Painting contract template
A painting contract lives or dies on two things: prep and color. Customers judge the finish, but the work that decides it, washing, scraping, sanding, caulking and priming, happens before any color goes on. This template puts the surfaces, the prep, the paint and the colors in writing for interior and exterior jobs. Read it below, then send it from SignMaster.
Updated November 5, 2026 · 4 min read
The contract
Gray blanks are yours to fill in before you send. Each signer fills in the blanks in their color.
- You, before sending
- Customer
- Painting contractor
Painting Contract
This Painting Contract (the "Contract") is made on Contract date between Painting company name, license number License number (the "Contractor"), and Customer name (the "Customer").
1. The property
The work will be done at Job address. Year the building was built, if known: Year built.
2. Surfaces and preparation
The Contractor will paint:
- Interior: Interior surfaces.
- Exterior: Exterior surfaces.
- Not included: Surfaces not included.
Before painting, the Contractor will prepare surfaces as follows: Surface preparation. Wood rot, failing plaster, water damage or other repairs beyond normal patching found during preparation will be shown to the Customer and priced separately.
3. Paint and coats
- Paint brand and product line: Paint brand and product.
- Sheen for each surface: Sheen by surface.
- Coats: primer where needed (Primer coats), plus Finish coats finish coats.
- Paint supplied by: Who supplies paint.
4. Colors
The Customer chooses these colors, by name and code:
- Walls: Wall colors
- Trim and doors: Trim and door colors
- Ceilings: Ceiling colors
- Exterior body and accents: Exterior colors
Colors look different on large areas and in different light than on a chip or a sample. Changing a color after it has been applied is a change to this Contract and costs Color change fee per area, plus any extra paint.
5. Site protection and cleanup
The Customer will remove wall hangings, small items and valuables from the work areas. Moving furniture is Furniture moving. The Contractor will cover floors, fixtures and furniture left in the room, protect plants and shrubs next to exterior walls, and clean up at the end of each day. The Customer will provide access to water and electricity.
6. Lead-safe work in older buildings
If the building was built before 1978, the Contractor will follow the lead-safe work practices required by the EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule and any state program, using certified renovators. Firm certification number: Lead-safe certification number.
The building was built before 1978, and I received the EPA's Renovate Right pamphlet before work started.
7. Schedule and weather
Work is expected to start on or about Estimated start date and take about Estimated working days working days. Exterior paint will be applied only when temperature and humidity are within the paint maker's limits and no rain is expected before it dries, so weather may move the schedule.
8. Price and payment
The total price is Contract price. A deposit of Deposit is due when this Contract is signed, and the balance is due when the touch-up list in section 9 is finished. Accepted payment methods: Payment methods.
9. Walk-through, touch-ups and warranty
When the painting is done, the Customer and the Contractor will walk through together and list any touch-ups, which the Contractor will finish before the balance is due. The Contractor warrants against peeling, blistering and flaking caused by its workmanship for Interior warranty in years year(s) on interior work and Exterior warranty in years year(s) on exterior work. The warranty does not cover moisture coming through walls, structural movement, failure of old coatings under the new paint, normal fading and wear, mildew, decks and other horizontal surfaces, or areas where the Customer declined the recommended preparation.
10. Changes, cancellation and general terms
Changes to the surfaces, colors, price or schedule must be agreed in writing by both parties before the changed work begins. If this Contract was signed at the Customer's home and the law gives a right to cancel, the Contractor will provide a written notice explaining how. This Contract is the whole agreement for this work and is governed by the laws of the state of State. Electronic signatures count as original signatures.
Customer contact details
Phone: Customer phone Email: Customer email
I have entered the colors I chose and understand that changing a color after it's applied costs extra.
Customer
Painting contractor
Opens it in SignMaster as a template you can edit and send.
A starting point, not legal advice. Have a lawyer review it for your state and situation.
