On many painting jobs, preparing the wall takes longer than painting it, and it's the part of the quote that is most underestimated when pricing by eye.
What a full preparation includes
A standard preparation before painting includes: light sanding of the existing paint to improve adhesion, filling of cracks, dents and old plug holes, sanding the filler once dry, dust cleaning and, if the substrate requires it, a coat of sealing primer.
How much time it adds to the job
As an indicative reference, preparing a wall in normal condition (a few dents and holes from earlier pictures) can add between 20 and 40 minutes per 10 m² to the pure painting time, and considerably more if there is textured coating to strip or cracks to treat in depth.
Why quote it separately
Separating "preparation" and "painting" as two distinct items in the quote, instead of a single price per m², helps the client understand why two walls of equal size but different condition cost different amounts, and protects the painter from complaints of "overcharging".
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