Paint woodwork (skirting, architrave, doors, windows): calculator for UK builders
Answer the measurements this calculation needs and JobBosh works out the materials with wastage and pack rounding, the labour hours by role, the plant, the waste and the site needs - then prices them from your own figures, a supplier's quotation or a dated price you record. Free, no account needed to start.
What it works out
- Material: Undercoat; Satin topcoat
- Labour: Sand, fill and caulk woodwork; Paint woodwork (1 undercoat + 1 topcoat)
The questions it asks
| Question | Unit / choices | Required? | Help |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skirting and architrave length | m | required | |
| Doors (both faces) | nr | optional - default 0 (labelled assumed) | |
| Window frames (internal face) | nr | optional - default 0 (labelled assumed) | |
| Finish | one of: satin, gloss, eggshell | optional - default satin (labelled assumed) | |
| Bare or stripped timber (needs primer)? | yes / no | optional - default no (labelled assumed) |
The norms behind it, with their sources
Coverage, productivity and wastage defaults you can edit; each carries where it comes from and is shown as assumed until your own benchmark replaces it.
| Norm | Value | Source | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Painted area per metre of skirting + architrave | 0.15 m2/m | 150 mm average face | assumed |
| Painted area per door, both faces incl. edges | 3.6 m2/door | standard 1981 x 762 mm door | assumed |
| Painted area per window frame internal face | 1.2 m2/window | typical domestic window | assumed |
| Undercoat coverage | 14 m2/L | typical manufacturer figure | assumed |
| Satin / gloss coverage | 16 m2/L | typical manufacturer figure | assumed |
| Wood primer coverage | 12 m2/L | typical manufacturer figure | assumed |
| Tin size | 2.5 L | common trade tin | assumed |
| Brush application rate on trim per coat | 0.5 hr/m2 | trade practice; trim is slow | assumed |
| Sand, fill, caulk per m2 of trim | 0.3 hr/m2 | trade practice | assumed |
A worked example
Answers used: Skirting and architrave length 4 m; Doors (both faces) 0 nr; Window frames (internal face) 0 nr; Finish satin; Bare or stripped timber (needs primer)? no. These are the recipe's own quantities for those answers - the prices are yours, the supplier's or a quotation's, never a figure typed on a web page.
| Kind | Line | Quantity | How it is worked out |
|---|---|---|---|
| material | Undercoat | 0.05 L 1 x tin - 2.5 L tins | 0.60 m2 / 14 m2 per litre |
| material | Satin topcoat | 0.04 L 1 x tin - 2.5 L tins | 0.60 m2 / 16 m2 per litre |
| labour | Sand, fill and caulk woodwork | 0.18 hr | 0.60 m2 x 0.3 h/m2 |
| labour | Paint woodwork (1 undercoat + 1 topcoat) | 0.6 hr | 0.60 m2 x 2 coats x 0.5 h/m2 |
Labour on this example: about 0.78 hours across the roles; at your rates it becomes money.
Site questions this work raises: Protection and cleanliness.
Trim area 0.60 m2.
Then what
Price the lines from your crew rates and your material prices (each with its source and date), answer the site questions (parking, skip, welfare, power, water, protection), let JobBosh draft the supplier enquiries you approve, and issue a branded quotation your customer accepts on a secure link. Guest work is kept for 14 days; a free account keeps it for good.
Start a paint woodwork (skirting, architrave, doors, windows) job now