Job costing for painting contractors
Painting margin is almost entirely a function of labor hours and surface prep time, both of which are hard to estimate from a walkthrough alone. Jobsheet tracks actual cost per job in real time so a prep-heavy job shows up as over budget before the crew starts the second coat.
Surface prep time is the number most bids get wrong
Scraping, patching, and priming take wildly different amounts of time depending on the condition of the surface, and that's rarely visible until the crew is on site. Logging labor hours daily against the job — rather than waiting until the job is done — shows a prep overrun on day one.
Paint and material costs vary more than expected between jobs
Paint quality, primer needs, and number of coats change materials cost job to job, even for similar-sized rooms. Logging the actual paint and sundries invoice against each job keeps your average cost-per-gallon assumptions honest over time.
Repaints and touch-ups after walkthrough cut into margin
A punch list or repaint after the client walkthrough is easy to treat as a freebie, but it's still labor and material cost. Logging that time against the original job is the only way to see its true final margin.
What to track on every painting job
- Paint, primer and sundries
- Prep materials (patching, tape, drop cloths, sandpaper)
- Crew labor hours by phase (prep, paint, touch-up)
- Equipment rental (sprayers, lifts)
- Subcontracted specialty finishes
- Disposal fees
Frequently asked questions
Can I log labor hours by day as the crew works, not just at invoicing?
Yes. Log expenses and labor as they happen throughout the job so the actual cost and projected final cost are current at any point, not just at close-out.
How do I handle a repaint that's technically a callback?
Log the additional material and labor as expenses on the original job so the job's true margin — including the callback — is visible in your records.