Finishes · Division 09 91 00

Every substrate, every DFT verified.

MPI systems matched to substrate. Primer, coats and dry-film thickness scheduled by room. Surface-prep level called out per partition, ferrous frame, and CMU wall.

MPI Manual baked in SSPC SP-2 / SP-3 / SP-6 / SP-10 ASTM D7091 DFT checks
Wall section A4 · Corridor C-101 MPI 50A
Wall section showing substrate, primer, finish coats with DFT verification 0.0 1.5 3.0 5.5 7.5 MILS 5/8" GWB PRIMER 1.5 mil COAT 1 1.5 mil COAT 2 1.5 mil FINAL FILM DFT VERIFIED 4.5 mils ASTM D7091 · pass
Substrate GWB L4
System MPI 50A
Total DFT 4.5 mil
Status Pass
Where paint bids go sideways

The four mistakes that get caught at punch.

Spec text scattered across 09 91 00, finish schedules, and partition tags. We map it once, then keep it in sync with the drawings.

01
Pain

"Paint all exposed" lives in the spec margin.

Wall and ceiling SF by room is tedious. Soffits, returns, mechanical rooms, and the catch-all notes hidden in 09 91 00 get missed every time the schedule revs.

Preqonn

Every "paint all exposed" note auto-extracted.

We parse Division 09 91 00 line by line, surface every catch-all clause, and add the SF to the room takeoff with a citation back to the spec page.

02
Pain

One-coat substitution where MPI specifies three.

Spec calls for MPI INT 9.2A (primer + two finish coats). Bid prices one coat. Inspector pulls a D7091 gauge at punch. Repaint, eat the schedule.

Preqonn

Primer + coats + DFT, locked to MPI.

Every system call generates a primer + topcoat schedule with DFT targets. Bid is priced for the full system. Substitutions flagged before the proposal goes out.

03
Pain

Substrate prep priced as one labor rate.

Drywall L4, drywall L5, ferrous steel SSPC SP-6, galvanized etch, CMU block filler. Each is a different system at a different labor rate. None of it lives on the same sheet.

Preqonn

SF by substrate, prep level called out.

We map every wall, frame, and steel element to its substrate, then to its SSPC prep level. Labor and material rates roll up by substrate type, not by room.

04
Pain

VOC and LEED limits are someone else's problem.

Project carries SCAQMD or LEED v4 VOC caps. The painter quotes a fast-dry product. The spec rejects it at submittal. Lead time blows out two weeks.

Preqonn

VOC check on every line item.

We read the spec VOC limit, cross it against the manufacturer TDS for every quoted product, and surface alternates that meet the cap before submittal.

The signature moment

From "MPI 9.2A" in the spec to a priced bid, in one pass.

01

Spec text extracted.

09 91 00 read line by line. MPI system numbers, color schedule, VOC limit and prep level pulled out with citations.

02

Substrate mapped per room.

Every wall in the finish schedule mapped to its substrate. GWB L4 vs. L5. Ferrous frame. Galvanized. CMU. Block filler flags.

03

Primer + coats + DFT scheduled.

System auto-builds the primer and topcoat schedule with dry-film targets per coat. ASTM D7091 thresholds set per line.

04

BOM + labor roll up.

SF by substrate. Gallons by product line. Prep labor by SSPC level. One priced bid, ready to send.

Step 01 · Spec extraction Preqonn AI · live
Section 09 91 00 · Painting · page 4 of 11
2.4 INTERIOR PAINT SYSTEMS   A. Gypsum board, latex finish: MPI INT 9.2A B. Gypsum board, semi-gloss enamel: MPI INT 9.2B C. Ferrous metal, alkyd: MPI INT 5.1E over SP-6 prep D. Galvanized metal: MPI INT 5.3J, SP-2 + etch E. CMU block filler: MPI INT 9.1A   2.5 DRY FILM THICKNESS (DFT) A. Primer: 1.5 mils minimum B. Each topcoat: 1.4 to 1.6 mils per ASTM D7091   3.1 SCHEDULE: paint all exposed surfaces unless noted otherwise. Includes soffits, returns, blocking, exposed structure, exposed ductwork in finished spaces.
7 systems extracted
Corridor C-101 GWB Level 4 MPI 9.2A
Lobby 100 GWB Level 5 MPI 9.2B
Stair A · ST-1 Ferrous steel SP-6 + 5.1E
Mech 142 CMU block 9.1A + filler
Loading dock Galvanized HM SP-2 etch
Restroom R-110 GWB MR-board Verify epoxy
Substrate System · primer + coats DFT Check
GWB L4
7,420 SF
PVA primer + 2 coat latex
MPI 9.2A · eggshell
4.5 mil D7091
GWB L5
1,180 SF
High-build primer + 2 coat enamel
MPI 9.2B · semi-gloss
5.0 mil D7091
Ferrous HM
142 frames
SP-6 + alkyd primer + 2 coat alkyd
MPI 5.1E
5.5 mil D7091
CMU
2,260 SF
Block filler + 2 coat latex
MPI 9.1A
9.0 mil D7091
Latex eggshell · MPI 9.2A 28gal
Enamel semi-gloss · MPI 9.2B 6gal
Alkyd primer/topcoat · MPI 5.1E 14gal
Block filler · MPI 9.1A 11gal
Galv etch · SP-2 3gal
Prep labor · SP-6 ferrous 38hr
Total area 10,860SF
Senior-estimator review Verified · ready to send
Catch-all clauses

