Painting projects look like a simple job — but, first, you’ve got to win the bid. The question is: are your current processes helping you to do that?
For residential painters, the problem with winning bids isn’t just how long estimates take. The issue is how easily and quickly these estimates become inaccurate and outdated.
Rely on manual entry using spreadsheets and costing using past project inputs, and, suddenly the quote you’ve built ends up eating half your margin because your estimates were wildly off.
Fluctuating prices, inconsistent site conditions, and projects that change halfway through: contractors know only too well what they’re up against. What’s less clear is how to resolve these once and for all.
Enter: painting estimating software, designed to bring precision to your process, transforming them from hindrances to help. Built specifically for small builders and remodelers, these platforms allow you to measure accurately, quote quickly, and control your profit on every job.
Aiming for 5% or even more this year? Set that as your goal and watch how painting estimating software makes this a business reality.
In this guide, we’ll break down what to look for in painting estimating software, the features that actually matter, and how to choose the right solution for your growing business.
What are the Benefits of Painting Estimating Software in Residential Construction?
In residential remodeling, painting estimates are one of the most time-consuming and error-prone tasks. Measuring walls, factoring in coats, and juggling dealer costs can easily lead to inaccuracies that eat into already thin margins.
And with demand rising, efficiency is more critical than ever: this year alone, 29% of homeowners hired professionals for painting services, and 70% say they’re likely to do so again through the following year.
Intelligent painting estimating software replaces manual measurements and spreadsheets with digital tools that help remodelers and contractors quote faster, reduce rework, and maintain accuracy from estimate to project completion.
Create accurate estimates that protect your profits
Incomplete plans and unpredictable site conditions put manual takeoffs at risk of inaccuracies. Painting estimating software automates measurements and calculations, ensuring surface areas, coats, and materials are captured precisely.
“Companies (in the home painting service market) are increasingly adopting software for project management, cost estimation, and customer relationship management (CRM) to streamline operations.”
— House Painting Service Market, Data Intelo
Additionally, AI-driven estimating tools replace repetitive manual entry and rework, helping remodelers maintain accurate bids and profitable jobs.
Send better bids, win more of the right work
The longer it takes to get back to a lead, the less chance of winning the job (and the more chance of a competitor beating you to it). Intelligent painting estimating software enables you to quickly create professional, accurate bids that give you a competitive edge in both speed and quality.
“The reputation of established (home painting) companies plays a crucial role in attracting clients, especially for high-stakes projects that require guaranteed quality and adherence to strict timelines.”
— House Painting Service Market, Data Intelo
For example, Buildxact’s AI-powered takeoff tool enables you to bid seven times faster, with digital takeoffs and estimates generated either from a template or using Blu, a built-in AI Estimating Assistant.
Take control of your costs and cash flow
Losing evenings and weekends to manual accounting tasks is a common frustration for painting contractors and remodelers.
A painting estimating tool that integrates with your accounting software and simplifies ongoing tasks — like approving purchases or change orders — streamlines your financial admin and keeps you in control of your budgets, without spending hours updating spreadsheets.
Avoid underquoting with up-to-date pricing
A lack of margins, poor cash flow, and low profitability make it virtually impossible to scale your business and stay competitive.
And in many cases, these issues are a direct result of underquoting. Smart estimating software that syncs with live dealer pricing for paint, materials, and labor helps you build quotes with defendable margins that keep profits protected throughout the project.
For residential remodelers, the right estimating tools can simplify one of the most unpredictable parts of the job. To get the most value, you need to understand which features matter the most and have the greatest impact on businesses like yours.
How to Choose Estimating Software for Remodelers
As a busy remodeler or painting contractor, estimating is only one “cog” in the machine of your job. That’s why it’s crucial to choose an all-in-one platform that covers not only estimating but also ordering, scheduling, and job management.
This will help avoid the “software fatigue” that comes from juggling multiple platforms for different tasks.
“(Home painting) companies are increasingly adopting software for project management, cost estimation, and customer relationship management (CRM) to streamline operations and improve customer satisfaction.”
