09 - Finishes
Painting & coatings bid estimating, without the grind.
The painting number is set less by the wall SF than by the surface-prep level (SSPC), the coat count and DFT, and whether high-performance/intumescent scope is priced in. Drop in your package and get back a cited first-pass: surface SF by substrate and coats, prep by SSPC level, the coat-system flags, and the RFIs that keep a paint bid from losing on prep.
✓ PE-reviewable✓ Cited to source✓ Your painting / coatings workflow
✓
REVIEWED
REVIEWED
Surface prep (SSPC level) + patching/primingmeasure SF of surface area— cite
Interior wall + ceiling paint (by substrate/coats)measure SF of surface area— cite
Doors / frames / trim / millwork finishmeasure EA or LF— cite
High-performance coatings (epoxy, urethane, intumescent)measure SF— cite
Exterior coatings (stucco, CMU, metal, wood)measure SF of surface area— cite
5
governing codes
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line-item groups
5
units of measure
5
risk flags
What it surfaces for painting / coatings
Priced for the way painting / coatings is actually bid.
The engine reads your package and flags exactly what bites painting / coatings estimators — before it costs you.
Governing codes named: SSPC/NACE (AMPP) surface-prep + coating standards (SP1–SP10), MPI (Master Painters Institute systems + approved products), ASTM D4258/D4259 (surface prep for concrete/masonry), manufacturer product data/spec (system, DFT, recoat windows), SCAQMD/VOC regs (jurisdictional low-VOC).
Line-item groups your bid breaks into: surface prep (SSPC level) + patching/priming; interior wall/ceiling paint by substrate/coats; doors/frames/trim/millwork; high-performance coatings (epoxy, urethane, intumescent); exterior coatings; structural steel/pipe/equipment coating; sealants/caulking; traffic/line striping/floor markings; protection + masking + touch-up.
The painting risks ranked: surface prep under-scope (prep on existing/damaged substrates is the classic cost blowout — pin the SSPC level + condition); coat count/system mismatch (3-coat or high-DFT vs. 2-coat swings labor + material); exposed structure/deck painting (high-SF, often missed); intumescent/high-performance scope (painter or fireproofer?); access/occupied-building constraints (lifts, night work, low-VOC limits).
The RFIs drafted (verbatim): "Surface prep level (SSPC SP1–SP10 for steel; ASTM D4258 for concrete) and substrate condition — new vs. previously coated/repaint?" "High-performance coatings: epoxy/urethane floors, intumescent fireproofing (is that painter or fireproofer scope?), and required DFT?" "Confirm the paint system per surface (MPI number or manufacturer/product + number of coats) and the required sheen schedule?"
The trade's anatomy
Everything painting / coatings needs, structured.
Line-item groups
Surface prep (SSPC level) + patching/primingInterior wall + ceiling paint (by substrate/coats)Doors / frames / trim / millwork finishHigh-performance coatings (epoxy, urethane, intumescent)Exterior coatings (stucco, CMU, metal, wood)Structural steel / pipe / equipment coating (if in scope)Sealants / caulking (if in scope)Traffic / line striping / floor markingsProtection + masking + final touch-up
Governing codes
SSPC / NACE (AMPP) · surface prep + industrial coating standards (SP1–SP10)MPI · Master Painters Institute — architectural paint systems + approved productsASTM D4258 / D4259 · surface prep for concrete/masonry coatingManufacturer product data / spec · system, DFT, and recoat windows (governs warranty)SCAQMD / VOC regs · low-VOC compliance (jurisdictional)
Units of measure
wall / ceiling paint → SF of surface areadoors / frames / trim → EA or LFhigh-performance / intumescent / epoxy coatings → SFstructural steel / pipe coating → SF or TNline striping / traffic marking → LF / EA (stalls)
The risks that usually bite
Surface prep under-scopeCoat count / system mismatchExposed structure / deck paintingIntumescent / high-performance scopeAccess / occupied-building constraints
“"Painting's a wall-SF bid; I spray and back-roll."”
Wall SF is the comfortable part — the money is in surface prep (the classic blowout), the coat system/DFT against the spec, and the high-performance/intumescent scope you don't want to find out about after award. The analysis surfaces all three and prices prep by the assumed SSPC level, so the estimator knows what the substrate condition will cost before the bid. Cited hands clean to review.
Run this on your own painting package.
30 minutes. Bring a real set — a repaint on an existing substrate, a coated-structure job, or a tight-lead-time office finish — and watch the cited line items, the prep-level flags, and the coat-system RFIs on your actual drawings.