Commercial Painting & Coatings Subcontractor Bid & Labor Burden Calculator
Price painting jobs accurately by factoring true payroll burden, field overhead, and target gross profit margin.
Pre-loaded with Painting benchmarks (Workers' Comp: 6.5% – 10.5%)
FICA, SUTA + Workers' Comp (6.5% – 10.5%)
Painting Subcontract Proposal
Date: 11/12/2026
Painting Bid Summary
Raw Field Wages (80 hrs):$2,400.00
Burdened Labor (+27%):$3,048.00
Materials & Equipment:$5,350.00
Overhead Allocated (15%):$1,259.70
Break-Even Cost:$9,657.70
Projected Gross Profit (25%):+$3,219.23
Recommended Total Bid Price
$12,876.93
Estimated via SubShieldHQ.com • Valid for 30 days from proposal date.
Painting Labor Burden & Insurance Benchmarks
Painting is heavily labor-driven (often 65%–75% of total job cost), meaning even a 5% error in labor burden wipes out net profit.
Typical Workers' Comp Range: 6.5% – 10.5%
What markup vs. margin should commercial painters use?
Because labor makes up the majority of painting costs, painters should target a 25% to 30% true gross margin (which equals a 33.3% to 42.8% markup on break-even cost).
Common Painting Takeoff Materials
Primer, elastomeric/acrylic coatings, epoxies, caulk, masking tape, plastic sheeting, sundries
Common Painting Equipment & Rentals
Boom lifts, airless sprayers, pressure washers, scaffolding, HEPA sanders