Running the business
Labour time from area, coats and productivity
- where
- total labour (person-hours)
- area to paint (m²)
- number of coats
- productivity per person per coat (m²/h)
- preparation, masking and clean-up time (h)
- working days on site
- working hours per day (h)
- people on the job
Explain this equation
Estimates how many hours of labour a painting job needs and how many days that means on site, from the area, the number of coats and your own painting rate.
A is the area and nc the coats, so A × nc is the total area of paint to apply. P is how many square metres one person paints per hour per coat. Tp adds the fixed time for preparing, masking and cleaning up. Hd is your working day and np the number of people.
Time is area divided by rate, plus the fixed extras. Dividing the person-hours by the hours each person works per day, times the number of people, gives days on site.
Sense check: 80 m² of walls in two coats at 10 m²/h is 16 hours, plus 6 hours of preparation, 22 hours or about 2.75 days for one person. Double the coats and the painting part doubles.
Watch out: drying time between coats can stretch the calendar days beyond this.
Estimates labour hours and days on site from the area, number of coats and your own painting rate.
Enter your values to see the result.
Good to know
Productivity is an input because it varies widely: rolling open walls is much faster than cutting in, ceilings, woodwork or spindles, and spraying is faster again once masked. Use your own records over whole jobs, and compare with published labour constants such as Spon's. Keep preparation separate, because filling, sanding, masking and protecting furniture often take as long as painting on refurbishment work. Allow for drying between coats when planning the days.
Common mistake
Pricing on rolling speed alone and forgetting that the second coat, cutting in and preparation take time too.
Limits
Linear estimate. Excludes drying waits, travel and weather. Assumes people work without getting in each other's way.
Sources
Results are calculations from the published methods and figures shown, and depend on the data you enter. Coverage depends on the product, surface and application. Always follow the paint and wallcovering manufacturers’ data sheets and BS 6150 / BS 8000-12. Check prices and VAT with your own records and HMRC.