How Much Does Interior Painting Cost?

Painting interior walls can cost between $1,800 and $10,000 if you hire professional painters, depending on room size, wall condition, and local labor rates. New paint can transform a space and is typically a project homeowners can handle on their own. Our guide explains the key factors that affect interior painting costs and answers common questions to help you tackle your project the right way.

Exterior Painting

Avg. Painting Cost:

$3,500 – $8,000

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Interior Painting

Avg. Painting Cost:

$1,800 – $10,000

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Drywall Repair

Avg. Repair Cost:

$50 – $80

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How Much Does It Cost To Paint by Home Size?

The important variable in determining your interior painting cost is the size of your home. More surface area means more materials and labor costs. Overall, the total cost is often between $1 and $4 per square foot of floor space in your home.

Here’s a look at what those numbers can mean for different home sizes:

Painting Cost by Home Square Footage

Painting Cost by Room Type

Each room is unique in size and shape. With that in mind, these are rough guidelines for interior paint pricing. Keep in mind that the overall house painting cost range of $1–$4 per square foot might not scale down to individual rooms, since painting contractors often have minimum prices. Here is the pricing for each type of room in the home:

• Bathroom: Bathrooms are small, and shower or tub areas are usually finished in tile or acrylic. Thanks to these factors, these rooms tend to be fairly inexpensive to paint. A half-bath of 20 square feet may cost $50–$150, whereas a master bathroom of 70 square feet may cost anywhere from $350–$650.
• Bedrooms: The average bedroom is 132 square feet and typically has a great deal of plain wall space to cover. This means it may cost $300–$800 to paint, though a large master bedroom may cost up to $1,500.
• Dining room painting cost: A dining room is typically 300–400 square feet, and this interior painting project can cost from $600–$1,000.
• Hallways and entryways: Hallways and entryways get a substantial amount of foot traffic and may require hardier types of paint to resist scratches and other kinds of damage. These areas may range in cost from $300–$1,000 to paint.
• Kitchens: Although kitchens may be large, much of the wall space is often taken up by appliances, cabinetry, or backsplash. Thus, kitchens usually cost a bit less to paint, typically in the range of $200–$750.
• Living rooms: The average living room is about 340 square feet, but living rooms come in many shapes and sizes. Painting costs range from $600–$2,000 for these rooms—and don’t forget to take wall height into account when measuring. Painters charge more for rooms with high ceilings.
• Stairwells and stairways: The average cost of painting a stairway is usually rendered in linear feet instead of square feet, since the job includes painting spindles, baseboards, handrails, and other unique features. The painting price of a stairway is approximately $15–$30 per linear foot.
• Closets, nooks, and pantries: Painting costs for these small rooms are usually low—in the $50– $150 range. However, if parts of the space are difficult to access, a professional painter may charge a bit more for labor.

Painting Cost by Interior Surfaces

Usually, painting the interior of a house involves more than just the walls. Make sure you take the following features into account when estimating your painting price.

Cabinets

Kitchen cabinets are the most commonly repainted, and painting an entire kitchen’s worth of cabinets can range from $900–$3,500. However, for smaller projects, the cost of a painting cabinet is usually $3–$8 per square foot of cabinet.

Ceilings

Although ceilings are a little harder to access, they aren’t high-traffic areas and so usually require inexpensive paint. Ceilings may cost $1–$2.50 per square foot of surface area, depending on the texture of the ceiling.

Doors

The average price to paint an interior door ranges from $40–$100. This is a project that many homeowners elect to tackle themselves due to the small size of a door and the relative ease of painting the surface.

Trim

A home’s interior trim consists of items like baseboards, wainscoting, and crown molding. The cost to paint it is measured in linear feet, and the price can range from $1–$3 per linear foot. This price puts the overall cost for a 1,500-square-foot home at $500–$1,500.

Walls

If all you need painted are the walls, the cost will be fairly low. Usually, wall painting is quoted in the range of $1–$2 per square foot of surface area. If there are strange angles or unusual features attached to the wall, you may pay slightly more.

Choosing Between Professional vs. DIY Painting

As with any home improvement project, there are benefits and drawbacks to doing your own interior house painting. While the math and planning might not appeal to all homeowners, some enjoy a hands-on project.

Professional Painting Pros and Cons

DIY Painting Pros and Cons

To get an idea of what is involved with doing the work yourself, see the diagram below of all the steps that go into interior painting.

_{Credit: This Old House Magazine}

What Is the Cost of Painting Interior Walls Yourself?

The good news is that interior painting is a do-it-yourself (DIY)-friendly job. It requires time, patience, and plenty of drop cloths, but there are few safety risks involved. However, the process isn’t as intuitive as you might think, and you’ll need the proper supplies to do it right.

Costs of Paint by the Gallon

As soon as you start shopping for house paint, you’ll notice a wide variety in prices, even within the same brand. As you might expect, higher-quality paint costs more. Higher-quality paints have finer, purer pigments and more durable resins. Lower-quality paints have a higher percentage of solvent and are cheaper, but you will likely have to apply more coats for a uniform finish. If your budget can accommodate it, mid-tier to high-quality paint is the best choice.

