Guides / Production rates
Painting production rates, with sources
A production rate is how much surface one painter finishes in one hour, per coat. It is the biggest single input in a paint bid. These are the starting rates built into CutInMath and where each one comes from.
The sources
SERVVIAN, "How to Estimate Interior Paint Jobs", publishes example production speeds and an example estimate table (SERVVIAN). It says they are examples to start from, not universal standards. SERVVIAN sells estimating software.
Krib, "Painting Production Rates" (updated October 2026), publishes slow, medium and fast rates per painter per coat, compiled from the PDCA Craftsman's Manual, PCA guidance and PaintPricing (Krib). CutInMath uses its medium column. Krib makes a free quoting app for contractors.
Walls and ceilings
| Preset | Sq ft per hour, per coat | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Walls, brush and roll, 8 ft repaint | 200 | SERVVIAN (Krib's medium for walls, roll and cut in, is also 200) |
| Walls, brush and roll, 17 ft | 150 | SERVVIAN |
| Walls, roll only, 8 ft open walls | 400 | SERVVIAN |
| Spray only, new construction | 800 | SERVVIAN (Krib's medium for airless spray is also 800) |
| Spray and back-roll | 400 | SERVVIAN |
| Ceilings, brush and roll | 200 | SERVVIAN example estimate (Krib's medium is 150, so lower it for cut-in-heavy rooms) |
| Textured walls, roll | 110 | Krib, medium (slow 75, fast 150) |
| Exterior siding, spray and back-roll | 300 | Krib, medium (slow 250, fast 400) |
Trim, base and doors
| Preset | Rate per hour, per coat | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Trim and baseboard, brush | 70 lin ft | Krib, medium (slow 50, fast 100) |
| Floor base, brush | 80 lin ft | SERVVIAN example estimate |
| Floor base, light sand | 120 lin ft | SERVVIAN example estimate |
| Doors, both sides | 2 doors | Krib, medium: 0.5 hours per door per coat (slow 0.75, fast 0.35) |
Prep and protection
| Preset | Sq ft per hour | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Drop cloths and floor protection | 1,400 | SERVVIAN ("around 1,400 sq ft per hour", depending on layout) |
| Pole sand | 1,000 | SERVVIAN example estimate |
| Spot-patch | 500 | SERVVIAN example estimate; heavy repair is slower |
| Spot-prime | 2,500 | SERVVIAN example estimate |
Ladders, height, many openings and heavy prep slow every rate. SERVVIAN notes ladders can cut productivity 25–50%; Krib says anything over 9 ft cuts rates 15–25%.
Measure your own
Book rates start a bid; your own rates defend it. Time one representative room from first cut-in to last roller stroke, divide the square feet by the painter-hours, and repeat on a few jobs. CutInMath Pro saves your own default rates and compares the hours you log with the bid.