How Much Does It Cost To Paint The Interior Of A House In 2023? (2024)

The cost to paint the interior of your home depends on the square footage of the space. A single 300-square-foot room will be much more affordable than an entire house, especially a larger home.

On average, expect to spend between $3 and $7 per square foot when hiring a local painter to paint the interior of your home. You’ll spend less if you paint the house yourself or live in an area with low labor rates. However, other factors can cause the job to cost even more: You may spend up to $8 per square foot or more if you have high ceilings, need wall repair or want accent walls.

The table below demonstrates interior painting costs for typical home sizes:

The cost to paint a house’s interior depends on the type of room and the obstacles that need to be painted around, like appliances and fixtures. As always, the square footage of the room will impact the total cost. The table below breaks down the average cost to paint a room.

Bedroom

Bedroom painting costs largely depend on the square footage, trim and ceiling height of the space. Primary bedrooms will cost more while smaller bedrooms will have a lower overall cost. Budget between $300 and $750 per bedroom.

Living Room

Estimating the cost to paint a living room is similar to your bedroom estimates. Ceiling height, square footage and accent walls will be your biggest determining factors. Homeowners typically spend anywhere from $900 to $2,000 to have their living rooms professionally painted.

Kitchen

Kitchens can vary tremendously in size, but much of the walls are covered by cabinets, appliances and tile backsplashes. Thus, painting a kitchen could cost as little as $300 to $750.

However, if you’re painting the cabinets, you’ll need to budget a little more: Painting kitchen cabinets costs between $200 and $2,500.

Altogether, you’re looking at a kitchen painting cost range of $500 to $3,250.

Dining Room

A dining room is about 225 square feet in the average home. Painting the walls, ceiling and trim would cost between $675 and $1,575.

Bathrooms

Bathrooms are among the most affordable rooms to paint because they’re small, and much of the wall space is taken up by the shower or tub, tiling, vanity, mirror and other fixtures. On average, you’ll spend $150 to $350 for a professional to paint your bathroom. Half baths are even more affordable.

Other Spaces

Hallways and entryways can vary in price, depending on the height of the ceilings and the length of the hall. Expect to spend between $300 and $1,000.

Stairs can be particularly dangerous to paint, so professionals may charge more. Professionals typically charge in linear feet ($15 to $30 per linear foot), since they have to paint features like handrails and baseboards.

The cost to paint interior walls alone is $1 to $2 per square foot (accent walls or rooms with high ceilings may up that rate), but you’ll also need to budget for ceiling and trim costs. Painting doors, cabinets, countertops and floors can also alter the cost.

Walls

On average, you should budget $1 to $2 per square foot for painting walls, including materials and labor. Painters will charge more for accent walls or unique designs. Rates may also be higher per square foot in a room with high ceilings, which requires ladders or scaffolding.

Ceilings

Ceilings are more challenging to paint, but ceiling paint is generally more affordable than wall and trim paint. The higher labor cost and lower paint cost generally cancel each other out, so you can expect to pay the same rate—$1 to $2 per square foot—to have your ceilings painted.

Trim (Baseboards and Cornice)

Trim includes baseboards, cornice and any interior window framing. In general, you’ll spend between $1 and $3 per square foot for trim painting; more intricate trim (especially cornices, which is an ornamental molding at the top of the wall) can lead to higher prices.

Interior painting costs also vary depending on the space you live in, such as apartments and condos.

Apartment

The cost to paint an apartment ranges from $2,700 to $6,300, depending on the unit size. The average apartment size is about 900 square feet, which costs about $4,500 to paint.

However, that assumes you paint the ceiling and trim as well. If you’re looking for a simpler makeover, especially if you’ll only live in the apartment for a couple of years, you can spend between $800 and $2,400 to paint just the walls, depending on the size and layout of the apartment. A studio apartment could cost less, but a three-bedroom apartment could cost more.

Remember, if you rent, you may have to paint the walls back to their original color when moving out. Keep this in mind when planning your renovation budget and always talk to your landlord if applicable.