The "paint all exposed" note
that never gets bid.

It's the line that adds 800 SF to a project after the bid is locked. We surface every catch-all clause and tie it back to a room, a partition, or a piece of exposed structure.

0
extra SF found on a typical mid-rise
0
division 09 sub-sections cross-walked
09 91 00 · 3.1 painting schedule · pg 9
Apply paint and finish to all exposed surfaces in the areas indicated. Where surfaces are not specifically mentioned but are exposed to view, paint same as adjacent surfaces. Includes: soffits, returns, exposed structural steel in finished spaces, exposed ductwork above 8'-0", access panels, exposed conduit, blocking in unfinished ceilings, exposed piping in mechanical/electrical rooms, and door frames not specifically scheduled.
+ 847 SF added to takeoff
Compliance · auto-checked

Every paint line, checked against the book.

The MPI Architectural Painting Manual, SSPC surface-prep standards, ASTM D7091 dry-film thickness, SCAQMD and LEED v4 VOC caps. Every spec line cross-checked. Every conflict flagged before submittal.

MPI Architectural Painting Manual System numbers verified against MPI Approved Product List per substrate & gloss.
SSPC SP-2 / SP-3 / SP-6 / SP-10 Prep level mapped per ferrous element. Hand-tool, power-tool, commercial blast, near-white.
ASTM D7091 · DFT non-destructive Dry-film thickness target per coat. Pass/fail threshold set per MPI line.
ASTM D4258 / D4259 surface cleaning Concrete & CMU prep verified. Block filler requirement carried into BOM.
SCAQMD Rule 1113 · VOC limits Coating VOC g/L checked against jurisdictional cap on every product line.
LEED v4 EQ Credit · low-emitting CDPH v1.2 emissions evaluation flagged for credit-eligible product alternates.
MPI Gloss level G1 to G7 Gloss / sheen reconciled against finish schedule and color schedule per room.
ANSI Z535.1 safety color codes OSHA pipe and equipment marking colors flagged where mechanical scope crosses paint scope.
FAQ · Paint

The questions paint estimators ask first.

Built with painters who bid 8-figure interior packages. Real answers, no hand-waving.

Yes. The MPI Approved Product List and system catalog (INT 5.x, 9.x, EXT 9.x, etc.) are baked in. We read the spec, match the system, and price the full primer + topcoat assembly. If the spec calls a system you've never seen, we surface it with the MPI manual page reference.
We handle MPI plus generic-by-description systems ("two coats latex over PVA primer"). If the spec references a manufacturer system (Sherwin DTM 3-coat, Benjamin Moore Ultra Spec), we map the equivalent assembly and price both options.
Every Division 09 91 00 clause is parsed individually. Catch-all language ("paint all exposed", "as scheduled", "match adjacent") is surfaced as a separate line, cross-referenced to the rooms and elements it applies to, and added to the SF takeoff with the spec page citation.
We pull the door / frame schedule from Division 08, identify which frames are factory-finished vs. field-painted, and add the SF and SP-2 / SP-6 prep labor to the paint scope. If the spec is ambiguous, we draft the RFI with the exact sheet and section reference.
Yes. We read the spec's VOC cap (SCAQMD Rule 1113, LEED v4, OTC, or custom owner limit), pull g/L values from each product TDS, and flag anything over the cap with a compliant alternate from the same manufacturer family.
Try it

See it work on your live paint bid.

20-minute demo. Bring a real spec section. We'll run it through Preqonn AI and walk the MPI matching, substrate map, DFT schedule, and the priced BOM.

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