Painting estimating software that prices the job before you leave the driveway
A simple painting estimate app for small contractors: walk the rooms, check your margin and send a quote the customer can sign from their phone. No monthly fee. No more pricing at the kitchen table after dark.
$0/month · 1% only when you get paid
If this sounds like your week, you're not behind. Your tools are.
Pricing at the kitchen table at 9 PM
You walked the job at 2. The notes are on a legal pad, the customer is waiting, and someone faster is already in their inbox.
One lump number that misses the prep
Square-foot guesses look fine until the patching, caulk and primer eat the profit on day two.
Quotes that go quiet
A PDF in an email has no way to sign, no deposit button and no reminder. So it sits.
How it works
Three steps, one visit
- 1
Walk the rooms
Tap each room, its surfaces and the prep it needs. Colors and sheen save to the job.
- 2
Check the margin
Your labor rate and paint costs build the price. You see the profit before the customer does.
- 3
Send it from the driveway
The customer gets one email, reviews room by room, signs and pays the deposit from their phone.
Margin-safe pricing
Your rates, your margin, every time
Labor at your real burdened rate, paint from the product's coverage, prep and coats per room. Then the price is set for the margin you want, not a markup that quietly shrinks it.
Build the price from the job, not a square-foot guess
- Step 1 of 3
Scope + tasks
Record each area, surface, prep, product and coats, then break it into crew tasks.
- Step 2 of 3
Cost basis
Labor hours × burdened rate, materials from product coverage, direct costs and overhead.
- Step 3 of 3
Price by margin
Total cost ÷ (1 − target margin). Then compare estimate vs actual after the job.
Markup isn't margin: a 15% markup on cost is about a 13% margin on price.
- Price = cost ÷ (1 − target margin)
- Prep level changes the labor, not just the paint
- Room-by-room lines, never one lump number
Quotes that close
A quote they can sign, not a PDF they forget
The homeowner sees each room priced, like living room and bedrooms 1 + 2, then signs the $5,180 quote and pays the start deposit in the same tap.
- One email, read on their phone, no app to download
- $1,315 start deposit collected at signing
- Card or bank at one price, and the date locks when it's paid
Not ready for software?
Free tools for your next estimate
No sign-up. Use them on tonight's job.
Questions painters ask
Can I price a painting job on my phone during the walkthrough?
Yes. In dropcloth you tap through each room, set surfaces and prep, and the price builds as you go. The quote is ready to send before you leave the driveway.
How are rooms, surfaces, prep and coats priced?
Each room is its own line. You pick the surfaces (walls, ceiling, trim, doors), the prep it needs and the number of coats, and the line is priced from your own rates. The customer sees room-by-room lines instead of one lump number.
How do I price a painting job for profit?
Add labor cost at your burdened hourly rate and materials, then divide by one minus your target margin. For a 40% margin, divide your cost by 0.6. A 15% markup is only about a 13% margin.
Can I add a change order after the quote is approved?
Yes. Add the extra work to the job, send the customer the price, and they approve it by email. The job total updates before the crew paints it.
What does the customer receive, and how do they approve?
They get an email that opens their quote on a project page, with each room, color and sheen listed. They approve and pay the start deposit there by card or bank, at one price either way.
What should I look for in painting estimating software?
Pricing from your own labor rates and margin, not a flat price per square foot. Room-by-room lines the customer can read. Works on your phone at the walkthrough. Deposit collected at approval. Change orders approved in writing. A cost that doesn't run while you're slow.
How much does dropcloth cost?
No monthly subscription. dropcloth takes 1% of the money you collect through it, and payment processing is passed through at cost.
Bring your last quote. We'll price it with you.
A free 30-minute call. Show us how you estimate today and we'll walk the same job through dropcloth.
Book a free 30-minute call$0/month · 1% only when you get paid · See the full product