Painting takeoff with surface-specific coverage rates.
Trace each room's walls and ceiling. BidScreen XL multiplies linear feet by ceiling height for wall area; opening deductions and substrate-specific coverage rates compute paint and primer gallons in Excel.
| A | B | C | D | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ROOM | WALL SF | COATS | COVERAGE | GAL |
| 2 | Lobby | 850 | 2 | 350 SF/gal | 5 |
| 3 | Corridor 1 | 1,640 | 2 | 350 SF/gal | 10 |
| 4 | Open office | 2,420 | 2 | 350 SF/gal | 14 |
| 5 | Restroom (semi-gloss) | 420 | 2 | 300 SF/gal | 3 |
| 6 | Primer — new drywall | 5,330 | 1 | 250 SF/gal | 22 |
| 7 | TOTAL GALLONS | 54 |
Illustrative painting estimating workbook. Wall area is computed live from BidScreen XL traces on the floor plan.
The bottlenecks every painting estimator knows.
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Different substrates need different coverage rates — smooth drywall, textured walls, stucco, concrete block — and standard takeoff tools don't track per-surface coverage.
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Two-coat vs three-coat decisions vary by color shift; multiplying area by coats by coverage by hand for every room is error-prone.
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Primer requirements vary by substrate (new drywall, stained walls, glossy substrates) and need separate gallon tracking from finish paint.
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Lump-sum opening percent estimates miss large windows, accent walls, and unusual openings; per-opening subtraction is tedious without measurement tools.
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Commercial projects with 100+ rooms make manual room-by-room takeoff prohibitive.
The painting quantities every bid needs.
Wall area per room
Perimeter × ceiling height. Subtract per-opening doors and windows from the gross.
Ceiling area per room
Room footprint for ceilings that get paint (separate from drywall area when ceiling and walls use different products).
Trim linear footage
Casing, base, crown, and chair rail by linear foot. Multiply by a per-LF coverage rate.
Coverage rate by substrate
350 ft²/gal for smooth drywall, 250 ft²/gal for rough textures, 200 ft²/gal for stucco. Track per-room.
Coats (paint and primer)
Two coats default for color change; three coats for deep colors. Primer per substrate type.
Exterior surfaces
Siding, soffit, fascia by area; trim by linear foot. Different coverage rates by exterior product.
Built for how this trade actually estimates.
Trace each wall and ceiling on the PDF; BidScreen XL gives you linear feet and area in Excel.
Per-room substrate, coverage, and coat columns let you compute exact paint and primer gallons in one workbook.
Linear-foot trim measurements work the same way: trace casing and base on the plan, multiply by per-LF coverage.
Plan changes flow through automatically — re-measure one room, the gallons update.
Same workflow handles new construction, repaints, and partial repaints by adjusting the per-room scope.
BidScreen XL
PDF and CAD measurement directly inside Microsoft Excel. Trace the drawing, the quantity lands in your estimating cell as a live formula.
$400/yr rental · $799 perpetual
Considering BidScreen XL against another painting takeoff product?
Honest side-by-side comparisons — feature matrix, 5-year cost, and a fair note on when the competitor is actually the right choice.
- Switching from
Bluebeam Revu
PDF tool with measurement features. BidScreen XL adds the same measurement inside Microsoft Excel — quantities land as cells, not exports.
See comparison - Switching from
PlanSwift
Standalone takeoff at $1,749/yr (perpetual retired). BidScreen XL is $400/yr or $799 perpetual and feeds Excel directly.
See comparison - Switching from
STACK
Cloud-only at $2,988/yr Premium or $3,588/yr Pro. BidScreen XL is a desktop Excel add-in at $400/yr.
See comparison - Switching from
On-Screen Takeoff
ConstructConnect bundle-only (~$1,850/yr+). BidScreen XL is sold standalone at $400/yr, lives in Excel.
See comparison
Start with the free tools.
Frequently asked
Does BidScreen XL handle exterior painting too?
Yes. For new construction, trace the exterior elevations to get siding area; multiply by coverage and coats. For repaints, you usually work from photos or a site visit measurement — enter dimensions directly into Excel.
How do I track different paint products on the same job?
Use separate Excel columns for each product: wall paint, ceiling paint, trim paint, exterior body, exterior trim. Each column references the area or linear footage source and multiplies by that product's coverage rate. Subtotals roll up by product for ordering.
How does BidScreen XL handle accent walls or two-color rooms?
Trace the accent wall area separately from the main wall area. Apply different paint products and coverage rates per surface. The room's total paint quantity is the sum, but each product is tracked independently for ordering.
Can BidScreen XL estimate spray vs roller application?
Indirectly. Spray application typically has 10-20% higher waste than roller because of overspray and atomization loss. Adjust your coverage rate downward (e.g. 280 ft²/gal instead of 350) for spray application, or add a sprayer-waste percent column. Vertigraph's role is the quantity math; the application method is your judgment call.
Will I need to do separate takeoffs for primer and finish paint?
BidScreen XL computes both in one workflow. The same wall area drives both primer gallons (at primer coverage rate) and finish paint gallons (at finish coverage × coats). Per-room substrate determines whether primer is needed at all.
Try BidScreen XL on a real bid for 14 days, no card.
The fastest way to know if Vertigraph fits your workflow is to install it and run one bid. The honest answer for your bid mix shows up after two or three real estimates.