Find out whose approval the property needs
A homeowner selects a dark body color and light trim. Your quote names both, and the customer wants a start date. Before ordering tinted paint, confirm whether the property has an association review, landmark review, or another project-specific approval process. The customer's color selection and an outside approval are separate records.
North Texas does not have one universal exterior-paint palette. As a concrete example, Stonebridge Ranch Community Association in McKinney directs owners to association and village-specific guidelines, including color requirements. Its process should not be copied onto an unrelated neighborhood.
Ask the owner for the current requirements that apply to the address, who submits the request, and which documents the reviewer needs. Put the unresolved items on a checklist rather than assuming that a familiar color name is automatically acceptable.
Keep association and city review separate
For designated properties, there may be a separate city process. The City of Dallas Landmark Review Process describes Certificates of Appropriateness for exterior work on Dallas landmarks and properties in landmark districts. Check the designation and current process for the actual property.
This does not mean every Dallas repaint requires landmark review. It means an association approval, when applicable, does not answer every municipal question. Likewise, a city decision should not be treated as an association's color approval.
List each decision separately: reviewer, submission date, drawing or color-schedule version, status, and any conditions. When the owner says “it was approved,” ask for the decision document and check that it covers the scope being quoted. Do not substitute a contractor's interpretation for an unresolved requirement.
Make a color schedule that cannot be misread
“Gray with white trim” is too loose for purchasing and site instructions. Use one row per surface group. Record the product manufacturer, exact color identifier, selected product and sheen, and the surfaces receiving it. Keep product suitability separate from color approval: the reviewer may approve a color without specifying your coating system.
| Surface group | Selection record | Decision to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Siding body | Manufacturer and exact color identifier | Approved body color and covered elevations |
| Fascia and trim | Manufacturer and exact color identifier | Which trim components are included |
| Front door | Manufacturer and exact color identifier | Whether the accent is covered by the decision |
| Previously unpainted masonry | Separate proposed treatment | Whether this change is included or requires review |
Attach current photos or labeled elevation drawings when requested. Label sample boards with the same identifiers used on the schedule. A phone screenshot of a color can support a discussion, but it should not be the only record of what was selected.
Allow for samples and coordination in the estimate
Producing a sample, making another visit, and updating the schedule take time. Decide which tasks your price includes. An illustrative scope might include two hours to prepare and present samples, one hour to update the color schedule, $36 of sample materials, and $25 of allocated travel.
At an invented loaded labor cost of $32 per hour, the displayed cost is (2 + 1) × $32 + $36 + $25 = $157. That is a cost example, not a North Texas sample fee or a selling-price recommendation. It does not include the repaint itself.
State how many sample or selection rounds are included in the actual offer. If the owner requests another round, explain the proposed work and cost before doing it. Avoid charging again for a correction caused by sending the wrong specification yourself.
Tie purchasing and scheduling to one confirmed version
Give the color schedule a date or version reference. When a reviewer changes a selection, update the schedule, purchasing list, and estimate together. Mark the previous selection as superseded so a crew member does not order from an old message.
Check supplier return conditions before purchasing tinted materials. Do not assume the owner, association, or store will absorb the cost of a changed selection. Agree on the purchasing decision when the final scope and approvals are clear.
Keep the start date dependent on the decisions and access the actual job requires. You can discuss a tentative working window while a review is pending, but a contractor does not control the reviewer's response time. Reconfirm material availability and your crew calendar once the necessary decisions arrive.
Use the painting estimate template for the customer scope and the estimate follow-up guide for a clear next message. Ask for the missing decision or revised selection rather than repeatedly asking whether the customer is ready to start.
Sources and further reading
About this article
Prepared for the Quote Your Jobs blog. Worked examples use illustrative assumptions, not customer case studies or local market rates. Replace them with the actual scope, supplier information and costs for your job.
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