On this page
Why painters need more than a quote
A quote says what you'll charge. A contract says what the customer gets: which rooms or walls, how many coats, what brand and sheen, who moves the furniture, and what happens when the color looks different on a whole wall than on the chip. Those are the questions that turn a finished job into an unpaid balance.
Color is the big one. If the customer writes the color names and codes into the contract before you start, a change of heart halfway through is a paid change, not a repaint you absorb.
What the template covers
- Surfaces: interior and exterior areas listed separately, plus a line for what's not included, like the garage door or the shutters.
- Prep: washing, scraping, sanding, patching, caulking and spot-priming, and rot or water damage priced as extra work.
- Paint: brand and product line, sheen by surface, coats of primer and finish, and who supplies the paint.
- Colors: names and codes typed by the customer, with a set fee for changing a color once it's on the wall.
- Site protection: wall hangings, furniture, floors, fixtures and shrubs, daily cleanup, and access to water and power.
- Lead-safe work: for buildings from before 1978, lead-safe practices, your firm certification number and the pamphlet acknowledgment.
- Weather: exterior coats only within the paint maker's temperature and humidity limits.
- Touch-ups and warranty: a walk-through before the final payment, and separate interior and exterior warranty periods.
Painting contract mistakes
- Pricing "paint the house" with no surface list. Is the porch ceiling included? The shutters? List every surface or exclude it in writing.
- Taking color choices from a chip with nothing signed. Get the names and codes into the contract, and charge for changes after paint is applied.
- Promising one coat. One coat over a dark color or fresh patching rarely covers evenly. Write the number of coats for each surface.
- Ignoring the year the house was built. Disturbing paint in an older home can trigger federal lead-safe requirements, and skipping them is costly.
- Warrantying what you can't control. Peeling over failing old coatings, moisture coming through a wall, or a sun-baked deck aren't workmanship problems.
Homes built before 1978
The EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule applies to paid work that disturbs paint in most homes built before 1978. Firms must be certified by the EPA or an authorized state program, use certified renovators and lead-safe practices, and give the owner the Renovate Right pamphlet before work starts. Section 6 of the template records that the pamphlet was received.
How to send it with SignMaster
- 1
Open the template
Choose Use this template. It's set up for the customer to sign first and your company to countersign.
- 2
List the surfaces and paint
Fill in the gray blanks room by room or side by side: what's painted, the prep, the product and sheen, the number of coats, and the price and deposit.
- 3
Let the customer write the colors
The color blanks belong to the customer, so they type their own color names and codes before signing. Nobody can say later that you used the wrong white.
- 4
Record the lead pamphlet
For a building from before 1978, the customer checks the line confirming they received the Renovate Right pamphlet. Hand it over in person or email it before you send the contract.
- 5
Countersign and schedule
Once the customer has signed, you sign. Each of you gets the PDF with its certificate of completion, with the color list fixed in the signed copy.
Unit repaints for property managers
Turnover painting for rentals is the same job again and again with a different unit number. Keep one template for unit repaints and bulk send the month's units from a spreadsheet, one agreement per unit, with columns like Job address, Interior surfaces and Contract price. If the manager signs for every unit, put the manager's name and email on each row.
Questions? Answers.
What should a painting contract include?
The surfaces, the prep, the paint product and number of coats, the colors, site protection and cleanup, the schedule and weather limits, the price and payment, and the warranty. For older homes, add lead-safe work and the pamphlet acknowledgment.
Who chooses the paint colors?
The customer, in writing. In this template the customer types the color names and codes themselves, and a change after a color has been applied is charged at the fee you set.
Do I need lead certification to paint an older house?
If you're paid to disturb paint in most homes built before 1978, the EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule generally requires firm certification and lead-safe practices, with an exemption for very small areas. See the EPA's RRP program for the details.
How long should a painting warranty be?
It varies by painter and surface. Interiors usually get longer coverage than exteriors, which face sun and moisture. Set the years for each in section 9 and say what isn't covered.