— House Painting Service Market, Data Intelo
However, not all platforms are created equal. In addition to all-in-one functionality, your estimating tool should also include dedicated features that support your specific day-to-day workflows.
AI-powered painting estimating tools
AI-driven estimating software that lets you generate fast, accurate bids directly from plans (or even a mobile device) doesn’t just cut admin time and errors — it reduces the risk of losing jobs due to slow or inaccurate estimates.
“With rapid AI takeoffs, estimators can quickly generate cost estimates and even iterate multiple scenarios (e.g. using different materials) to identify the most cost-effective approach.”
— The 2025 Construction Tech Landscape, Slate.AI
Online takeoffs
If you’re still pricing up jobs manually or by eye, your bids are at risk of costly errors. Switching to automated takeoff tools to upload plans, scale, and measure directly online standardizes the process and minimizes human error.
Reusable estimate costings
The ability to create estimates from pre-built, reusable templates for items like paint, brushes, drop cloths, or labor rates saves you from repeating the same steps over and over again, while keeping pricing consistent for common jobs.
Live dealer pricing
Underquoting is a significant obstacle for remodelers attempting to maintain profitable jobs. Intelligent estimating software that links to real-time dealer material prices and regional labor rates keeps margins safe against fluctuating costs.
Accounting software integration
Without clear visibility into your cash flow, budgets can quickly blow out. Estimating software that integrates with your existing accounting platform and provides real-time financial reports keeps you in control while reducing time-consuming administrative tasks and eliminating double-entry.
Professional bids
When you’re competing against more well-established competitors, sending polished bid proposals impresses prospects and keeps you top-of-mind. Look for estimating software that lets you quickly create custom proposals directly from takeoff data — and ideally centralizes documentation for easy access once the job is won.
“Technological advancements and the use of digital tools are transforming service delivery in the house painting service market.”
— House Painting Service Market, Data Intelo
Mobile tools
Painting estimating software with a dedicated mobile app enables you to stay productive whether you’re working on-site, in the office, or at home. For example, mobile tools for tasks such as scheduling and daily logging help keep everyone aligned and projects running smoothly.
Many painting estimating software platforms promise to simplify and enhance this critical area of your business. But not all tools live up to the hype.
To help you identify a platform that will actually make a difference to your day-to-day operations (and your bottom line), we’ve reviewed some of the leading solutions on the market and weighted them across the most common use cases you’ll encounter.
Painting Estimating Software: Comparison Guide for Residential Contractors
The right painting estimating software can mean faster, more accurate bids that win more work while protecting your margins. In our comparison guide below, we examine how the leading platforms compare for remodelers and painting contractors.
Buildxact
Buildxact is all-in-one construction management software for small- to mid-sized residential businesses. Its user-friendly platform provides custom home builders, remodelers, and contractors with all the tools they need to run successful projects and grow their business, from a single, centralized hub.
Buildxact’s end-to-end functionality covers customer management features, including:
- Lead management (including lead capture right in the field)
- Client communications, with dedicated Client portals for full visibility
- A complete suite of preconstruction tools to streamline estimating and takeoffs, amplified by an AI assistant that learns the unique aspects of your business and delivers autonomously over time
- Project and financial management functionality for end-to-end control at a strategic and operational level
- Dealer connections that strengthen relationships and keep your costing consistently updated.
…and so much more.
What are the benefits of Buildxact’s painting estimating software?
Buildxact’s construction estimating tools are one of the areas that set it apart from other platforms, with a host of features designed to support the day-to-day workflows of painting professionals:
Point-and-click takeoffs that cut measuring time in half
Digital takeoffs enable painting professionals to automate and accelerate one of the most time-consuming and error-prone aspects of preparing a painting bid. With Buldxact, users can scale and measure in just a few clicks and price estimates in a single step, with takeoffs automatically linked to the estimating process.
