How to use the Painting Client & Job Tracker

Every lead, estimate, job, payment and paint color in one place, with follow-ups and warranty reminders. Here's every step.

Get this tool · $14Start here

Version 1.0 · 9 tabs · Excel and Google Sheets · Free Lifetime Updates

At a Glance
StepHow long
1Before you start1 min 2Set up5 min, once 3Add clients and jobsSee step 4Log payments and colorsSee step 5Check the DashboardSee step
Messages explainedSee them →

Before you start

The one rule: yellow cells with blue text are yours to fill in. Gray cells calculate on their own and are locked, so you can't erase a formula by accident.
  1. 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.
  2. Open the file in Microsoft Excel. Using Google Sheets? Upload it to Google Drive, then open it with Google Sheets.
  3. Start on the Start Here tab. It has the same steps, right inside the file.
  4. 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 set up once, then keep every estimate followed up and every job paid in a minute a day.

1Set up (one time, about 5 minutes)

  1. Open Settings. Add your business name, follow-up days, warranty years, touch-up months and crew cost per hour.

2Add clients and jobs

  1. Open Clients. One row per client, with how they found you.
  2. Open Jobs. One row per lead, estimate or job. Add the quoted price and estimated job cost from the Painting Quote Calculator, and move the status along.

3Log payments and colors

  1. Payments: every deposit and payment. Balances update on their own.
  2. Paint Colors: brand, color, code, sheen and room. Color Lookup lists them for one client.

4Check the Dashboard

  1. The Dashboard shows follow-ups due, upcoming starts, balance outstanding, win rate and lead sources.

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.

Pick a client.
What it means: The job has no client.
What to do: Pick one from the list.
Add the quoted price.
What it means: A won job has no price.
What to do: Copy it from your quote.
Pick Deposit or Payment.
What it means: A payment row has no type.
What to do: Pick one.

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

Everything above comes with our estimate and job tracker for $14, updates included. Or get it as part of the full painting toolkit.

Common questions

Does it send reminders?

It shows who to follow up on the Dashboard. It doesn't send texts or emails.

Quick reference from the Start Here tab

Welcome

Most painting money is won or lost after the estimate: the follow-up call, the deposit, the final payment and the touch-up two years later. This tracker keeps every client, estimate, job, payment and paint color in one place.

Where To Start

1

Open 'Settings'. Add your business name, how many days to wait before following up on an estimate, your warranty length and your crew cost per hour.

2

Open 'Clients'. Type over the examples with your own clients, one per row. Add how they found you.

3

Open 'Jobs'. Add a line for every lead and estimate. Paste the Quoted price and Estimated job cost from the Painting Quote Calculator. Change the Status as the job moves along: Lead, Estimate sent, Won, Scheduled, In progress, Done or Lost.

4

Every deposit or payment goes on 'Payments'. Pick the job from the list. Balances update on their own.

5

After each job, add the colors on 'Paint Colors'. Use 'Color Lookup' when a client calls about a touch-up.

6

Check 'Dashboard' every morning for follow-ups due and upcoming starts.

Which Cells To Edit

Yellow cells with blue text are yours to fill in. Italic yellow cells marked (optional) can stay empty. Gray cells calculate on their own and are locked.

Room for 300 clients, 600 jobs, 1,500 payments and 1,000 paint colors. You can sort and filter every table.

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

Follow-up status: Overdue (red) means the follow-up date has passed. Follow up today (amber) means today is the day.

Paid status: Paid, Part paid, Deposit in, No deposit yet, Unpaid or Balance due (job done but money still owed), Overpaid.

Warranty and touch-ups: Touch-up check due, Warranty ends soon, Covered or Warranty ended, based on the job end date.

Check column: says OK, or tells you what to fix, like a client name that isn't on the Clients tab.

Win rate = jobs won ÷ (jobs won + jobs lost). Leads and open estimates don't count until you hear back.

How To Clear The Examples And Reuse It

Easiest: open the Blank file. Or select the yellow cells on Clients, Jobs, Payments and Paint Colors and press Delete. Keep your Settings and Lists.

Starting a new year? Keep everything. Change 'Year to show on the Dashboard' on Settings to look back at any year.

Good To Know

Quoted price is what you told the client. Estimated job cost is what you expected to spend (labor, paint, supplies). Estimated profit is the difference. All are Estimated, not guaranteed.

Actual profit = Quoted price minus actual materials and other costs minus actual hours × your crew cost per hour. Fill in the optional actual columns to see how close your estimate was.

Revenue booked = quoted price of jobs that are Won, Scheduled, In progress or Done. Payments received is the money actually in your hand.

Give every job a unique name, like 'Brooks exterior 2026'. Payments and colors find the job by its name.

Ask for a review when the job is done and mark Review requested. Reviews win the next estimate.

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:

  1. Start Here
  2. Dashboard
  3. Jobs
  4. Clients
  5. Payments
  6. Paint Colors
  7. Color Lookup
  8. Lists
  9. Settings
Still stuck on something? Ask us. We answer within one business day, and we'll add the answer here for everyone.