Two painters walk through the same house and come back with very different numbers. Before you choose the lower one, it is worth finding out whether they are really pricing the same job.
Put them side by side
Write down, for each estimate, what it actually says about:
- Which surfaces are included. Walls only? Ceilings, trim, doors, closets, window frames?
- Preparation. Filling holes, repairing cracks, caulking gaps at the trim, sanding glossy surfaces, spot-priming repairs.
- Number of coats. “Paint the living room” can mean one coat or two.
- Primer. Needed over repairs, bare drywall, stains, and big colour changes — especially dark to light.
- The paint itself. The product line matters. Ask what will be used on walls, trim and ceilings.
- Colour changes. Some estimates assume the same colour; a new colour can need more coats.
- Furniture and protection. Who moves what, and how floors and belongings are covered.
- Clean-up. Daily, or only at the end.
Anything one estimate lists and the other does not is a question to ask.
Questions worth asking
- Is this price for everything we discussed, or are there items that could be added later?
- What happens if you find more repairs once work starts?
- How many coats are included on the walls, and on the trim?
- Which paint products are included?
- How are payments scheduled?
- Who will actually be doing the work, and who do I contact during the job?
A good estimate should answer most of these before you ask.
Why the cheapest number can cost more
The easiest way to lower a painting estimate is to skip work you cannot see on the day it is finished: less filling, less sanding, no primer, one coat instead of two. The room looks fine at first. Six months later, cracks reappear, patches show through, and the colour looks patchy in low light.
A higher estimate is not automatically better either. What matters is that the number matches a clearly written scope — so you know what you are paying for.
Get it in writing
Whatever you choose, make sure the final scope is written down: the rooms, the surfaces, the preparation, the coats, the colours and the price. It protects both sides and makes the finished job easy to check.
When you ask us for an estimate, this is what you get back.