For painters
Change orders for painters
A paint quote assumes walls in fair shape, and the real condition shows up once the furniture moves and the first coat goes on. A quick signed change order turns "why is it more?" into a yes before you open another can.
Updated
Three extras painters run into
Example 1 · Living room and hallway repaint
Drywall repair before paint
Why, in the customer's words
Once the furniture was moved, we found cracks and old anchor holes that paint won't hide. Patching them and skim coating the damaged section first gives you a smooth wall instead of marks showing through.
- Patch cracks and holes6 × $45.00$270.00
- Skim coat, damaged wall section (sq ft)40 × $3.50$140.00
| Before this change | $2,350.00 |
|---|---|
| This change | + $410.00 |
| New total | $2,760.00 |
Example 2 · Bedroom walls and ceiling
Stain blocker on ceiling water marks
Why, in the customer's words
The old water marks on the ceiling came through the first coat. They need a stain-blocking primer, then one more ceiling coat so the color matches all the way across.
- Stain-blocking primer, water marks2 × $85.00$170.00
- Extra ceiling coat to blend1 × $120.00$120.00
| Before this change | $1,450.00 |
|---|---|
| This change | + $290.00 |
| New total | $1,740.00 |
Example 3 · Kitchen and dining repaint
A third coat for a dark-to-light color change
Why, in the customer's words
Going from the dark red to the light gray, two coats still show the old color through. A third coat is what gets you an even gray, and it takes three more gallons.
- Third coat, kitchen and dining walls1 × $340.00$340.00
- Wall paint (gallons)3 × $62.00$186.00
| Before this change | $1,800.00 |
|---|---|
| This change | + $526.00 |
| New total | $2,326.00 |
Example prices in US dollars. Yours come from your own Products & Services in Jobber.
How it works for painters
Photo the problem
Take a photo of the water mark showing through, or a short video of the cracked wall, before you prime.
Lines from your list
Autofill writes the reason and picks lines like patching and primer from your Products & Services in Jobber, at your prices.
The customer signs off
Text it from your phone. They see the photo, the lines and the new total, and sign off on their phone in a minute.
Back on the Jobber job
The lines, a pinned note with the photos and the signed PDF land on the job, ready for the invoice.
What the customer sees
Your customer sees the photo of the mark coming through, a short reason in plain words and each line with its price. Before they sign off they see what the job was, what this change adds and the new total.
Living room and hallway repaint
Drywall repair before paint
Once the furniture was moved, we found cracks and old anchor holes that paint won't hide. Patching them and skim coating the damaged section first gives you a smooth wall instead of marks showing through.
| Before this change | $2,350.00 |
|---|---|
| This change | + $410.00 |
| New total | $2,760.00 |
Questions
Is a change order worth it for a $200 extra?
Yes. Small extras are the ones that get argued about, because nobody wrote them down. A change order takes a minute on your phone and the customer signs off just as fast.
Can I send it while I'm still on the ladder?
Pretty much. Take the photo, let Autofill write the reason and the lines, check them and send by text. The customer can sign off while you clean your brushes.
What if the customer wants to skip the stain blocker?
They can tap Ask for changes and tell you why. You edit the change order and send it again, and nothing goes on the Jobber job until they sign off.