsin's rules also say that if a job is billed on time and materials, the hourly rate and the other terms that affect the price must be stated. So if you see a rate, look for the hours, and for who decides when the hours are done.

Check what the number is built on. Interior painting from us is priced by the square footage of the space, paint included, and cabinet work is priced per cabinet, paint included. Whatever the method, the estimate should make the unit clear so you can compare it with the next one.

Then look for a sentence about overruns. The written quote is the price, no extra charge if the job takes longer than expected. Whatever a painter's version says, you want something in writing that tells you whether more time means more money.

Schedule: the dates and the access

DATCP recommends a starting and completion date so a job can't go on indefinitely, and the Wisconsin rules call for the dates or time period in which the work will begin and finish. A start date is the one we put on every written quote.

Most rooms take one to two days, and a larger job takes longer, so ask for a finish date or a time period too. Our guide to how long it takes to paint a room explains what the days are spent on. Also ask what the painter needs from you, such as access to every room and a plan for furniture. We cover that in how to prepare for painters.

Payment, changes and what happens afterward

The estimate should say when payments are due and how you can pay. We accept Apple Pay, cash, check, Venmo and Zelle. DATCP's advice is not to sign a completion certificate or make final payment until you're satisfied and the work is done as specified, so it helps when the walkthrough comes before the last payment.

Changes belong in writing too. Wisconsin's rules say that a home improvement contract requiring any payment before the work is finished must be in writing, along with all changes to its terms. If you add a room, the estimate should be updated to show it.

Finally, look for a line on insurance and on problems after the job, or ask where to find them. We're fully insured. And if a problem comes from the quality of our work, like a finish that peels or didn't bond, we come back and make it right. Damage from everyday use or accidents isn't covered, but we'll quote the repair. More in why painter insurance matters.

A checklist to copy

• The business name, a contact, your name and the job address
• The date, and how long the price holds if it expires
• Rooms and surfaces to be painted, and anything left out
• Prep steps, including protection and repairs
• Paint brand, sheen, color, primer and number of coats
• Who supplies the paint, and whether it's in the price
• The total, and the method it's built on
• A start date and a finish date or time period
• When payments are due and how you can pay
• How changes are handled, in writing

How a written quote from us works

It starts with a phone call about what you want done. George visits if he needs to see the space, and then you get a written quote with a start date, with the work and the price spelled out. You can read about our interior painting and what's included, or see the page for Verona if you're nearby.

Estimates are free. If you'd like one, ask for a free estimate, and keep the list above next to the quote when it arrives. Check it against the other quotes with the worksheet in our guide to comparing painting quotes.