Before you start
- Your download is a zip with two files. Double-click it to open it. Start with the one marked with examples to see how everything works, then use the blank one for your business.
- Open the file in Microsoft Excel. Using Google Sheets? Upload it to Google Drive, then open it with Google Sheets.
- Start on the Start Here tab. It has the same steps, right inside the file.
- The sample data is there so you can see how everything works. Type over it with your own when you're ready.
Here's how to enter your products once, then get gallons, cost and a shopping list for any job.
1Enter your products (one time, about 10 minutes)
- Open Products. Add your paints, primers and stains with coverage and quart, gallon and 5-gallon prices.
- Open Supplies. Add tape, plastic, rollers and the rest, with a cost and a rule like 1 per X sq ft.
- Open Settings. Set the waste allowance, which coverage to plan with, a default primer and sales tax.
2Enter the job
- Open Job Areas. Add each area by dimensions or square feet, with openings, surface, paint and coats, primer and coats.
- Each row shows square feet, gallons with waste and a status.
3Buy it
- The Dashboard shows total materials cost, cost per square foot and gallons to buy.
- Print the Shopping List. Copy Materials cost for this job into the Painting Quote Calculator.
What the messages mean
The tool watches your numbers and tells you in plain words when something needs a look. Here's every message you might see.
What to do: Check the sizes.
What to do: Pick one from the list.
What to do: Add it on Products.
What to do: Check the price.
Using Google Sheets or your phone
- To use Google Sheets, upload the file to Google Drive, then right-click it and choose Open with, then Google Sheets.
- Dropdowns, colors, and every calculation work the same in Google Sheets.
- On a phone, the Google Sheets and Excel apps work for quick changes. For setup and printing, a computer is easier.
- Want to start fresh? Type over the yellow example cells. Don't delete rows, since other tabs may be reading them.
Ready when you are
That's the whole thing, nothing held back. See pricing and screenshots for this tool, or compare every house painting tool side by side. There's also a free calculator if you just need one number right now.
Common questions
Is coverage exact?
No. It's an estimate. Real coverage depends on the surface, the color change and how you apply it.
Quick reference from the Start Here tab
Welcome
Figure out exactly how much paint, primer and supplies a job needs, the cheapest way to buy it (5-gallon pails, gallons or quarts) and what it all costs. Then hand the total to your quote.
Where To Start
Open 'Products'. Check the paints and primers you use, their label coverage and what you pay for a quart, a gallon and a 5-gallon pail.
Open 'Supplies'. Set your tape, plastic, caulk, rollers and brushes, and how much a job uses.
Open 'Settings'. Set your waste allowance, sales tax and default primer. Check the surface types and their coverage factors.
Open 'Job Areas'. Add one row per wall, ceiling, trim or siding area: dimensions or sq ft, openings, surface, product and coats.
Open 'Dashboard' for the total, then print the 'Shopping List'.
Which Cells To Edit
Yellow cells with blue text are yours to fill in. Italic yellow cells are optional. Gray cells are automatic and locked so a formula can't be erased by accident.
Need to change a formula? In Excel go to Review, then Unprotect Sheet. In Google Sheets use Data, then Protect sheets and ranges. No password needed.
What The Results Mean
Gallons needed: square feet times coats, divided by the coverage for that surface, plus your waste allowance.
Containers: we pick the cheapest mix of 5-gallon pails, gallons and quarts that covers what you need. Sometimes one pail costs less than four gallons, so we buy the pail.
Left over: paint you'll have after the job. Keep it for touch-ups.
Status cells: green OK, amber Heads-up (check it), red Fix (that row is left out of the totals until fixed).
Materials cost for this job: the estimated total including supplies and tax. Copy it into the Painting Quote Calculator.
How To Clear The Examples And Reuse It
For a new job, clear the yellow rows on 'Job Areas' and change the job name on 'Settings'. Your products, supplies and settings stay.
Or open the Blank file for a clean start. To keep a job, use File, then Save As with the job name first.
Good To Know
Coverage: square feet one gallon covers in one coat, from the can label. We plan with the low end unless you change it on Settings.
Coverage factor: how much a surface soaks up. 1.00 is smooth drywall. Rough stucco at 0.55 needs almost twice the paint.
Sq ft to paint is one coat of area. Coats multiply the paint, not the area.
Waste allowance: extra for spills, roller loading and touch-ups. 10% is common.
Primer coats: set 0 when no primer is needed. A primer-only area can have 0 paint coats.
Every number here is Estimated. Real use depends on color change, sheen, weather and how you apply it.
Share box: the "Share with other EasyWorkTools tools" box on the Dashboard lists the numbers this file gives to or gets from the other House Painting tools. Copy them by hand. The labels match exactly, so it's clear where each one goes.
Getting Updates
Every update is free. When a new version is ready we email you, and you can download it any time.
Moving to a new version: copy the yellow cells from each sheet into the same sheets of the new file.
Using Google Sheets? Upload this file to Google Drive and open it with Google Sheets (or File, then Import, then Upload). The math works the same.
Your License
This file is licensed to one business, including everyone who works there. Please don't share, resell or post it online.
© 2026 EasyWorkTools. All rights reserved. easyworktools.com
Every tab
This file has 9 tabs, in this order:
- Start Here
- Dashboard
- Job Areas
- Shopping List
- Materials
- Products
- Supplies
- Lists
- Settings