Fresh paint can take a room from looking dreary and out-of-date to a sense of sparkling newness for a relatively low price compared to other remodeling projects.
Typical costs:
Interior paint itself costs anywhere from $12-$50 or more a gallon, depending on the quality. Painting a 12x12-foot room, both walls and ceiling, can require $25-$100 worth of paint, plus $10-$50 for primer, brushes, rollers, drop clothes and other supplies. For a 1,500-square-foot home, supplies run $200-$300 for average paint, and $400-$600 for higher quality.
Expect to pay $200-$400 to have a 12x12-foot room painted by a licensed contractor with brand-name paints; a 15x20-foot room or larger runs $300-$700 or more; and a 1,200-1,500 square foot home is $1,100-$2,000 or more. Having the ceiling painted bumps the cost to the high end of the scale.
Whether doing it yourself or hiring someone, buy the best quality paint you can afford; it lasts longer and in some situations requires only one coat of paint instead of two. Painting a room usually involves prep work, primer and latex or alkyd paints with a range of finishes. HGTV.com gives a quick overview [1] as well as a list of painting dos and don'ts[2] .
ThisOldHouse.com provides tips for picking interior colors[3] and step-by-step instructions for painting a room[4] .
A painting contractor's estimate usually includes all prep work (including taping and moving small items, primer and two or more coats of paint.
Additional costs:
Cheap paint roller covers leave fuzz on the wall while inexpensive brushes leave streaky marks; pay a few extra cents or dollars to get better results.
It takes more coats of paint and costs more to cover a dark color with a light one, or vice versa.
Removing heavy furniture is often not included in painters' estimates; if you can't do it yourself or hire someone, ask if there will be an extra charge.
Having to paint crown molding, baseboards, wainscoting or other detailed can add to a contractor's estimated price, as can walls taller than the average of 8 feet. The exact extra expense will varies depending on the amount of extra labor required.
Discounts:
If a painter is setting up to do a single room in a home, additional rooms may cost less than the first--it's possible to save money overall by painting everything at once.
Painters' quotes can be lower in winter, early spring or late fall--the off-season--than in peak summer months when there's lot of work available. Ask if there's a discount if the project is done on a fill-in basis, in-between other projects.
Shopping for painting an interior:
Explore color and style ideas from major paint manufacturers Behr[5] and Sherwin-Williams[6] .
Easy2DIY.com provides a paint calculator[7] to determine how many gallons will be needed. Lowes[8] sells paint and provides do-it-yourself tips.
The Painting and Decorating Contractors of America[9] gives tips for hiring a pro and links to its members.
Get estimates from several contractors, request and contact references and check that the company is properly bonded and insured, as well as licensed in your state.
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We bought a house with a cheap paint job. The ceilings were sprayed the same color as the walls. During COVID I painted the ceilings and a bathroom. A 120 square foot room took me about 4 hours (2 coats). So I guess I paid myself $30 an hour tax free. Watch a video and buy top quality paint.
14 doors both sides, ceilings, walls, including 10 accent walls in navy, all other walls pale gray and all moldings white. Navy will take 3 coats. Paint should be included in the price. Thank you!
Entire interior house painting job (excluding ceilings). 3 Bedroom / 2 Bath, Kitchen, Dining Room, Family Room, Living Room and Utility Room. Nothing really out of the ordinary, single level, no unusual architecture. I got estimates from professional painting companies, both small and large and individual "painters for hire". What surprised me was the huge range of estimates. $2,800 on the low end to $10,500!! on the high end. Finally went with a small family company at $4,500, (the lower bids seemed a little disorganized and unprofessional). The company I went with may not have been the lowest bid, but they seemed to know their stuff, spending over two hours doing color matching and comparisons just for the estimate. I couldn't be happier with the result, all their suggestion's were spot on, the house looks amazing!
Appliance delivery guys put a 1 inch gouge in my recently painted 15 foot foyer wall and really hacked up the base rail. Does the entire wall have to be repainted or can the gouge be repaired and blended. Wall was painted 10 months ago? Any thoughts on pricing to repair gouges in base rail with epoxy and repaint? It’s another 8 ft long and is 8” x 1” pine, painted white. Thx.
