Devia
14-day trial

Trade - Painter

Quote and invoice software for painters and decorators

Three rooms to repaint, walls to skim, a ceiling in two coats. You call out the areas room by room and Devia writes the painting quote per m², preparation included, ready to send as a PDF.

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The problem

What wastes time for painters

Three situations you will recognise if you price painting jobs yourself.

  • Preparation, invisible on the quote, invisible in the price

    Skimming, filling, sanding, primer: half the time on site. When it is buried in a price per m², the client compares you with someone who prepares nothing - and you look expensive.

  • Areas measured then copied again

    You measure each room, you note it, then you re-enter it at night trying to remember whether the bedroom was 11 or 13 m². A forgotten room is a day's work unbilled.

  • Quotes that all look the same, rebuilt from scratch

    A two-bed refresh is almost always the same quote structure. Starting from a blank page for every client is time lost every week, with no added value.

The method

A painting quote in three steps, without going back to the office

The quote happens when every detail is still fresh: on site, not at night.

  1. Step 1

    You dictate on site

    From your phone, describe the job like you would to the client. No form, no dropdown.

  2. Step 2

    Devia structures and prices

    Each service becomes a line with quantity, unit and the price from your catalogue. Nothing invented: your rates.

  3. Step 3

    You review and send

    Adjust if needed; the PDF is generated in your brand colours and sent to the client. The invoice follows without retyping.

Concrete example

What a painting quote looks like with Devia

Refresh of a two-bed flat before letting: living room and bedroom in two coats, ceilings included, walls to make good.

painting quote - sample

Generated by voice

Wall preparation - 62 m²

Filling, skimming and sanding before painting

£620.00

Bonding primer - 62 m²

Roller application, materials included

£310.00

Walls 2 coats - 62 m²

Matt acrylic, colour at the client's choice

£744.00

Ceilings 2 coats - 34 m²

Matt white acrylic, light preparation included

£476.00

Protection and site clean

Floor sheeting, removal and refitting of cover plates

£120.00

Total excl. VAT
£2270.00
VAT
£454.00 (20 %)
Total incl. VAT
£2724.00

Amounts are illustrative. In Devia, every line is priced with your rates: the AI never sets a price for you.

Your trade

Devia knows painting vocabulary

You speak like on site, not like to software. Labels come out correctly on the document the client reads.

Recognised painting services
  • Surface preparation: skimming, filling, sanding
  • Primer and smoothing compound
  • Walls and ceilings in two coats, acrylic or oil-based
  • Joint tape and plasterboard finishing
  • Glass-fibre wall covering and wallcoverings
  • Painting woodwork, doors, skirtings and frames
  • Façade painting and treatment of outdoor surfaces
  • Floor and furniture protection and end-of-job clean
Site terms understood from dictation
  • primer
  • skimming
  • filler
  • joint tape
  • oil-based
  • acrylic
  • two coats

These terms are prioritised during structuring: Devia knows it is a unit, a material or a service - not a misheard word. The list grows with your own catalogue as you quote.

VAT

Which VAT rate on painting work?

The rate is chosen line by line in Devia - essential when a job mixes several types of work.

  • 20 %

    Most painting repair, maintenance and installation work.

  • 5 %

    Qualifying energy-saving materials and some residential energy work.

  • 0 %

    Certain new-build and zero-rated supplies, when they apply.

VAT depends on the nature of the work and your VAT registration. If in doubt, check with your accountant: Devia applies the rate you choose, line by line.

Compliance

Required mentions on a painting quote

A painting quote should identify your business (including Companies House and VAT numbers where relevant), the client, the job address, each line with quantities, VAT and totals. Devia fills this from your company profile.

  • Date and validity period

    Issue date and the period during which the price remains guaranteed.

  • Company identity

    Legal name, address, Companies House number, legal form and VAT number if registered.

  • Client identity and job address

    Client name and address, and the works address if it differs.

  • Itemised breakdown

    Each service and material with quantity, unit and unit price excl. VAT.

  • Labour and call-out

    Hourly rate or labour lump sum, and call-out fees where applicable.

  • Totals and VAT

    Overall total excl. VAT, VAT rate and amount per line, total incl. VAT due.

  • Professional insurance

    Insurer details, policy reference and geographic cover.

  • Client signature

    The wording “quote received before work starts”, date and signature.

A written quote is not always a legal requirement in the UK, but it is the document that protects you if the client disputes the price. Devia produces it before you start.

« Since preparation appears as separate lines, I no longer fight over price. The client sees what they pay, and they sign. »
Élodie R. - Painter and decorator, Edinburgh

FAQ

Frequent questions from painters

Answers to the questions that come up most often before getting started.

How do I produce a painting quote per m² quickly?

You dictate the areas room by room as you walk the property: “living room 32 m² of walls, ceiling 18 m², two coats”. Devia creates the lines per m² with your rates, separates preparation from finish, and produces the PDF before you leave.

Should surface preparation be itemised on the quote?

Yes - that is often what wins the job. Filling, skimming, sanding and primer as separate lines show the client the real work behind the price - where a rival's lump sum looks cheaper without being so.

How do I price a full flat refresh?

Split by room and by type of work: walls, ceilings, woodwork, preparation, protection. The client reads their home in the quote, understands what they pay, and can drop a room if they need to cut the budget rather than cancel the project.

Which VAT rate on painting work?

Most painting work is standard-rated at 20 %. A reduced 5 % rate can apply to qualifying energy-saving materials, and 0 % to certain new-build supplies. In Devia the rate is set per line so mixed jobs stay on a single quote.

Is painting vocabulary recognised on dictation?

Yes: primer, skimming, smoothing compound, joint tape, oil-based, acrylic, two coats. You describe the job in your usual terms and the labels come out clean on the quote.

Can I reuse a template quote from one client to the next?

Yes. Your services and rates per m² live in your catalogue: a two-bed refresh is re-priced in a few sentences, with your current rates, without starting from a blank page each time.

Other trades

Devia adapts to your trade

Not a painter? Each trade has its page, vocabulary and sample quotes.

See all trades covered by Devia

Your next painting quote can go out today

Try dictation on a real job for 14 days. No card required, and nothing to uninstall if it is not for you.

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