Primer Costs

Primer is a thin base layer that goes on first to allow the pigmented paint to adhere better to the wall, allowing it to last longer. Some types of primer also have special additives to resist mildew and staining. Gallon cans of primer tend to sell for $20–$30, but five-gallon buckets usually cost $50–$100, or get a gallon for $10–$20.

Self-priming paints, which combine paint and primer, are typically very thick and cover only a small amount of square footage. They’re best used for touch-ups, unfinished drywall, or repainting an area in the same color. Self-priming paints must be of a higher quality to do the job, so these are usually in the range of $25–$45 per gallon.

Cost by Paint Quality

Overall, gallon cans of paint tend to sell for $15–$60 each. Typically, pricing has more to do with the paint’s quality than the brand name, but there are exceptions. For example, Sherwin-Williams is a premium brand that usually starts around $40 per gallon and goes up from there. You’ll pay even more for luxury brands like Little Greene, Farrow & Ball, and Clare. Beyond brand, here’s how paint prices break down by quality for most common brands:

• Value: $15–$35 per gallon
• Mid-tier: $35–$50 per gallon
• Premium: $50–$60+ per gallon

Cost by Type of Paint

The specific type of paint plays a lesser role in determining price. Most interior house paints are either oil-based or water-based. Oil-based paints use mineral spirits as a solvent. They adhere better to surfaces and have a smoother finish, but they’re also harder to work with. In contrast, latex paint uses water as a solvent, making it easier to use and clean up. In general, water-based paints are a little cheaper than oil-based, but you’re better off choosing between the two based on how they’ll be used rather than by price.

You can also choose different types of paint based on their sheen or finish. Generally speaking, the glossier a paint is, the more expensive it is. From least to most expensive, here are the types of paint you can choose from for interior rooms:

• Flat paint: The finish on this paint type provides a high level of coverage with very little shine. However, it is the least durable and most likely to be damaged by cleaning products.
• Eggshell paint: This paint type has a slight shine and is a bit hardier than flat paints, making it good for medium-traffic areas like living rooms and hallways. Satin-finish paint is the most common interior paint, as it represents a happy medium between coverage and durability.
• Semi-gloss paint: Semi-gloss is glossy and stain-resistant, but it shows imperfections in your paint job more easily than a flat or eggshell option.
• High-gloss paint: This is the shiniest and most durable type of paint, and it can stand up to heavy scrubbing. It’s also the least spreadable and most apt to show mistakes in painting.

Calculating Interior Paint Costs

Before you purchase paint, you’ll need to know how many gallons to buy. A gallon of paint covers about 350–400 square feet of surface area in a single coat, and most interior walls require two coats of paint over a coat of primer. There’s no shortage of online estimators, but you can also do the math yourself.

1. Find the surface area, measured in square feet, of the room by multiplying the length and width of the room by the height of the walls. Subtract out the area (length x width) of any windows, doors, or cabinets.
2. Divide this surface area by 400 to get the number of gallons of paint required for one coat.
3. Multiply the number of gallons by 2 to get the number of gallons for two coats. Round the result up to the nearest whole number.

Equipment and Supplies

To paint a home, you need more than just paint and primer. Here’s a list of major supplies and what each item costs:

• Brushes: $3–$20
• Rollers: $10–$20
• Paint trays: $3–$5
• Painter’s tape: $3–$10
• Drop cloth: $5–$30
• Scraper: $5–$20
• Sandpaper: $5–$30
• Ladder: $80–$300

What Is the Cost of Hiring a Professional Painter?

Labor costs account for the bulk of professional painting expenses and cover more than just applying paint. Prep work is sometimes time-consuming, especially if the walls are dirty or textured or have old wallpaper. Professional painters typically handle tasks like patching holes, caulking gaps, and sanding rough areas before painting begins.

If your walls are in good condition, labor rates typically range from $30–$60 per hour. However, specialty jobs, like textured finishes or painting two-story spaces, can push that rate to $75 or more per hour.

The size and layout of your home can also affect labor charges. Homes with many corners, architectural details, or hard-to-reach spaces may require additional time and effort, increasing the overall cost.

Additional Interior Painting Costs and Considerations

While most interior paint jobs stay within a standard price range, several factors could increase your costs when you do the work yourself or call in a pro.

• Accent walls: Adding accent walls can boost the price because of the extra time and paint colors required.
• Location: If you live in a high-cost-of-living city like New York or San Francisco, professional painting services and materials will likely cost more.
• Textured surfaces: Painting textured drywall is trickier and may add $0.50–$1 per square foot.
• Wall damage: If you need major repairs to your walls, expect to pay more for materials and prep time.

Our Conclusion

You certainly can paint the interior of your home yourself—just make sure you understand the time, tools, cost, and effort before you start. If you decide to hire professionals, remember that not everyone who’s willing to do the job is actually an experienced painter, so be sure to ask around and get some painting estimates before choosing a contractor.

FAQs About Interior Painting Costs