AI estimate review that fact checks and flags costly mistakes
Buildxact’s powerful AI-powered estimating tool — Blu — features a built-in review function that automatically flags errors such as missed prep, masking, or labor items. Catching oversights like this before quotes are sent to clients can help avoid mistakes that could cost profits or the entire job.
Saved assemblies and templates that speed up every bid
Buildxact offers pre-built templates and saved assemblies that standardize common room types and paint systems, streamlining the design process. The result is faster estimate creation and more consistent pricing, which is especially beneficial for streamlining the same inefficient processes on repeat jobs.
Live dealer pricing built directly into your estimates
To avoid the frustration of underquoting, Buildxact integrates with dealer price books, pulling real-time paint and material costs directly into quotes. Painting contractors and remodelers can keep bids accurate by using up-to-date costs and automating processes, eliminating the need for manual spreadsheet updates.
Drawbacks and limitations
Buildxact is specifically designed for small- to mid-sized residential builders and remodelers. That means it isn’t tailored to the needs of large commercial painting contractors managing multi-site or high-volume projects.
Companies that need advanced compliance tracking, enterprise reporting, or extensive customization for large-scale commercial work will find its feature set more focused on residential estimating and project workflows.
What people say about Buildxact
For Dave Warmouth, Operations Manager at Integrity Contracting, life before Buildxact meant long nights and endless spreadsheets.
“Before Buildxact, we didn’t really have a system. I was the estimator and the project manager. And basically everything was hand-typed or done in an Excel spreadsheet. It was really time-consuming, requiring a lot of man-hours just to develop one estimate. It took hours and sometimes days.”
That changed once Buildxact was introduced.
“Now that we’ve got our templates and our assemblies built in the estimating side of Buildxact, I can turn out an estimate in about 15 minutes.”
Since adopting the platform, Integrity Contracting has become faster, more efficient, and more professional. As Dave puts it:
“Buildxact has changed our business immeasurably. We’re definitely more efficient. We’re more profitable. And it makes us look even more professional.”
Who is Buildxact best for?
Buildxact is best suited for small- to mid-sized residential painting businesses looking to streamline and enhance their estimating process. Painting contractors who handle a mix of interior and exterior jobs will benefit from Buildxact’s targeted features, such as automated takeoffs, AI-driven estimating tools, and live dealer pricing.
What do we score Buildxact painting estimating software?
- SMB suitability: 5/5
- Residential focus: 5/5
- AI and automation: 5/5
- All-in-one simplicity: 5/5
STACK
STACK Construction Technologies is a cloud-based preconstruction platform specializing in digital takeoffs and estimating for small- to large construction contractors, including painting contractors and remodelers. It offers advanced measurement tools, cost estimation, and collaboration features to support bidding processes prior to construction.
Benefits of STACK
STACK’s highly automated preconstruction features enable faster and more accurate takeoffs and estimates. Plus, its cloud-based tools for accessing plans, updating quantities, and managing estimates from any location offer flexibility for mobile teams.
Drawbacks and limitations
While STACK excels in preconstruction, there are notable gaps in broader construction workflows, including customer and project management. It offers a user-based pricing model, which can balloon costs for growing teams that need additional seats.
Who is STACK best for?
STACK is best suited for professionals working in the preconstruction phase — particularly commercial contractors who require detailed takeoffs and estimates to support their bidding. Conversely, it’s a less suitable option for small- to mid-sized painting contractors or remodelers seeking an end-to-end, residential-focused solution that also includes related functionality like scheduling and job tracking.
What do we score STACK painting estimating software?
- SMB suitability: 2/5
- Residential focus: 2/5
- AI and automation: 4/5
- All-in-one simplicity: 2/5
PaintScout
PaintScout is an estimating software tool designed specifically for painting contractors. Its web-based platform helps contractors to speed up estimate generation, improve accuracy, and present professional quotes.
Benefits of PaintScout
As a dedicated estimating solution for painting contractors, PaintScout’s narrow focus means it comes equipped with tailored, industry-specific features that support the workflows of painting estimators.
