How Much Does Interior Painting Cost?

All interior painting jobs are unique, but how much does interior painting cost? There are rules of thumb that take some guesswork out of pricing. Below, we’ve broken down the average costs for your painting project to help build a workable budget.

Calculating the Cost of a DIY Interior Paint Job

Measuring the Rooms

You first need to know the measurements of the rooms you want to paint. The best way is to get the square footage of the room. To do this, measure the room’s width and length, then multiply those two numbers. So if your room is 12 x 14, the square footage would be 168 square feet. Since we are talking about the walls, you also need to consider the height of your walls and include that in your calculations.

Average Wall Cost Per Square Foot

Once you have the square footage of a room and the ceiling height, you can use a Paint Calculator to figure approximate prices for your project. Figure the average cost per square foot can cost you around $0.80 for a mid-grade paint only.

Cost of Paint Gallons

I am sure you have been to a hardware store for paint at some point before, and if you have, you know there are so many different paints options available. Paints range from ok quality to best and come in an array of finishes and colors you’re able to pick.

Choosing the quality of paint affects the price of the paint gallon. We suggest Glidden Premium Paint and Primer for a high-quality paint color in a satin finish, which will run you about $23 a gallon.

Calculating Interior Paint Material Costs

It is best to check the Paint Calculator when calculating material costs. It calculates the paint costs and gives you an idea of how much you can be spending on materials. Some of the materials you may need are paintbrushes, paint rollers, paint trays, painter’s tape, and tarps. These may sound like small expenses but can add up.

Extra Painting Cost Factors

Calculating the costs of the paint and materials is one thing but figuring any other unseen costs is another. Higher quality materials and designer paints cost more than just walking into your local hardware store and picking something off the shelf.

If you want a drastic color change or paint a wall color from dark to light, expect some higher costs since you may need to buy more paint for an extra coat. On the plus side, the price may decrease when painting a room with many doors and windows since the surface area is smaller.

Another cost factor is the window, floor, and door trim. While some may leave this area untouched, you may need to paint yours, which will add to the cost of paint or stain.

Value of Your Time

A DIY project of this magnitude takes time to complete. Suppose you have never tackled an interior painting job before; it may take even longer. It typically takes the average homeowner twice as much time to complete a project versus a professional painter. So a big question to ask yourself is how valuable is your time?

If you have not done a painting job yet, you also need to purchase all of the materials which adds to driving time and makes these tasks add up over the weekend you dedicated to this painting project. So minus the actual dollar amount this project could cost, with life and everything that comes with it, this project could be opening a never-ending paint job.

Easier Jobs Do Cost Less

Let’s say you want to change the color on your bathroom walls or add an accent wall of one single color to your bedroom. These jobs typically can be done on the weekend as an easy DIY if you prepare accordingly.

The cost of DIY interior painting depends on the project at hand, but having valuable tools like the Paint Calculator can tell you if you’re ready to take on this job!

Hiring a Professional Painter

Now that we have calculated how much a DIY interior paint job should cost let’s find a basis for how much the pros can cost. On average, painting companies can charge $20 to $70 per hour; these hourly rates include labor and material costs. But there are a ton of variables that go into that pricing.

Small Paint Jobs

You may think you have a small job that shouldn’t cost much for a professional to come in and get the job done; while that may be accurate, the size of the job doesn’t make it easier. It would be better to tackle a minor job yourself as the professionals have set prices in some cases.

Many costs cover minor repairs, surface preparations, protecting furniture, set up, and clean up. So if this is a smaller-sized job, you may be able to do these things yourself and save some money.

Large Paint Jobs

Most painters come in before a job and give you a free estimate, which is great since you know can calculate how much it would be to do it yourself. More extensive paint jobs tend to get better overall pricing. Think, painting the entire interior of your home, all the bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen, and everything else that comes with it.

But painting all the rooms in your home is going to take the average homeowner way longer than the professionals, and you might save some money doing it as well. You will need to purchase more materials, tarps, brushes, and tape. These details take up valuable time and money. While the professionals show up to the job with everything they need to get started right away.

Now, you absolutely can do a more significant paint job yourself, but if you have it in your budget to hire the pros, you may find it less expensive and time-saving than doing it on your own.

How to Save Money When Painting a Homes Interior?

