For painters
A painting estimate app for solo painters
Room by room, coats and prep included, with the deposit on the page.
Settle lets a solo painter describe a repaint out loud and get a priced, itemized estimate that shows prep, paint and labor separately, with a deposit amount on the page. You text it, the customer approves from a link, and you invoice and get paid to your own Stripe account. Settle doesn't collect the deposit through the link yet. It's free to send unlimited estimates and invoices, and it's iPhone only.
What a painting estimate looks like
In the hallway you say: "Repaint the living room and hallway walls, two coats, customer picked an eggshell. Patch and sand first, tape off the trim. Four gallons of paint." Settle writes:
| Line | Qty | Price | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prep: patch, sand and mask | 6 hr | $55.00 | $330.00 |
| Paint walls, two coats: living room and hallway | 1 | $1,850.00 | $1,850.00 |
| Interior paint, eggshell (gallon) | 4 | $52.00 | $208.00 |
| Tape, plastic, caulk and supplies | 1 | $65.00 | $65.00 |
| Total before tax | $2,453.00 | ||
| Deposit to start (25%) | $613.25 |
Example prices only. Settle uses your own prices, and marks any it had to guess with an orange dot.
What matters in painting estimates
- Scope by room. List the rooms and which surfaces are included: walls, ceilings, trim, doors.
- Coats, brand and sheen. "Two coats, eggshell" prevents a dispute about a third coat. Put the color and product on the estimate.
- Prep is a line, not a footnote. Patching, sanding and masking are real labor. Showing them explains the price.
- State what's excluded. Ceilings, cabinets, furniture moving, and repairs to damaged drywall, if they're not in the price.
- Older homes need a check. If the home was built before 1978, the EPA's lead-safe renovation rules may apply to your work. Look into it and note it on the estimate.
Deposits
Most painters ask for a deposit before buying paint. Settle lets you set a deposit percentage on an estimate, and the amount shows on the page your customer opens. Paying the deposit through the link isn't built yet, so you take it the way you do now (check, Zelle, card), and the balance is paid through the invoice link.
Painting questions
What is the best estimate app for a painter?
For a solo painter on an iPhone who wants itemized estimates, no document caps and payments to their own account, Settle. Painters with crews and scheduling needs may prefer a field-service tool such as Jobber.
Can I show a deposit on a painting estimate?
Yes. Set a deposit percentage and the amount appears on the estimate. Collecting the deposit through the pay link isn't supported yet.
Can Settle draft an estimate from photos?
Yes. Take up to 3 photos and Settle uses them, along with what you say, to draft the estimate. The photos stay with the job in the app; they aren't added to the PDF or the estimate page your customer sees.
Quote your next repaint by talking.
Free on iPhone. Unlimited estimates and invoices. 7 days of Pro to try the voice drafts, and you cancel in two taps.
Download on the App StoreiPhone, iOS 17 or later. Questions? Text Nina: (818) 945-9686