Choosing the right painting contractor software can provide huge gains in efficiency, accuracy, and profitability. However, not all software serves the same purpose—some solutions are designed for end-to-end business management, while others specialize in estimating and measurement.
Here’s a breakdown of the two primary types of software painting contractors use:
Field Service Management Software – These platforms provide an all-in-one solution for running a painting business. Features typically include scheduling and dispatching, invoicing and payments, lightweight estimating tools, reporting, purchasing, inventory management, payroll, and more. This is the best option if you're looking for a system that streamlines your entire operation.
Estimating Software – These solutions focus specifically on creating accurate estimates and performing digital takeoffs. Some apps are built exclusively for painting contractors, while others cater to a broader range of construction and trade professionals. While they offer significantly more powerful estimating tools, they lack full business management capabilities like scheduling, CRM, or business reporting.
Key Question: Which Type of Software Are You Looking For?
If you need an all-in-one system to manage your painting business, field service management software is the best choice.
If your priority is faster, more accurate estimates and measurements for any type of project (simple to complex), an estimating-specific tool may be a better fit.
This article covers 10 popular painting contractor software solutions, divided into three categories:
Field Service Management Software – All-in-one platforms for business operations.
Painting Estimating Software – Industry-specific tools for painting contractors.
General Estimating & Measurement Software – Broader solutions for construction and trades.
We’ll start with our product, ServiceTitan, a leading field service management platform trusted by over 100,000 trade professionals.
Table of Contents
Field Service Management Software
1. ServiceTitan
2. Houzz Pro
3. mHelpDesk
4. Jobber
5. Workiz
Painting Estimating Software
6. PaintScout
General Estimating and Measurement Software
8. PlanSwift
10. STACK
Field Service Management Software for Paint Contractors
1. ServiceTitan
Painting companies use ServiceTitan’s core features to tackle key business challenges, including enhancing financial and operational visibility, streamlining daily workflows, and maximizing marketing ROI.
The following is an overview of some of the key workflows and features helping painting contractors improve their operations.
Feature Highlights
Optimize Job Workflows & Centralize Your Data
ServiceTitan offers a cloud-based customer relationship management (CRM) system to record, store, and access all of your lead, customer, and job data, beginning the moment a potential customer calls in.
Our call booking functionality provides office staff with the name and contact information of the incoming caller, and prompts them to fill out a series of form fields that ensure they collect all of the necessary information to kick off a potential painting job.
From the booking page, they can view the availability of their estimators, assign a team member to the job, and schedule a visit if the business or homeowner agrees to have someone come out.
At that point, a customer page is automatically created in which their contact information and job details can be stored as the job progresses. This data can be shared and accessed from the office via our desktop application, as well as remotely from a job site or elsewhere through the ServiceTitan mobile app.
Users also have the option to create a painting project page in which financials can be tracked, appointments can be made, material orders placed, and other aspects of project management carried out.
User-Friendly Mobile App: Manage Jobs & Painting Estimates On-Site
ServiceTitan’s mobile app, compatible with both Android and iOS operating systems, offers an intuitive user experience, equipping estimators and painting technicians with the tools they need:
Scheduling: View their scheduled appointments for the day on the dashboard, displayed as job cards with key customer and job details.
Job Forms: Access job forms that require customer signatures such as contracts and warranty agreements, as well as forms that foster accountability and better customer service (such as pre-appointment customer experience checklists).
Estimates: With seamless pricebook integration, estimators can build attractive estimates and multi-option proposals on the fly.
Note: For more complex projects, it may be necessary to use estimating-specific tools from other providers. We do not currently have a robust estimating solution for paint contractors. This is what you should expect with most field service management software.
Invoices: Techs can easily generate invoices and send them to customers in a variety of ways.
Closeout: Once they complete a job, techs can accept payments on the spot from customers via check or credit card.
Easily Track Paint & Labor Costs Across Projects
As you progress through a job — creating purchase orders, logging labor hours, processing change orders, and so on — ServiceTitan leverages automation to provide up-to-date project financials and job costing.
Instead of constantly needing to update a series of spreadsheets every time labor and paint costs are incurred, this is done automatically for you in real-time, based on work that’s completed and entered into the system.
A breakdown of your project budget versus actual costs will automatically update as you accumulate expenses from materials, equipment, and labor hours. It will display your margins in dollar and percent form to help you track job costs and profitability throughout your project.
