Understanding Your Exterior Painting & Wood Rot Repair Proposal

What’s Included, How Your Price Was Calculated & How to Avoid Surprises

At Home Pros Painting, we don’t simply give you one number and expect you to guess what’s included.


Our exterior proposals use detailed line-item pricing so you can see the individual components of your project, the quantities we estimated, and the pricing associated with that work.


That level of detail is important.


Before your project begins, we ask that you take a few minutes to review your proposal—especially the individual descriptions and quantities, not just the total price at the bottom.


Doing this helps prevent one of the most common misunderstandings we encounter:

“I thought that was included.”


Here’s how to read your proposal.


1. Your Price Is Based on the Work Listed in Your Proposal

Your exterior painting proposal does not automatically include everything attached to or located on the exterior of your home.

Different components are measured, counted, and priced separately.


Depending on your project, you may see separate line items for:

  • Exterior siding/body
  • Trim, soffits, fascia, and corner boards
  • Window trim
  • Window sashes
  • Entry doors
  • Door trim
  • Door sidelites
  • Garage doors
  • Shutters
  • Porch railings
  • Foundation or masonry
  • Gutters
  • Downspouts
  • Pressure washing
  • Caulking
  • Priming
  • Additional scraping or surface preparation
  • Wood rot repairs
  • Other project-specific items


An item is included when it is specifically included in your accepted proposal and scope of work.


Please do not assume something is included simply because it is attached to the house, located next to something we are painting, or looks similar to another component that is included.


2. Always Look at BOTH the Description AND the Quantity


This is one of the most important things to understand about your proposal.

Many items are priced using a specific quantity or measurement.


For example, your proposal might say:

Window Trim — Qty: 10 EA

That means your price includes painting the exterior trim around 10 windows.


It does NOT mean all window trim around the entire house is automatically included.


For example, if your home has 18 windows with paintable exterior trim but your proposal shows:

Window Trim — Qty: 10 EA

then your price was calculated to paint the trim around 10 windows—not all 18.

This same principle applies throughout your proposal.


Common Measurements You May See

EA — Each
The number of individual items included.

SF — Square Feet
The measured square footage included.

LF — Linear Feet
The measured length of the item included.

LS — Lump Sum
A fixed price for the specific item or work described.


The Rule to Remember:

DESCRIPTION + QUANTITY = WHAT YOUR PRICE INCLUDES

If the description or quantity does not match what you believe should be included, please bring it to our attention before work begins.


3. Painting One Component Does Not Automatically Include Another

Homes contain many exterior components that are right next to each other but require different amounts of preparation, labor, materials, and application methods.


For example:

Painting your siding does not automatically include:

  • Window trim
  • Window sashes
  • Doors
  • Door trim
  • Shutters
  • Garage doors
  • Gutters
  • Downspouts
  • Foundation


Likewise, seeing “trim” on your proposal does not necessarily mean every trim-like component on your home is included.

Please refer to the individual line items and quantities in your proposal to determine exactly what is included.


4. Why Do We Price Projects This Way?

Because we believe detailed pricing is better for both the homeowner and the contractor.

A single lump-sum price may be easier to look at, but it can leave a lot of unanswered questions:

Does that include the shutters?

What about the garage doors?

Are the gutters included?

How many windows are being painted?

Does that include the wood rot?


Our line-item approach allows you to see much more clearly where your money is going and what work the price is based on.

It also makes it easier to add or remove individual portions of the project when appropriate.


5. Wood Rot Repairs Are Priced Separately

Wood rot repair and exterior painting are different types of work, so wood rot repairs are priced separately from painting.

During your estimate, we identify the visible repair areas we can reasonably observe and evaluate at that time.


Depending on the repair, your proposal may identify:

  • Location on the home
  • Type of repair
  • Material
  • Size or repair category
  • Quantity
  • Height or accessibility


Your repair price is based on the repair areas and quantities identified in your proposal.

It does not automatically include every piece of deteriorated wood that may exist somewhere on the home.


6. What About Hidden Wood Rot?

This is particularly important with exterior repairs.


Wood rot can extend behind, underneath, or beyond the portion that is visible during an estimate.


For example, additional deterioration may be hidden behind:

  • Trim boards
  • Fascia
  • Siding
  • Window trim
  • Door trim
  • Gutters or gutter guards
  • Porch or deck components
  • Other exterior materials

Sometimes there is simply no reasonable way to know the extent of the deterioration until we begin removing the damaged material.


If We Discover Additional Wood Rot

We will not simply repair it and surprise you with a bill.

Our normal process is to:

  1. Document what we discovered, typically with photographs.
  2. Review the additional damage.
  3. Explain the repair that is needed.
  4. Provide pricing for the additional work.
  5. Obtain your approval before proceeding outside the original scope.

Additional or hidden wood rot is not automatically included in the original repair price.


7. What If the Actual Quantity Is Different?

Your original price is based on the measurements, quantities, and visible conditions identified during the estimate.

Occasionally, once a project is underway, an actual quantity or condition may be materially different from what could reasonably be determined during the original estimate.

If that happens, we will bring it to your attention. The same goes for you.


If you see something you expected to be painted or repaired, please ask us about it before work begins.


That gives us an opportunity to compare what you expected with what is actually listed in your proposal.


We would much rather resolve:

“I thought that was included.”

at the beginning of your project than after the work has been completed.


8. Want to Add Something? No Problem.

If you decide you would like something painted or repaired that is not included in your accepted proposal, let us know.

In many cases, we can add the work to your project.

Our process is simple:

  1. Identify the additional work.
  2. Determine the quantity and scope.
  3. Provide the additional price.
  4. Get your approval.
  5. Add the work to the project.

Our crews are not authorized to independently add work without approval.


Before Your Project Begins

Please take a few minutes to open your accepted proposal and review:

☐ The individual painting line items
☐ The quantity next to each line item
☐ Window trim quantities
☐ Window sash quantities, if applicable
☐ Doors and door trim
☐ Garage doors
☐ Shutters
☐ Gutters and downspouts
☐ Foundation or masonry
☐ Wood rot repair locations and quantities
☐ Any other separately priced items


Then ask yourself:

“Is there anything I expect Home Pros Painting to paint or repair that I don't clearly see listed in my proposal?”


If the answer is yes—or you're simply not sure—please ask us.


Your estimator will also review the important pricing and scope items with you during the Project Kickoff Meeting on the morning your project begins.


Our goal is simple: everyone should understand exactly what we're doing before we start doing it.


Thank you for choosing Home Pros Painting. We appreciate the opportunity to work on your home.