Painting Contract Template
A painting contract sets the scope of an interior or exterior paint job, the surface preparation standard the contractor commits to, the paint brand and number of coats that count as acceptable work, and who covers what if the job doesn't hold up. Download the ready-to-fill template below, or read the field-by-field checklist first.
Download the Painting Contract
A complete, ready-to-fill PDF — 13 clauses, blanks for every detail, and a signature block for both parties. Free, no email, no account. Read it and adapt it before you use it; the cover page explains what it can and cannot do for you.
Need the other party to sign it too? Send it for signature with a full audit trail and a tamper-evident seal on the finished file — they never need an account. See pricing.
This is a template, not legal advice
This document is a general-purpose template provided for information only. It is not legal advice, it does not create a lawyer–client relationship, and nobody has reviewed it against your situation.
Laws differ by country, state and province, and they change. A clause that is standard in one place can be unenforceable — or illegal — in another. Terms that are ordinary between two businesses can be void in a consumer or employment context.
Read every clause before you use it, fill in every blank, and delete anything that does not apply. For anything high-value, unusual, or that you could not afford to lose a dispute over, have a qualified lawyer in your jurisdiction review it before it is signed.
What to include in a painting contract
These are the fields and clauses a painting contract needs. The surface preparation standard and the paint specification matter most — they're what determines whether the finished job was actually done right, not just done.
- Client & painting contractor names
- Scope of work (interior/exterior, rooms or elevations)
- Surface preparation standard
- Paint specification & number of coats
- Color selection & change process
- Protection of property & cleanup
- Schedule
- Price & payment terms
- Change orders
- Completion & acceptance criteria
- Warranty against peeling, blistering & cracking
- Insurance & compliance
- Signatures & date
What each clause is for
Client & painting contractor names. Use the full legal name of each party — the property owner (or their authorized representative) and the contractor's registered business name, or the individual's name if the contractor operates as a sole proprietor.
Scope of work.Which rooms, areas, or exterior elevations are being painted, which surfaces are included (walls, trim, doors, cabinets, siding), and what's explicitly excluded so extra work doesn't get done — or expected — for free.
Surface preparation standard. Scraping loose paint, sanding and feathering edges, filling holes and cracks, cleaning contaminants, and spot-priming bare or patched areas — done before any finish coat. This is the step that most determines whether paint holds up.
Paint specification & number of coats. The exact paint brand, product line, and sheen, plus how many finish coats are applied. These, together with the prep standard, are the acceptance criteria for the finished job — not a percentage-complete or milestone measure.
Color selection & change process. How and when the client picks colors, and what happens — and who pays — if the client changes a color after paint has already been purchased or applied.
Protection of property & cleanup. Covering floors, furniture, and landscaping before work starts, removing overspray and debris, and leaving the work area clean at the end of each day and on completion.
Schedule.A start date and estimated duration, plus — for exterior work — an allowance for weather delays that fall outside the paint manufacturer's application specifications.
Price & payment terms. The total price, the payment schedule (commonly a deposit plus milestone or completion payments), the accepted payment method, and what happens if a payment is late.
Change orders. Any change to scope, paint, color, or schedule becomes binding only once both parties sign a written change order stating the change and any price or schedule adjustment.
Completion & acceptance criteria. A walkthrough tied to the surface prep standard and the paint specification — not a generic sign-off — with a defined window for the client to list deficiencies and the contractor to correct them at no charge.
Warranty against peeling, blistering & cracking. A defined period during which the contractor corrects a covered failure caused by workmanship or a failure to follow the prep standard, with standard exclusions for normal fading, undisclosed pre-existing conditions, and post-acceptance damage.
Insurance & compliance.The contractor's general liability coverage, any required license or registration, and compliance with applicable regulations, including lawful paint disposal and lead-paint precautions where the property's age requires them.
Signatures & date.Both the client and the contractor sign and date the agreement. An unsigned contract is just an estimate — it isn't binding until both parties have signed it.
Common mistakes to watch for
- No surface preparation standard.A contract that only says “paint the exterior” with no prep requirement leaves the contractor free to paint over loose or flaking paint — the single biggest cause of early peeling and a warranty claim with no clause to point to.
- Vague paint specification.“Quality paint” or “two coats” with no brand, product line, or sheen named invites a cheaper substitute and a dispute over whether the job was done as agreed.
- No color-change cost allocation. If a client changes a color after paint is purchased or applied, without a clause saying who pays, both sides assume the other absorbs the cost.
- Milestone language borrowed from a build contract. “Substantial completion” and retainage make sense for a multi-trade construction job; a paint job needs acceptance tied to surface prep and coat count instead, or neither party has a clear way to know when the job is actually done.
- No warranty period.Without one, a client who sees paint peel a few months later has no contractual basis to ask for a free correction — and a contractor with no warranty clause has no defined limit on how long they're on the hook.
Get your contract signed
Download the template above, fill in the blanks, then send it to the other party for signature with a free Evenseal account — 5 documents a month, no card required. Only need your own copy signed? Self-sign for free with no account at /sign-pdf.
Not legal advice — for larger jobs, jobs involving lead paint, or contracts with unusual terms, have a local attorney review your agreement.