You can also access a table breaking down your expenses in further detail:
You can click on any line item and see the exact source of that expense ( which painter logged those hours, or which purchase order it pertains to). This allows you to easily check your numbers and feel confident in your data.
When it comes time to send an invoice, this can also be easily accomplished from the project overview dashboard.
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Gain More Visibility with Access to Real-Time Business Data
One of the big challenges for painting businesses is getting timely and accurate financial data to track their cash flow and the overall health and performance of their business.
This is one area where our painting business software can deliver immense value. With ServiceTitan reporting, painting contractors get a complete real-time view of their most important business KPIs, including:
Sales numbers
Revenue trends
Booking and conversion rates
And much more
They also have the ability to customize dashboards and create in-depth reports, allowing them to drill down into the sources of the numbers being reported in their financial data, as well as roll up multiple tenants into single reports, making ServiceTitan a particularly powerful platform for enterprise painting businesses.
Understand the True ROI of Marketing Efforts to Optimize Your Campaigns
One of the most important aspects of effectively marketing a painting business is measuring the ROI of your various channels and campaigns so you can know which campaigns are performing well and which are not.
ServiceTitan makes this data easily accessible to painting companies, eliminating the struggle to understand ROI. Specifically, ServiceTitan offers campaign-tracking telephone numbers and real-time ROI reporting for all of your marketing campaigns.
For each of your campaigns, you can track the number of calls they brought in, the jobs your reps booked from these calls, and the actual sales results of those jobs. You can also calculate the ROI on your painting advertising campaigns as ServiceTitan identifies how much revenue you make from each ad, and breaks it down into cost per lead.
By measuring the marketing ROI of each campaign, ServiceTitan helps painting companies:
Know how much revenue each painting marketing campaign generates.
Track how well staff convert leads into jobs and sales.
Focus marketing dollars on the campaigns that actually make money.
Stop wasting money on ads — and platforms — that don’t perform.
Pros
All-in-one functionality
Significant customizability and scalability
Powerful reporting features that drive long-term ROI
Cons
High price point (particularly for smaller businesses)
Initial learning curve
Limited estimating capabilities
Get a Free Demo and Consider ServiceTitan for Your Painting Business
For over a decade, ServiceTitan has been providing innovative products to help HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and other trade businesses run more efficiently and improve their profitability. As we’ve covered here, the tailored features of our platform can drive significant value in the painting industry as well.
Throughout this post, we’ve discussed a sampling of the core features that benefit painting businesses the most. However, we also offer features such as time tracking, forms, checklist templates, invoicing, QuickBooks integration, and more.
For an in-depth walk-through of how ServiceTitan can help optimize and grow your painting business, schedule a call and get a free demo.
2. Houzz Pro
Houzz Pro provides tools for estimating, invoicing, and project management. It includes a CRM for managing client interactions and marketing features for business promotion.
Feature Highlights
Estimating & Takeoffs – Create and send job estimates with customizable templates.
Invoicing & Payments – Schedule payment requests and accept online payments.
Project Management – Includes scheduling, task tracking, and subcontractor dashboards.
Marketing & CRM – Offers premium profiles, email marketing, and lead tracking.
Integrations – Works with QuickBooks, Gmail, and Zoom.
Pros
All-in-one functionality
Enhances client communication
Continually seeking customer feedback and updating the product
Cons
Lead quality issues
Feature gaps and limitations
Some users feel the interface is difficult to use
3. mHelpDesk
mHelpDesk is a job scheduling and customer management tool designed for field service businesses, including painting contractors. It focuses on automating customer interactions, scheduling, and payments.
Feature Highlights
Scheduling & Dispatching – Assign jobs and track team availability.
Estimates & Invoices – Generate estimates and invoices with built-in templates.
Customer Communication – Automated appointment reminders via text and email.
Mobile Access – Allows field technicians to update job details on-site.
QuickBooks Integration – Syncs financial data for accounting purposes.
Pros
Helpful and knowledgeable customer support
Ease of use
QuickBooks integration
Cons
Lack of consistent updates and new features
Technical issues and bugs
Some negative customer service experiences
4. Jobber
Jobber is a field service software that assists painting businesses with job scheduling, estimates, and invoicing.
Feature Highlights
Client Management – Tracks client details and job history.
