Painting Quote Mistakes Costing You Jobs
Stop losing 40% of potential jobs to preventable quoting errors. Learn the critical mistakes and exactly how to fix them. Part of our complete quoting guide.
What Are the Most Common Painting Quote Mistakes?
The top painting quote mistakes are: Not itemizing costs (loses 35% of jobs), forgetting prep work in estimates (causes 40% profit loss), generic one-size-fits-all quotes, taking too long to deliver (48hr+ loses 60% of jobs), and poor presentation. These mistakes cost average contractors $75,000+ annually in lost business.
The 5 Deal-Killing Mistakes
1. Not Itemizing Costs
❌ Wrong Way
Interior Painting: $3,500
"What does this include?"
✓ Right Way
Prep & Repairs: $800
Labor (32 hrs): $1,600
Premium Paint: $700
Supplies: $200
Protection: $200
Total: $3,500
2. Forgetting Prep Work
Commonly Forgotten Prep Items:
- • Patching nail holes (2-4 hrs)
- • Caulking gaps (3-5 hrs)
- • Sanding rough spots (2-3 hrs)
- • Priming stains (1-2 hrs)
- • Moving furniture (1-2 hrs)
- • Extensive masking (2-3 hrs)
- • Cleaning surfaces (1-2 hrs)
- • Minor drywall repair (3-5 hrs)
Rule: Add 20-30% of painting time for prep on good surfaces, 40-50% for poor condition
3. Generic One-Size-Fits-All Quotes
Generic Quote Signs:
- No customer name
- Copy-paste descriptions
- No specific colors mentioned
- Missing unique concerns
Personalization Wins:
- Reference their style
- Note specific concerns
- Include home photos
- Custom color suggestions
4. Taking Too Long to Quote
Quote Delivery Timeline Impact:
5. Poor Presentation & Formatting
Unprofessional Signs:
- • Handwritten on napkins
- • Spelling/grammar errors
- • No company branding
- • Unclear formatting
- • Missing contact info
- • No terms & conditions
Professional Elements:
- • Clean PDF format
- • Company logo/branding
- • Clear section headers
- • Visual elements/photos
- • Digital signature ready
- • Mobile optimized
10 More Profit-Killing Mistakes
Pricing Mistakes
- Forgetting labor burden
Add 30-40% to wages
- No material waste factor
Include 10-15% waste
- Ignoring travel time
Bill portal-to-portal
- No contingency buffer
Add 10-15% cushion
Process Mistakes
- Not measuring properly
Never estimate by eye
- Skipping the walkthrough
Always inspect in person
- No photos for reference
Document everything
- Verbal quotes only
Always put in writing
The Real Cost of These Mistakes
Annual revenue lost
Lower close rate
Profit margin loss
More callbacks
Quick Fixes for Immediate Results
Today: Template It
- • Create quote template
- • Add itemization sections
- • Include all standard items
- • Set up digital delivery
This Week: Speed Up
- • Measure during visit
- • Quote same day
- • Set up automation
- • Track delivery times
This Month: Refine
- • Audit win/loss reasons
- • Update pricing formulas
- • A/B test presentations
- • Implement follow-ups