1. Ask what the manager means by ready
“Make this unit ready” can include cleaning, repairs, painting and an inspection by someone who has not seen your estimate. Begin with the property manager's actual painting standard and identify who will inspect the finished work.
Ask for the unit number, available date, current occupancy status, planned access, paint specification and any property or housing-program requirements. Texas properties participating in different programs can have different inspection arrangements. TDHCA's physical inspections page describes its role in monitoring the condition and occupancy readiness of developments it oversees; it is not a universal painting specification for every Texas rental.
Keep your estimate focused on the owner's requested work. A contractor's paint scope does not determine how a landlord should allocate tenant charges.
2. Make one decision for each room and surface
Walk the unit after access is available and create a small scope matrix. Mark ceilings, walls, trim, doors and closets separately. A wall-only repaint should not quietly become a whole-unit finish package.
| Area | Decision | Measured or described scope |
|---|---|---|
| Living room walls | Full repaint | 450 sq ft net wall area |
| Bedroom walls | Full repaint | 360 sq ft net wall area |
| Hallway walls | Full repaint | 140 sq ft net wall area |
| Closet | No painting | Excluded after inspection |
| Ceilings, trim and doors | No painting | Excluded from this estimate |
This example includes 950 sq ft of wall area. It is not based on the rental's floor area. Photograph the included rooms and any conditions needing a separate decision, using the manager's agreed process and avoiding occupants' private information.
3. Agree on a touch-up test before promising a match
If a manager asks for spot touch-ups, confirm the original product, color and sheen and assess a representative area. Sherwin-Williams' touch-up guidance emphasizes matching the finish and notes that a full-wall repaint may be needed when blending is unsuccessful.
Define what happens if the test does not meet the agreed appearance. You might price a listed wall as an alternative, with the manager choosing before you proceed. That gives them a decision instead of an unexpected larger invoice.
Our worked example assumes full repainting of the listed walls. It contains no promise that spot repairs will become invisible or that a fixed touch-up allowance covers every room.
4. Turn the approved scope into purchase quantities
For arithmetic only, assume two finish coats and coverage of 350 sq ft per gallon per coat. The 950 sq ft scope requires 950 × 2 ÷ 350 = 5.43 gallons, rounded to two decimal places. If buying one-gallon containers, that means six gallons before any additional reserve or separately specified primer.
Use the actual product directions and inspected surface when replacing these inputs. Repairs, primer and extra coats require their own consideration; they are not automatically covered by rounding the finish-paint quantity.
Record the exact product and color in the completed job notes. The next turnover will be easier to assess when the manager can identify what was applied.
5. Build a unit-specific cost sheet
These hours and prices are illustrative, not Texas averages. The labor allowance includes the assessed preparation, protection, application and cleanup. The unit is assumed vacant and accessible as planned.
| Item | Calculation | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Loaded labor | 20 hours × $30 | $600 |
| Finish paint | 6 gallons × $50 | $300 |
| Consumables | Job allowance | $75 |
| Allocated travel and job costs | Job allowance | $45 |
| Total direct costs | $1,020 |
At a hypothetical 25% gross margin, $1,020 ÷ 0.75 = $1,360. The $340 above direct cost must still support overhead and other expenses. A matching floor plan with more preparation is a different cost sheet, even if you later agree on a repeat-service pricing structure.
6. Schedule around the other work in the unit
Ask when repairs, cleaning, flooring and other trades will occur. List the conditions needed for your crew to start and the areas that must remain accessible. Confirm keys, utilities and the person who resolves a scope question during the visit.
Twenty labor hours split between two painters means ten hours of labor each. It does not prove the unit can be handed over ten elapsed hours after arrival. Coating requirements, return visits and other trades affect the sequence.
Arrange the manager's review before a promised occupancy handoff. A painter's completion date and the property's overall ready date are different milestones.
7. Finish with a room-based handoff
Check the completed work against the same room matrix used in the estimate. Record agreed outstanding items, the product information and any changes the manager requested. Keep the original and revised estimate versions together.
For a repeat customer, compare estimated and actual labor by unit and by task. That reveals whether the issue was an optimistic application allowance, access delays or a different preparation scope. Avoid turning one difficult unit into an unsupported surcharge for an entire city.
Use the painting estimate template for the customer document and the small-room estimate example for the measurement method. When it is time to bill, keep the estimate and invoice distinct.
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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