A friend of mine is having her main floor of her home remodeled and we had picked out several colors that commented one another and created a great flow to the rooms. Her contractor told her that there was a $300 charge for having to change the colors. Is this the norm? I have never heard of such a thing.
It was a two story,7250 sq.ft. of wall space, 16 windows and four doors. 22 ft foyor. No trim was painted, only cut in. Was this a fair price for Atlanta, Game.?
Carl, I think you're a little low. Doors themselves are typically at least $25 per side and trim $1.00 a linear foot. This is the bare minimum I would charge and that would be a low-end estimate. So at a minimum you should be charging $1000 for the doors alone, and at least $400 for the 400 feet of trim you'll be doing. This doesn't even include the door casing, You could be making $2000 for this job EASILY. If your client was getting bids from painting companies, most would be well over that price.
Pricing by the square foot for painting walls is typically between $1.75-$2.00 based on the floor plan, which equates to about $.55-.75/sq ft of overall wall space. So a 10x10 bedroom would typically cost between $175-$225 for the walls alone. Ceilings are generally between $.75-$1 a square foot, so another $75-$100, and trim should cost at least $1 a linear foot, but prices up to $3 a linear foot are pretty common, so trim for that 10x10 room would add between $75-$200. And doors should cost between $20-$50 per side. So a typical bedroom should generally cost between $175-$300 for the walls, depending on the size, & between $275-400 if ceilings are also being done, another $75-200 for trim, and $100-$200 or so for 2-3 doors (entry & closet) Total for everything $450-$800 This is the typical price range. Anything more than this is gouging, imo, & for anything less you'll probably be dealing with a contractor who pays his employees or subs minimum wage &/or they'll butcher it.
I am a Handyman and I do pretty much all types of fixing, including painting. On this month I had a lady called me for a bid. 19 interior doors with cases included both sides, one exterior door (just one side) and, about 400 sqf of baseboard. My bid was for 1000.00 custumer will buy the paint.My question is, was I too expensive or way cheap?. Considering that she lives in that house and I have to cover up all the things she has in it. Plus I will use my sprayless. Thank you for your help folks#!
I was a professional painter way way back for a company. Now I am dabbling in working around the neighborhood here and there and needed to know how much I should charge. I recently painted an entire home including woodwork / doors / windows/ baseboards and the paint costs $230 ish and I did it free for my best friend . It took me 4 days to do . 7am-9pm . It turned out absolutely beautiful , and every room was a different color .
this was the estimate i received and well - hard to describe area - double hight ceiling entry foyer plus stairway up to hallway. painted hallway as well with 2 coats plus did a coat of white over all trim/molding/door frames - 6 of them - and repaired some minor molding cracks. we are supplying the paint. at first i thought this was high but then, well, it was better than doing it myself and the painter was highly recommended and he's very nice.
Got two bids so far to paint the interior of a new home. 2,600 sq ft. Was painted with flat cheap paint the first time. The first bid was $17,000.The second bid was $7000. Two coats of paint on ceilings and walls. All doors and closets to be painted too. Still waiting on third painter estimate. I'm wondering if $7000 is too high. This painter has a crew of 5, told me it would take a week. Seems a long time with 5 professionals painting.
Hired a pro to paint interior and exterior of my house. It was new construction. Outside is approx. 50% board and batten, also had cedar beams inside and out on porches. Outside was 3000 and inside was 8000. this included prime and paint all base, doors, closets and cabinets. All paint and stain was Sherwin Williams, high quality stuff. I highly recommend getting pros you dont have to bird dog and punch over and over! May cost a little more initially, but you'll be alot happier with the results!!
