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PAINTING - CSI DIVISION 09TRADE - PAINTING + COATINGS

Wall SF, ceiling SF, trim LF, coat count - by the finish schedule.

PlanSwift estimates paint by floor area and forgets primer plus the second coat. BuildBid reads the finish schedule and the wall sections together.

Painting takeoff (CSI Division 09 91 / 09 96) is a surface-area-and-coats problem. Interior wall SF = perimeter LF times ceiling height, minus door + window openings, by room and by finish code. Ceiling SF = floor SF, minus skylight + soffit cutouts. Each surface picks up the right finish code from the finish schedule, which maps to primer + topcoat + coat count and a specific manufacturer line. BuildBid reads the floor plan, the finish schedule, and the wall sections together so each surface is tied to its finish code and the gallons math is correct.

Trim is its own line item set - not rolled into wall SF. Base LF, casing LF (one side or two per door + window), crown LF, chair-rail LF, picture-rail LF. Each LF has its own paint-and-labor rate because trim takes 2-3x the labor per square foot equivalent (lots of brush work, cut-in, sanding between coats).

Coatings beyond standard latex have their own line items. Epoxy floors (CSI 09 67), intumescent fireproofing (07 81), elastomeric exterior, anti-graffiti coatings, traffic paint - each priced separately by SF with its own product, primer, and prep cost. The finish schedule call-outs flag these explicitly.

Prep work surfaces separately. Patch + sand existing surface (LF or SF), caulking at joints (LF), masking + protection (SF), staging or scaffolding for high walls (SF-day). New construction prep is lighter than repaint prep; the schedule notes specify the surface condition.

Try on a sample painting packageSee sample takeoff
WORKFLOW · HOW IT ACTUALLY RUNS5 STEPS
  1. STEP 01

    Upload floor plan + finish schedule + wall sections

    Floor plan (A-1xx series), reflected ceiling plan (A-2xx), finish schedule, wall sections. Specs 09 91 (painting), 09 96 (high-performance coatings), 09 67 (resinous flooring) cross-read for product, gloss level, manufacturer, coat count, color call-outs.

  2. STEP 02

    Wall SF by room and finish code

    Each room: perimeter LF times ceiling height to gross wall SF, minus doors (door schedule height + width per opening), minus windows (window schedule), minus any wall mounted millwork shown on elevations. Tag each wall surface to its finish code from the finish schedule (P-1, P-2, etc.).

  3. STEP 03

    Ceiling SF + trim LF

    Ceiling SF from the reflected ceiling plan, minus light fixtures + diffusers per RCP. Trim LF: base (perimeter of each room less openings), casing (count of doors + windows times typical perimeter), crown / chair-rail / picture-rail per the finish schedule call-outs and the wall sections.

  4. STEP 04

    Specialty coatings by finish code

    Epoxy floor SF (where called in finish schedule + flooring plan), intumescent fireproofing SF on exposed steel (with fire-rating call-out), elastomeric exterior SF, anti-graffiti SF on accessible exterior wall surfaces. Each tagged to its product number and manufacturer-required coat schedule.

  5. STEP 05

    Coats + primer + prep + accessories

    Each finish code resolves to (primer SF + coat 1 SF + coat 2 SF [+ coat 3 SF if specified]) with manufacturer-recommended spread rate (e.g., 350 SF/gal for primer, 400 SF/gal for topcoat). Caulking LF at joints, patch + sand LF for new gypsum board prep, masking SF for adjacent surfaces, scaffolding SF-day for walls over 12 ft.

PAIN · WHAT THIS REPLACES

Where the hours actually go today

  • Wall SF priced off floor SF without the height-and-opening math - estimates come in 20-30% under once you account for actual perimeter times height minus openings.
  • Single-coat pricing on a 2-or-3-coat finish schedule - the primer plus the topcoat plus the final coat each require a full pass plus dry time.
  • Trim labor rolled into wall SF rate - the LF-of-trim rate is 2-3x the wall rate per equivalent area, so a heavy-trim project bid at wall rate loses money.
  • Specialty coatings (epoxy floors, intumescent fireproofing) priced at standard latex rates; manufacturer product cost alone is 5-10x.
  • Caulking and patching missed entirely - the spec calls for joint treatment but the takeoff captures only the topcoat.
LIMITS · WHAT BUILDBID IS NOT YET

Honest gaps — read before you buy

  • Wallcovering (vinyl, fabric, grass cloth): CSI Division 09 72 lives in a separate finish trade and is out of scope for the painting baseline.
  • Decorative finishes (faux, venetian plaster, glaze, gilding): require an artisan applicator and are not parameterized by standard manufacturer spread rates - flagged for a separate quote.
  • Field-mixed colors and custom tinting beyond manufacturer standard fans: BuildBid extracts the call-out but final pricing depends on supplier custom-tint surcharge.
  • Floor refinishing (sanding + staining + clear coat existing wood): condition-survey-based, supported only for new-construction painting in the current flow.
REVIEW FOCUS · WHAT TO CHECK4 AREAS
CHECK 01

Wall SF view by room: perimeter LF times height minus openings, tagged to finish code from the finish schedule with sheet and grid reference.

CHECK 02

Ceiling SF + trim LF: ceiling from RCP minus fixture cutouts; base/casing/crown LF per room from elevations and wall sections.

CHECK 03

Specialty coatings overlay: epoxy floor SF, intumescent fireproofing SF on exposed steel, elastomeric exterior SF tied to product + manufacturer.

CHECK 04

Coat schedule resolution: each finish code resolves to primer + topcoat + coat count with manufacturer spread rate so gallons math is auditable.

NEXT · TRY ON A SAMPLE

Sample plans, zero setup. The draft comes back with quantities, confidence flags, and the source rows we used. You review before you send.

Try on a sample painting package