Before starting your large paint job, you probably have already thought about this question more than once. Here are a few tips for saving as much money as possible when painting walls.

Borrow/Share Paint Supplies

You may not be able to share paint exactly, but painting supplies, on the other hand, such as roller, brushes, tarps, and a paint tray, can be reused again after a previous project. If you have painted in the past, you may have some supplies on hand, or find a friend or family member who has recently painted ask to borrow and return them as good as new!

Calculating Wall Space

I cannot express how valuable the Paint Calculator is. Using this tool, you will know exactly how much paint you need to buy and won’t overbuy. Of course, having a bit of leftover paint is great because you can cover minor imperfections that can happen over some time, but storing multiple paint cans and later having to dispose of the paint can cause a big headache.

Only Use a Primer if Necessary

You may need to purchase a paint primer in some cases, but self-priming paint is usually just fine for the job. The only exception is when trying to paint over a darker color with a lighter one, you may want to invest in a primer instead of having to paint multiple coats to get an opaque finish.

Purchase High-Quality Paint, Skip the Cheap Stuff

Purchasing a low-cost paint may sound like a great money saver, but this is not the case. Cheaper paints have a less opaque finish and need more coats of paint. This is why you should always skip the more inexpensive paint for higher quality.

Properly Prepare

Taking time to prep your area may not save you time, but it can save on cleanup. When properly preparing your areas, all you have to worry about is the painting itself. If you adequately taped and tarped, minor drips and spills will take no time at all to clean up and move forward.

Paint Carefully and Precisely

Lastly, the best advice is to paint carefully. The costliest mistake you can make is moving too quickly and having to repaint an entire area. Take your time to apply smooth, even coats of paint so you can have the job done right the first time.

Cost to Repaint a Whole House Interior

The average cost of painting can vary from room to room. These costs can also vary depending on the area you live in if you decide to hire a professional.

Bedrooms

Painting bedrooms is one of the most straightforward painting jobs you can do in your home. A typical bedroom can cost between $371 to $675. If you are painting a master bedroom, these numbers can increase based on the room’s square footage. Moreover, bedrooms have the chance of turning into a more extensive project based on the size and layout.

Living Room

Your living room may or may not be the most significant space in your home, which usually increases the job price. Depending, your ceilings may be higher than other areas, which can increase the amount of paint you will need. When painting your living room, expect to pay between $421 to $841, but this can change due to ceiling heights and the number of windows and doors.

Kitchen

Kitchen painting is more manageable since cabinets, appliances, and backsplashes take up most wall space. When painting your kitchen, you can expect to pay anywhere from $515 to $990, depending on the size.

Bathrooms

Same as kitchen painting, bathrooms are a minor painting job and are typically the smallest room in your home. With most of the space taken up by tile, sinks, and the tub, it probably has the slightest bit of surface area—plan on spending around $152 to $293.

Stairways and Stairwells

With higher ceilings and harder-to-reach areas, stairways and stairwells can be tricky to price out but expect to pay $490 to $950.

Trim and Doors

It is not the same calculations as mentioned above previously when painting your home’s trim and doors. Calculating trim paint costs is by the linear foot, and the price is anywhere from $1 to $3 per linear foot.

When painting doors, you want them to have a professional look, so you are going to want a higher quality paint. Depending on the size of the door and the detail, you can expect to pay anywhere from $40 to $150 per side.

Wrapping Up How Much Does Interior Painting Cost

Painting the interior of your home is no easy feat. It takes valuable time, money, and effort to get a great looking outcome. But calculating your costs using the Paint Calculator and drawing up a good plan can help tremendously. Have you ever taken on a large interior home painting project? What advice would you give to others? We would love to hear more in the comment section below!

FAQ

My home life takes up most of my free time, yet I need multiple rooms in my home painted. How much will this cost? Should I reach out to a professional?

The best suggestion would be to use our Paint Calculator to see how much this could cost you. The paint calculator will also tell you the materials you may need to complete your project, even how many hours it could take you.

I want to change the color of my bedroom walls, would this be expensive to do on my own?

Depending on the size of your bedroom, this shouldn’t be expensive to complete. Most bedrooms will cost anywhere from $370 to $670, but if you have the materials already, this could decrease this cost.

Ready to get your free painting quote? Schedule your quote today!