restaurant dining area an behind front counter area. Fixed cracks in wall, taped off flooring, several windows (7 large windows,4 small windows) 2 doors, had to cover camera's, ceiling, fans, lights, tables-chairs, had to move plants , paper racks, clocks, etc. things to another room, took all blinds down, dusted everything off from top to bottom then wash walls first, then primer then paint walls an ceiling, used 3 colors of paint for trim an walls, used my own paint sprayer, i also cleaned behind the counter area before i could paint, an when all done I put everything back the way it was oh an also had to work around pushed together tables an chairs, also plastic everything. owner paint for paint an supplies. Me an another person put in a total of 55 hours in in 2 days we had (combined hours) we did excellent work but could use a few numbers to charge without over charging Im a very fair person. Il say the place was the size of about a Mc Donalds behind counter an dining area
I have a house that I only need the ceilings painted. They have been textured & primed so it is strictly paint . One room has vaulted ceiling but the rest of the hone has normal or standard height ceilings. I have. Rcvd 3 VERY different bids so I am at a loss as to what is standard labor cost for something like that
I was a professional painter for about 6 years. Now I am a facilities manager that does small jobs on the side. I like to work, and painting for me is easy and does not present many unforseen surprises. All my work is word-of-mouth, and I have high personal standards (always surpassing my customer's standards). I have no workman's comp or liability insuerance, so I charge a little less than the going rate (but not too much less). I an limited to working weekends and nights because of my day job. But otherwise, I try to be very flexible with all my customers. I also explain everything that I can to them about the process, and why certain steps should be taken. For the most part people want to feel like they are not being taken advantage of. That said... the lower price that people get from me does not include the assurances that accompany an insured professional. These people take a risk everytime they let me into their home, because if I trip down the stairs and break my back, it is they homeowners insurance that is on the line. If I stupidly step onto a granite countertop overhange and snap it, I have not liability insurance to sue. The type of job needs to be considered when hiring anyone to come into your home. Painting a bathroom is pretty safe even without insurance. But staging a 2-story foyer should be reserved for someone with the proper insurance.
Hired a paint contractor w/good recommendations, this room was 12x12 tops. Caulking, sanding and caulking 2 window sills, painted ceilings and walls 1 coat but 2 different colors, plain 1/4" x3" baseboards & 4 doors oil-based trim, w/2 doors only 1 side. We provided paint at $180, he ended up hiring day laborers & had to redo. Took 14 days, looks good now but need to paint more and I'm scared b/c we had a contract & he tried to extort more very very threatening & I have to now work by sq. ft. in other areas, don't want to be nickel & dimmed for every time repair (he charged $50 because our dog's nose touched a wet wall but they let him in)! Any ideas from others in my area? Actually done in 2014, doesn't allow for it.
Interior painting cost in real time environment Amount: $9,960.00 Posted by: JCF C&T Ltd in Bonita Springs,, FL First off the concept of not hiring someone who charges by total sq foot, it a bit ridiculous. You can charge many different ways, and total sq foot (floor space) is just one of those ways. I would love to know the total sq footage of that 10 room house that you charged $9000+ to paint. Yes the wall sq footage was 5900, but $1.80 per square foot of wall space is a bit high for a residential repaint IMO. Take for example, I charge 1.75 sq foot for 10x10 room with 8 foot ceilings. By my calculations this would cost $175 with floor space sq foot, but with you method, it would cost $576.00 That is outrageous. Of course I didn't subtract the windows and doors, which is another thing that makes no sense. Cutting in around those windows takes more time, then just rolling a wall.
Three bedroom 2 bath 11' vaulted ceiling in living room. Crown molding throughout. six panel doors throughout. All woodwork prepped and and sprayed. Everything primed and painted. excellent job. Did all work with my wife and I living in house. Protected our furniture. very professional.
Never prepped walls. Painter had to return five times to sand walls, clean walls and repaint. Did not sand enamel surfaces on door so paint started to peel shortly after. Could not do ourselves as in the past due to illness. Awful experience.
5383 actual square footage of walls. Do not estimate or accept estimates based on square footage of floor. I use a laser device to ACCURATELY measure. I take out for windows and doors. Unless a job is new construction (empty), understand that furniture,artwork, carpet, appliances, etc. will affect time and labor. Also understand that ceiling height is a game changer. A rate of no less than $1.80/sf including materials is realistic, acceptable and more than fair for a qualified professional to paint rooms with 9' ceilings. Expect to pay $1 extra per square foot for 9'- 15' and $2.50 extra for 15' +. Some additional costs for extreme conditions will raise that amount. Trying to base the amount on days worked by number of workers is both unfair to the professional and undue to your senses. This job is based on 15 days work by two workers, one painter and one grunt to tarp, move furniture, clean up and book paint. That nets to approx $663/day. As you can see, not great wages.
this is what I quoted the owner, he thinks because the actual sq ft of the room is about 584 I am charging too high...rnrnIncludes prep, some wipe down and cutting all around mouldings and install of scaffold and coverings of owners furniture in the space... Is this reasonable at .40/sf ?
