Free painting proposal template: scope, prep, terms and signatures

Two painters walk the same house and quote within a few hundred dollars. One gets the job. Often it isn't the lower number. It's the proposal the homeowner can actually read: what's getting painted, what prep they're paying for, what's not included and when the money is due.

This free proposal builder gives you that page. Pick interior or exterior, price each area, check the prep and exclusions that apply, set your deposit and warranty, and print a signable one-page proposal.

Painting proposal builder

Free · no signup

InteriorExterior

Scope of work

1. $×
2. $×
3. $×

+ Add an area

Prep included

Move and cover furniture, mask floors and fixturesFill nail holes and minor dings, sand smoothCaulk gaps at trim, doors and windowsSpot-prime patches and stainsRemove and replace outlet and switch coversDaily cleanup and final walkthrough

Not included

Drywall repair beyond minor patchingWallpaper removalMoving pianos, safes or heavy itemsInside closets and cabinets unless listedLead-based paint abatement

Paint and sheen

Deposit 25%Check your state's rules on deposit limits before you set this.

Warranty

None1 yr2 yr3 yr

Proposal total$3,2503 areas · valid 30 days

Deposit to schedule

$813

Due at final walkthrough

$2,437

Prep items

6 listed

Exclusions

3 listed

Your companyPhone, email or license #HomeownerPlanned startProperty address

Print or save proposal (PDF)Example prices are placeholders. Use your own numbers.

Get this $3,250 proposal signed from email

On a free 30-minute call we set this exact job up in dropcloth: the homeowner reviews the scope, signs and pays the deposit from their phone.

Your nameMobileBook a free 30-minute call

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What goes in a painting proposal

1. Your business. Company name and the contact line homeowners look for: phone, email, license number if your state requires one.
2. The property and start date. Homeowner, address and a planned start week.
3. Scope by area. Each room or side of the house on its own line with its surfaces and price. If the total comes in high, the homeowner can drop the hallway instead of ghosting the whole bid.
4. Prep included. The specific steps: patching, caulking, priming, power washing, scraping. Prep is most of the labor, so spell it out.
5. Not included. Wallpaper, rotted wood, drywall beyond minor patching, lead abatement. Anything a homeowner might assume you're doing.
6. Paint and sheen. The line and sheen per surface. Final colors get confirmed in writing before painting starts.
7. Payment. Deposit to schedule, balance at the final walkthrough. The builder makes sure the two always add up to the total.
8. Terms and signatures. Changes approved in writing before work starts, workmanship warranty, how long the price is good for, and two signature lines.

Proposal, estimate or contract?

• Estimate: your number. Use the free estimate builder to get it from your own rates and margin.
• Proposal: the number plus the scope and terms the homeowner says yes to. That's this page.
• Contract: a signed proposal can work as your agreement, but some states require specific contract language for home improvement work, like cancellation rights or license numbers. Check your state's rules, or have a lawyer review your terms once and reuse them.

The three lines that save the most arguments

"Any work outside this scope is priced and approved in writing before it starts." When the homeowner asks for one more closet on day two, you send a change order, not a surprise on the final bill.

• Exclusions with a next step. "Rotted wood replacement, priced separately if found" tells the homeowner what happens instead of leaving them to guess.
• Colors confirmed in writing. A color approval form before day one beats repainting a wall at your cost.

Send it the same day

The best proposal loses to a fast one. Send it within a day of the visit, then follow up on a schedule. Our guide to following up on a painting estimate has the timing and the wording.

Not sure your price holds your margin? Check it first in the painting estimate calculator before you send the proposal.

When a printed proposal stops being enough

Paper works until you have six proposals out, two homeowners asking about the deposit and a crew asking which white goes on the trim.

dropcloth builds this same area-by-area proposal on your phone during the walkthrough, then sends the homeowner one email where they review the scope, sign and pay the deposit. See how it works on the painting estimating software page.