Choosing the right speed step for a surface
Every surface you measure starts on a speed step between 1 and 8. The speed drives the hours calculation, which drives the price. The steps are starting points, not a limit: tap Slower or Faster to set any rate in between, or type your own — that rate is stored on that surface. The step's name shows under the number when you land on one, and a figure past the fastest step asks you to check it. Picking the right speed is a skill worth developing — these notes help.
The 8 steps and when to use each
- 1 – Intricate. Heritage cornices, detailed mouldings, fine cutting between colours. Think restoration work. Very slow going.
- 2 – Detailed. Panelled doors, French windows, multi-coloured reveals, balustrade spindles. Lots of angles, lots of cutting in.
- 3 – Careful. Average complexity — bathrooms with tile cuts, kitchen walls with cabinetry cut-ins (the cabinets themselves have their own Cabinets surface), stairs, skirting.
- 4 – Steady. Typical bedroom or living room walls with normal access and standard prep. Your default for most internal walls.
- 5 – Efficient. Open hallways, large ceilings with clear access, exterior walls between windows.
- 6 – Open. Warehouse walls, big exterior faces, clear-span ceilings. Good ladder/scaffold access.
- 7 – Rapid. Repetitive surfaces with nothing in the way — eaves, fences, a run of identical walls. Typical for spray.
- 8 – High-volume. An empty new-build shell: no furniture, no masking dramas. Typical for new-build spray. You can set a faster rate than this when a job really runs quicker.
Cues that nudge you up or down
Slower (lower step) if: heavy cutting in, restricted access, high detail, colour change between surfaces, poor prior preparation.
Faster (higher step) if: open access, roller-friendly geometry, same colour as adjacent, repetitive elements.
Method and speed are separate
Choosing spray or brush/roll changes the method and nothing else. Spraying a big open wall is fast; spraying a kitchen's cabinets is slow. So the speed is yours to set either way. On a sprayed surface the speed picker marks Open, Rapid and High-volume as typical for spray, one tap away if the job suits them.
Why it matters: the difference between a Steady (4) wall at 15 m²/hr (160 ft²/hr) and an Efficient (5) wall at 20 m²/hr (215 ft²/hr) might be 25% in hours on a repaint. Choosing carefully is the difference between hitting your margin and missing it.
After a job ends, check actual hours against quoted hours. If a specific surface type is consistently off, adjust your step default for that surface in Pricing & rates → Advanced pricing → Surfaces. Calibrate once, benefit forever.