Posted by: Peter painter in Abbotsford Bc Canada, Other.
Posted: October 23rd, 2012 11:10PM
Number of Rooms: 3500 sq ft home
Painter:
I paint in Canada and prices are like that of the State Side. I I I take pride in my work and charge reasonable rates ($1.00 sq.ft.) for an average home interior and price changes a little as heights of walls change, but there are those who so undercut those prices like .30 sq. ft. and that includes paint and we can't compete with those prices. I can compete if I don't prep walls, use the cheapest paint on the market that looks good at first, 2 thin coats no primer but after 1year it looses it's luster and durability, I don't move any furniture, and concern myself with quanity not quality. I understand people are looking for bargains because money is a little tighter but people need to understand we need to be also wise in who we get. Wisdom shop around, don't just go for cheap prices, check these people out, ask what services include. 30% of my business is redo cheap painters work. Advice if you don't want to pay, try painting yourself you might find it fun. Hope this helped. Thanks
Many actually do very good work at very reasonable rates. They know that to survive during downturns one must lower prices. Too many others jack theirs' up to compensate for less work. I've been contracting painting and remodeling for 35 years and think it's time for me to learn Spanish. These guys are better employees than whites and blacks.
I am looking at painting the interior of my house. Everything except doors. 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, kitchen, living room and stairway upstairs. Quote was for $7,000-$8,000 including materials. Is that high to anyone?? Please let me know ASAP!
Posted by: Professional Painter in Eastern Pennsylvania, PA.
Posted: April 9th, 2012 06:04AM
Number of Rooms: 0-20
Painter: Professional Painter 15yrs
People need to realize that if you want a licensed, insured professional painter in your home that is reputable, trustworthy & skilled, that it will cost them an average of $400.00 a day. If you want a nice paint job then it is all about prep work. There is tarping, plastic, furniture moving, caulking, spackling, sanding, priming, sealing, before you even paint. I have repainted interiors that were painted less than a year because the last contractor came in with a cheap price, did zero prep work, & painted with watered down paint. My point, A house is usually the most valuable asset a person will purchase, so why would you let just anyone with a cheap quote work on it? “The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten” – Benjamin Franklin
Posted by: Richards Painting services in asheville, NC.
Posted: January 30th, 2012 04:01AM
I am new to painting on my own and want to charge fair prices. I have a customer who wants me to give a price per square foot. lets say an interior room is 10x10 with 8 foot ceilings. would the square footage be 10 times 10 = 100 sq feet ? or is it 10 times 8 times 4 walls = 320 sq feet ?
As you can see, calculating one way I have just 100 sq ft and the other way I have 320.
which sq footage number do I use to multiply with the going rate in my area to paint per sq ft? I have been told that the average cost to paint per sq ft in western north carolina (asheville and waynsville area) is $1.75 pr sq ft(does that sound right?)
about 9,000 square foot of drywall, primed, and painted two coats. all trim, Doors, casing, professional Job. Did I pay to Much at $1.25 per square foot?
I have been painting for 7 summers as a side job with a school district. I have been asked to paint a friend's house and I don't want to over charge but it will be a lot of work. She is paying for all of the paint and supplies-----5 average sized rooms plus ceilings, ceilings in 3 additional small rooms, and all window and door frames. I need some advice!!!
I have the time since I work from home and work has been slow, so I volunteered to paint our kitchen..10 X 16. My hubby changed his mind midway through the painting, so I had to change color. Took 3 days. I did most of the painting and he painted and did some touch up work. We spent $126 in paint and supplies which included primer, ceiling paint, primer, three colors, semi gloss for trim and chair rail, assorted brushes, roller covers, and drop cloths. After all was said and done, it looks really good.
Regarding cost - Keep in mind some older homes may cost more due to the EPA RRP lead paint rule that was placed in effect. I'm not saying price will be doubled, but it will add some more labor and material cost. After all, the EPA is fining non compliant contractors nearly $38,000 per non compliant violation. I see many posts about illegal contractors. We do pay insurances, we have business costs, I price jobs to where I am comfortable with paying labor, expenses for my business, and not making $250k per year as some do. I have gone into homes where someone thought they were getting a great deal and ended up calling me to fix mistakes or sloppy jobs. Paint will vary in cost, yes.
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