Clodou

Who it's for / Painters & decorators

Painting estimates and invoices, from the first coat to the touch-ups

Painters price work by the room, by the square foot of wall or exterior, or by the hour, with prep such as patching, sanding and priming, and paint and supplies either included or billed on top. Most jobs start with an estimate, a deposit before the paint is bought and the balance when the job is done, and extra work agreed on site, such as an accent wall or a ceiling, is a change order. Tell Clodou what you agreed and it writes the estimate, turns it into the invoice and keeps track of the deposit and the balance.

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Sound familiar?

  • Estimates priced room by room on the back of a color card
  • Accent walls and extra coats agreed on site and missing from the final invoice
  • Deposits for paint paid by app and hard to match to the job
  • Paint store receipts that never get matched to a job

How Clodou helps

Estimates by room or by square foot

"Estimate the Hendersons: 3 bedrooms at $650, 3 ceilings at $150 and paint and supplies at $420" writes three lines, $2,820. Clodou uses your prices; it never measures a room or picks a rate.

Deposits and the balance

Write your deposit terms in the estimate's note. When the customer accepts, turn it into a draft invoice and record the deposit; Clodou keeps the balance until the job is done.

Change orders on the draft

When the customer adds work, such as an accent wall, add it to the draft at your price before you send it, or quote it on its own if they want to agree to the price first.

How painters & decorators bill, and how Clodou handles it

By the room, the square foot or the hour

Interior work is often priced by the room, and exteriors, commercial work and large walls by the square foot, such as 2,400 square feet at $2.25, $5,400; small jobs and touch-ups by the hour. Prep such as patching, sanding, caulking and priming can be included or a line of its own. Clodou takes the quantity and the price you give and never measures or estimates a surface.

Paint, supplies and deposits

Paint and supplies are either included in your price or billed as their own line, at cost or with the markup you set as an amount. Many painters take a deposit before buying the paint: write the terms in the estimate's note and record the deposit when the customer accepts. Some states limit how much a home improvement contractor may take up front, so check your state's rules before you set a deposit.

Change orders and the final walk-through

Extra work agreed on site, such as an accent wall, an extra coat or trim, is a change order: add it to the draft at your price before you send it, or quote it first if the customer wants to agree to the price. Log paint store receipts as expenses, from a photo you confirm, to see what each job cost. Whether labor and materials are taxed where you work is for you to check with your accountant.

An interior repaint with a deposit and an accent wall

  1. Step 1

    Estimate the Hendersons: 3 bedrooms at $650, 3 ceilings at $150 and paint and supplies at $420. Note: $850 deposit to book and buy the paint, balance on completion.

    Finds the Hendersons and creates quote DEV-0144 with three lines: bedroom walls, 3 rooms at $650, $1,950.00; ceilings, 3 at $150, $450.00; paint and supplies, $420.00. No tax is set on this workspace, so the total is $2,820.00, with the deposit terms in the note.

  2. Step 2

    They accepted and paid the $850 deposit. Turn DEV-0144 into an invoice and record it, and log $386 from the paint store for the Henderson job.

    Creates draft invoice INV-0802 for $2,820.00 with the same lines and note, plus a reference to DEV-0144, and shows an approval card to record $850 received; once you approve it, $1,970.00 is still owed. Records a $386.00 expense, paint and supplies for the Henderson job, with the paint store as the supplier.

  3. Step 3

    They asked for an accent wall in the living room at $175. Add it to INV-0802.

    Adds a line to draft INV-0802: accent wall, living room, $175.00. The total is now $2,995.00, with $2,145.00 still owed after the deposit.

  4. Step 4

    Done today. I sent INV-0802, and they paid the $2,145 balance.

    Marks INV-0802 as sent and shows an approval card to record $2,145.00 received. Once you approve it, the invoice is marked paid.

Just ask

Estimate the Hendersons: 3 bedrooms at $650, 3 ceilings at $150 and paint and supplies at $420

Quote Northgate Dental for the exterior: 2,400 square feet at $2.25

Add an accent wall in the living room at $175 to the Hendersons' draft invoice

Questions

How do I write a painting invoice?
Tell Clodou the customer, the rooms or surfaces, the prep and materials and your prices, such as 3 bedrooms at $650 and paint and supplies at $420. It finds or adds the customer and writes the invoice with your logo, your business details, the next number in your sequence and your terms. There is no painting invoice template to fill in, and if a price is missing, Clodou asks instead of guessing.
Can I price by the square foot?
Yes. Give the square feet and your rate, such as 2,400 square feet at $2.25, $5,400, and Clodou writes the line. It does not measure surfaces or work out how much paint a job needs.
How do I handle a change order?
While the invoice is a draft, ask Clodou to add the extra work at your price and it works out the total again, keeping the deposit. If the customer wants to agree to the price first, quote the change on its own and invoice it once it is done. Clodou has no e-signature, so keep the customer's written yes with your records.
Can my crew use it too?
Yes. Team includes 5 seats for $79 a month per workspace. Crew members can create quotes and invoices and log job costs, while recording payments waits for an owner or admin.
Does Clodou calculate paint or keep color choices?
No. Clodou has no measuring tools, paint calculator, color selections, photo estimates, scheduling or e-signature, and it does not take card payments. It handles the business side: clients, quotes, invoices, payments, expenses and projects. For remodeling and general contracting, see the page for contractors.
What does it cost?
Free covers up to 5 clients and 20 AI actions a month, with no separate cap on quotes and invoices (making them in the chat uses AI actions). Solo, with your payment link on invoices, is $29 a month per workspace. Team, with 5 seats and automatic reminders, is $79 a month. Prices are in USD, and the first 14 days are a free Team trial.

Guides

Your whole back office, in one chat

Every new workspace starts with a 14-day trial of Team, no card required. Then stay on Free: up to 5 clients and 20 AI actions a month; quotes and invoices have no separate cap, and making them in the chat uses AI actions.

Free: $0. Solo: $29 a month. Team: $79 a month with 5 seats. Prices per workspace, in USD.

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