Production Rates

The Paint Estimator supports both Imperial and Metric measuring systems. You can switch between systems by clicking Edit on the main form, opening Settings, and selecting your preferred system under Program Settings.

When you change measurement systems, the program automatically converts materials and production rates to match.

Learn more about the Metric system.

How production rates work

Production rates are based on only a few key variables:

• How many units can be completed in one hour
• The average wage of all active painters
• The spread rate of the materials being used

Everything else — including company profit and material markup — is applied later when creating an estimate.

The production rates included with the program are base rates only. They do not include materials or profit.

Production rate formula

• x = number of units completed per hour
• y = average hourly wage of active painters

Base Rate = y ÷ x

Example:

• Average wage: $30/hour
• 1 double-hung window painted per hour

$30 ÷ 1 = $30 per window

The full rate is calculated later as:

Base Rate + Materials + Company Profit

Company profit is always applied on top of labor, and optionally on materials, based on your Company Profit settings.

Production rate fields explained

Each production rate consists of the following sections:

Area or Items
The surface or item being painted, such as doors, walls, siding, trim, stucco, or baseboards.

Description
A short explanation of the task, for example: Brush & Roll – 6-panel single-side door.

Unit
The measurement type used for the rate:

• Sq. Ft / Sqm – walls, ceilings, stucco
• Ln Ft / LM – trim, fascia, baseboards
• Each – doors, windows

Units per Hour
How many units one painter can complete in one hour. Be realistic and account for normal downtime.

Loss Time
Optional percentage for non-productive time such as breaks, setup, or interruptions.

Preferred Materials
The materials you most commonly use for this task. Selecting preferred materials helps auto-fill rows during estimating and is required for area calculators.

Preferred Rate
The default rate you typically use when estimating. Each category should have one preferred rate selected.

Spread Rate
How many units can be completed with one gallon or liter of paint. A built-in calculator is available when working with non-area units.

These fields together define how labor, materials, and time are calculated for an estimate.

Learn more about the Production Rate Form .