Painting and decorating quote template
Decorating quotes go wrong on preparation and on the number of coats. This template makes both explicit, along with the exclusions that stop a fixed price turning into an argument.
Quote header
- The word “Quotation”
- Not “estimate”. A quotation is a fixed price you are bound by; an estimate is not. Say which you mean.
- Quote number and date
- Unique, so it can be referenced when accepted.
- Valid until
- A specific date. Material prices move, and an open-ended quote is one you are still bound by next year.
- Your details and the customer's
- Full names and addresses, plus the site address if different.
The work, room by room
- Rooms or areas covered
- Named individually. “Downstairs” is where scope creep starts.
- Surfaces included
- Walls, ceilings, woodwork, radiators, doors — listed, because customers assume everything is included.
- Preparation
- Filling, sanding, stripping, stain block, lining. The most commonly disputed part of a decorating price.
- Number of coats
- Stated per surface. “Two coats” on a colour change over dark paint may not cover, and that is a conversation for now, not later.
- Paint and materials
- Brand, product and finish where agreed, plus who is supplying them.
- Access equipment
- Ladders, towers or scaffold, and who is providing and paying for it.
- Making good and protection
- Dust sheets, masking, moving furniture — say what is and is not yours to do.
Price and terms
- Price per area or total
- Broken down by room where you can. It makes a reduction easy to negotiate without losing the job.
- VAT
- State whether the price includes VAT, and show the rate if you are registered.
- Exclusions
- Written explicitly. Wallpaper stripping, plaster repairs, external work, second colour changes.
- Deposit and stage payments
- The amounts and when they fall due.
- Timescale
- Working days on site and any dependency on the customer, such as clearing rooms.
- Acceptance
- How the customer accepts, and confirmation that acceptance forms the contract.
Quotation or estimate — the word matters
A quotation is a fixed price you are contractually bound to once accepted. An estimate is an informed guess you can revise if the work turns out differently. Using them interchangeably is how decorators end up bound to a number they meant as a rough figure. Decide which you are giving, label it, and keep the wording consistent through the document.
Preparation is where the money goes
Customers price decorating on paint and think preparation is included by default. Filling, sanding, stripping old paper, stain blocking and lining are the hours that make or lose the job, and they are invisible in the finished result. Spelling them out is not padding the quote — it is the only way the customer can compare your price against a cheaper one that has quietly left them out.
State the number of coats per surface
Two coats over a similar colour covers. Two coats of a pale colour over dark red does not. If you have not said how many coats the price includes, the customer's expectation is “as many as it takes”. Naming the number per surface, and noting that a significant colour change may need an extra coat charged separately, settles it before a brush is opened.
Consumer cancellation rights
Where you agree a job with a domestic customer at their home rather than at your own premises, they generally have a 14-day right to cancel under consumer contracts regulations, and you have to tell them about it in writing. If they want the work to start inside those 14 days they must ask for it expressly, and you can then charge for what has been done if they cancel. Include the notice with the quote rather than discovering the requirement afterwards.
Questions
What should a painting and decorating quote include?
The rooms and surfaces covered, the preparation work in detail, the number of coats per surface, the paint and who supplies it, access equipment, protection and making good, the price broken down where possible, VAT treatment, explicit exclusions, deposit and stage payments, the timescale, and how the customer accepts.
What is the difference between a quote and an estimate?
A quotation is a fixed price that binds you once the customer accepts it. An estimate is an approximate figure that can be revised if the work differs from what was expected. Label the document with the one you actually mean, because the difference is contractual rather than stylistic.
How long should a decorating quote be valid for?
Most decorators use 14 to 30 days. Put a specific expiry date on it. Material prices move, and without an expiry you remain bound by a price you gave months ago.
Should I list preparation separately in the quote?
Yes. Preparation is the largest hidden cost in a decorating job and the thing customers assume is included. Listing filling, sanding, stripping and stain blocking explicitly is what lets a customer compare your price fairly against a cheaper quote that has omitted them.
Do I have to give a domestic customer cancellation rights?
Where the contract is agreed at the customer's home rather than at your business premises, they generally have a 14-day cancellation right and you must give them written notice of it. If they want work to begin within that period they have to request it expressly, which then allows you to charge for work done if they later cancel.
Guidance, not tax or legal advice. UK requirements checked against GOV.UK and HMRC guidance in September 2026. If you are unsure about VAT, CIS or the reverse charge, see the VAT, CIS and MTD guide or ask your accountant.
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