Finishing-Cost Estimator

Estimate coating consumption, preparation and spray labor, consumables, and a selling price for cabinet finishing.

Shared shop rates

Save rates once and apply them when needed. Labor is cost per productive person-hour; overhead is separate. Values are stored only in this browser.

Labor ($/person-hour) Overhead ($/person-hour) Target margin (%)

Your worksheet

Example inputs. Replace them with your shop’s numbers.

One-side area (sq ft)Include exposed edges in the equivalent area.Equivalent sides coatedUse 1 if area already includes every coated face.CoatsTheoretical coverage (sq ft/gallon/coat)Use the coating manufacturer’s technical data.Transfer efficiency (%)Share of sprayed material reaching the work.Additional mixing / handling waste (%)Separate from overspray.Mixed coating cost ($/gallon)Prep minutes per coated sq ftActive spray minutes per sq ft per coatSetup and cleanup person-hoursAbrasives, masking, and consumables ($)Burdened labor ($/person-hour)Wages plus payroll costs per productive hour. No overhead or profit.Overhead ($/person-hour)Allocated shop overhead. Do not include wages already entered as labor.Target margin after listed costs (%)Selling price = total cost ÷ (1 − margin).

Results

The whole-gallon purchase quantity rounds up, while job cost charges material consumed. Add primer and topcoat as separate estimates if coverage or cost differs.

How this is calculated

Coated area = one-side area × equivalent sides.
Gallons = area × coats ÷ (coverage × transfer efficiency) × (1 + handling waste).
Active hours = area × (prep minutes + coats × spray minutes) ÷ 60 + setup hours.
Cost = coating consumed + labor + overhead + consumables. Price = cost ÷ (1 − margin).

All money inputs use USD. Calculations retain full precision; displayed amounts are rounded. Drafts save on this device when browser storage is available. Export your worksheet to keep a separate copy.