Scheduling & Dispatching – Drag-and-drop scheduling interface.
Quoting & Invoicing – Generate professional quotes and invoices with follow-up reminders.
Online Booking – Customers can book services through a client portal.
Integrations – Works with QuickBooks Online and other business tools.
Pros
Ease of use
Increased organization and efficiency
Great customer support
Cons
Feature gaps and limitations
Inconsistencies and technical issues
Relatively high price point
5. Workiz
Workiz provides scheduling, payment processing, and communication tools for painting businesses.
Feature Highlights
Job Scheduling – Manage appointments and optimize technician routes.
Payment Processing – Accept credit card and digital payments in the field.
Team Communication – In-app messaging and call tracking.
Mobile App – Accessible from Android and iOS devices.
Integrations – Compatible with QuickBooks, Stripe, and other business apps.
Pros
All-in-one solution with phone integration
Ease of use
Responsive customer service team
Cons
Phone service issues such as dropped calls or lost communications
Feature limitations
Workflow efficiency issues
Painting Estimating Software (Industry-Specific Point Solutions)
6. PaintScout
PaintScout is a sales platform designed for painting contractors to make the sales process consistent, effective, and efficient. PaintScout can help small business owners, growing entrepreneurs, and established companies.
Feature Highlights
Estimate Creation – Generate job estimates using pre-built templates.
Workflow Management – Convert estimates into invoices and work orders.
Payment & Financing Options – Accept deposits and process payments.
Reporting & Analytics – Track sales performance and job profitability.
Pros
Ease of use
Helpful and responsive customer service
Customizable quotes and efficient estimating
Cons
Difficult for some estimators to get used to
Progress invoice limitations
7. Paint Estimator Pro
Paint Estimator Pro is a mobile application that assists painting contractors with job estimates and client management.
Feature Highlights
Fast Estimate Generation – Create and send estimates from the field.
Work Order Creation – Convert estimates into detailed work orders.
Job Tracking – Store and recall job details for future reference.
Customer Database – Manage leads and follow-up reminders.
Pros
Easy to use
Create accurate estimates fast
Cons
Reported issues when using Android devices
Feature limitations and glitches
Navigation issues
General Estimating & Measurement Software (Non-Industry Specific)
8. PlanSwift
PlanSwift is a construction takeoff and estimating tool that can be used for painting projects.
Feature Highlights
Digital Takeoffs – Measure surfaces and calculate material quantities.
Calculate Costs — Automatically calculate material and labor costs.
Custom Assemblies – Customize assemblies to include additional materials and layers.
Excel Integration – Export data for further analysis.
Pros
Easy to learn and use
Saves time and improves takeoff accuracy
Customization options and Excel integration
Cons
Occasional technical issues and crashes
Some reports of poor customer service experiences
Limitations and inaccuracies with certain features
9. The Estimating Edge
The EDGE® is a commercial estimating solution with features for painting contractors.
Feature Highlights
Smart Labor Calculations – Adjusts labor estimates based on job complexity.
Preloaded Material Databases – Includes manufacturer-specific pricing.
Analytics and reporting – Get detailed reports, profit recaps, alternate pricing, ordering, and job costing.
Pros
User-friendly and intuitive
Outstanding customer support
Comprehensive features and efficiency gains
Cons
Feature limitations and occasional glitches
Database and reporting challenges
Navigation and user interface issues
10. STACK
STACK is a cloud-based takeoff and estimating tool used across multiple trades, including painting.
Feature Highlights
Digital Takeoff Tools – Quickly complete linear, area, and surface area measurements for accurate takeoffs.
Cost Estimation – Includes material and labor cost calculations.
Professional Proposals — Includes templates for creating professional, detailed proposals and quotes.
Project Collaboration – Allows multiple users to work on estimates simultaneously.
Pros
Ease of use
Responsive customer service
Efficient takeoff and estimating
Cons
Pricing structure can be restrictive
Navigation and loading issues
Feature limitations and occasional glitches
ServiceTitan Software
ServiceTitan is a comprehensive software solution built specifically to help service companies streamline their operations, boost revenue, and substantially elevate the trajectory of their business. Our comprehensive, cloud-based platform is used by thousands of electrical, HVAC, plumbing, garage door, and chimney sweep shops across the country—and has increased their revenue by an average of 25% in just their first year with us.