Finishes · measured in sqm
Measuring painting for RA bills
Painting is measured as the area painted, face by face, usually with the same opening rules as the plaster under it.
Unit of measurement
Painting on walls and ceilings is measured in sqm. Painting is measured as the area painted, face by face, usually with the same opening rules as the plaster under it.
The BOQ item description decides the unit and what the rate includes. Where the BOQ and this guide differ, the BOQ and the contract's mode of measurement win.
What is measured
- Length and height of each wall face painted, and the area of each ceiling.
- Number of coats and type of paint, where the BOQ prices them separately.
- Primer and putty as separate items where the BOQ lists them.
- Doors, windows and grilles painted, by the coefficients the contract gives, where they are billed under painting.
Standard deductions
- Openings are dealt with by the same size rule as plaster, as per the contract's mode of measurement and the relevant part of IS 1200.
- Areas not painted (behind cladding, tiles or fixed units) are not measured.
- Second coats are not measured separately where the item is for two coats.
Worked example
Ward office building, acrylic emulsion in two coats on walls and ceiling of room 3.01. B is the wall height or the ceiling breadth.
| Location | Nos | L | B | D | Qty (sqm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long walls | 2 | 4.20 | 3.00 | 25.20 | |
| Short walls | 2 | 3.60 | 3.00 | 21.60 | |
| Ceiling | 1 | 4.20 | 3.60 | 15.12 | |
| Less door D1 | -1 | 1.00 | 2.10 | -2.10 | |
| Total | 59.82 |
Row by row: Long walls, 2 x 4.2 x 3 = 25.20; Short walls, 2 x 3.6 x 3 = 21.60; Ceiling, 1 x 4.2 x 3.6 = 15.12; Less door D1, 1 x 1 x 2.1 = 2.10.
Total: 25.20 plus 21.60 plus 15.12 minus 2.10 = 59.82 sqm. Deductions are entered with negative nos, so they reduce the total in the same column.
Common disputes
- Wall area under tiled dado is billed as painted.
- Openings are deducted differently from the plaster under the same wall.
- Putty and primer are billed separately when the painting item includes them.
Recording it in Tatha Vastu
Painting entries can copy the plaster entries for the same room, keeping the same opening rule. Edit the height where a dado stops the paint.
Approved entries are locked, and a correction becomes a new version with its reason. See the measurement book, or use the measurement sheet template if you still keep the register in Excel.
Is the paint area the same as the plaster area?
Often close, but not always. Dado, skirting and cladding reduce the painted area. Measure what was painted.
How are grilles and doors measured for painting?
Usually by their area multiplied by a coefficient the contract gives for each type. Use your contract's table.
Are ceilings a separate item?
Sometimes. Check whether the BOQ separates wall and ceiling painting.