Drawbacks and limitations
PaintScout certainly simplifies estimating — but when it comes to overall business and project management tasks for residential jobs (such as scheduling and site coordination), it lacks the comprehensiveness of “all-in-one” alternatives.
Who is PaintScout best for?
PaintScout’s estimating-focused platform is ideal for painting contractors who require simple estimating software without additional functionality such as scheduling, cost tracking, and project management.
What do we score PaintScout painting estimating software?
- SMB suitability: 4/5
- Residential focus: 4/5
- AI and automation: 4/5
- All-in-one simplicity: 2/5
PlanSwift
PlanSwift’s digital takeoff and estimating software suits various construction trades, including painting contractors and remodelers. The platform offers automated measurements directly from digital blueprints, as well as the ability to generate cost estimates. It features a point-and-click interface and uses custom assemblies to automate takeoff calculations.
Benefits of PlanSwift
PlanSwift’s ease of use and intuitive tools enable contractors to get started with the platform quickly, eliminating the lengthy onboarding and training typically required for enterprise-level software.
Drawbacks and limitations
PlanSwift boasts a wide range of features, but its outdated interface hinders the streamlining of processes for small- to mid-sized companies seeking a modern, intelligent solution. Frequent crashes and bugs add to user frustration.
Who is PlanSwift best for?
PlanSwift targets a broad range of trades, including electrical, flooring, HVAC, and earthwork. It’s best suited for commercial and industrial trades that require customizable takeoff features to meet their specific needs.
What do we score PlanSwift painting estimating software?
- SMB suitability: 3/5
- Residential focus: 3/5
- AI and automation: 4/5
- All-in-one simplicity: 4/5
Jobber
Jobber is a field service management tool designed for home service businesses. It combines tasks such as estimating, scheduling, and client management on a mobile-focused platform that supports field teams.
Benefits of Jobber
Jobber’s point of difference lies in its advanced mobile tools, which make it simple for field teams to track and manage high volumes of smaller jobs from any location.
Drawbacks and limitations
Jobber offers fewer features than broader, all-in-one construction management platforms and lacks robust financial management tools — integration with accounting platforms like QuickBooks is often limited or unreliable.
Who is Jobber best for?
Jobber works well for service businesses that manage many short, recurring jobs. It is less suitable for residential contractors with scheduling or cost tracking needs.
What do we score Jobber painting estimating software?
- SMB suitability: 3/5
- Residential focus: 3/5
- AI and automation: 4/5
- All-in-one simplicity: 2/5
Our painting estimating software guide shows that not all platforms offer the same benefits, and the best choice will be a tool that fits your specific needs as a small- to mid-sized remodeler or painting contractor.
Painting Estimating Software: FAQs
Which software is most commonly used for estimating?
Estimating tools are widely used across construction trades to generate digital takeoffs, calculate quantities, and link estimates with dealer pricing for greater accuracy.
What is the best painting estimating software for small contractors?
Platforms built for small contractors prioritize simplicity, automation, and affordability, enabling painters to create fast, detailed quotes and manage costs efficiently without complex setup.
Is painting estimating software easy to use?
Most modern estimating tools are user-friendly, featuring drag-and-drop takeoffs, templates, and guided workflows that simplify the estimating process for busy contractors.
Streamline and speed up painting estimating, so you can spend more time on the job
Digital painting estimating software replaces guesswork with automation — streamlining takeoffs, measurements, and quoting to deliver professional bids in minutes. Contrast that with manual estimating, which slows down jobs and leaves margins vulnerable to expensive mistakes, and you’ve got a no-brainer situation: it’s time to make painting estimating software and see measurable business growth this year.
Buildxact’s estimating tools take that efficiency further. With its purpose-built tools, small- and mid-sized remodelers and contractors consistently cut hours from estimating, reduce underquoting, and protect their profits on every job. Ultimately, they’re freed up to focus on what matters most: delivering quality work and growing their business.
How about you?
If you’re ready to see how simple estimating can be, start your free trial today or book an interactive demo.