Condo

Condos can range in size from 500 to 2,000 square feet, but most are between 1,000 and 1,500 square feet, or roughly 1,250 square feet on average. Thus, painting an entire condo costs $3,750 to $8,750. Condos are more likely than apartments to have high ceilings and more decorative trim, so costs could go even higher.

Your condo may be part of a Homeowners’ Association (HOA). While HOAs typically cannot dictate interior wall colors, it’s wise to check your agreement before any renovation projects.

Common Areas

Typically, if you live in an apartment or condo, the property owner is responsible for painting common areas. However, if you have the interest (and approval) to paint the common area and are hiring a painter to do so, calculate the total square footage of the space to get a rough estimate of the interior painting cost.

By Paint Type

Selecting the right paint for your project is crucial for a successful application. Therefore, understanding the types of paints and their differences can help you choose the right one for your walls. Not only do different paint types dry at different rates and have different coverage rates and physical properties, but these factors also can affect your project’s cost.

There are plenty of different kinds of indoor paint at different costs, so it’s important to know what type you need.

• For instance, primers can cost $10 per can, which will help to prepare your walls before painting.
• The cheapest type of paint is flat or matte paint, which can cost as little as $10 per gallon. Flat or matte paint has no shine to it and is not very durable.
• Eggshell and satin paints cost more but are easier to clean. These middle-of-the-road paint types have a higher sheen level and are more durable, but they also cost about $1 to $3 more per gallon on average.
• Semi-gloss and high-gloss paints are the most expensive but also the most durable. You could spend upwards of $80 per gallon or more on high-quality high-gloss paint.

Ceilings and Walls

Paint can give your space an instant facelift but can also become a costly endeavor depending on the unique characteristics of the room. For instance, the cost of painting walls can be relatively straightforward, but if your walls need extra preparation before painting, like removing wallpaper, patching holes or repairing cracks, you can expect it to be an additional charge.For example, removing wallpaper can cost around $3 per square foot.

If you are adding painting your ceiling to the to-do list for your painters, expect the overall bill to increase. However, painting a ceiling can be a large project or a small one based on how much square footage needs to be covered. For instance, painting a ceiling for a 12-by12-foot room can range from $150 to $350, but the larger the room and the higher the ceilings, the higher the paint cost. Also, similar to your walls, if your ceiling requires additional prep work like removing a popcorn ceiling, sanding or patching, you can expect the price for painting to increase.

Cabinets, Doors and Trims

The cost to paint cabinets, doors and trims can vary depending on a few factors, such as the project size, the paint quality and the materials used.

• Cabinets: The estimate to paint your cabinets range from $900 to $3,500 or more, including labor, materials (primer, paint, etc.) and any necessary surface preparation.
• Doors: The estimate to paint your interior doors range from $40 and $100 per door, including labor and materials. This estimate assumes standard-sized doors and a single-color paint job.
• Trims: The estimate to paint your home’s trim ranges from $1 to $3 per linear foot, depending on the complexity of the trim type (baseboards, wainscoting or crown molding) and the number of coats required.

If you want to save money on your interior painting project, you might consider taking on the task yourself. Budget around $200 to $300 for all of the materials, including paint and equipment. Painting your home’s interior can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days, depending on the size of the job and your expertise. If you have never painted a large space before, there will be a bit of a learning curve.

While hiring a professional painting company will cost more than DIY, there are benefits to doing so. Professional painters will ensure the paint is applied perfectly at the edges and corners and that the overall finish is clean and smooth. They will also likely get the job done quicker, reducing the project’s impact on your day-to-day life. On average, expect to pay professional painters between $20 to $50 per hour.

The conditions inside a home vary drastically from house to house, so be sure to consider these factors that may affect the cost of painting your home.

House Size

While it might seem obvious that the larger a home, the more expensive it is to paint, there are other factors related to house size to consider. If you need more than one level of your home painted, additional labor fees will be included in your pricing to account for transporting materials from floor to floor.

Type of Paint

There are dozens of paints available for you to choose from, some cheaper than others. Glossy paints cost a bit more than matte or satin paints. Basic paints made with synthetic coloring will run from $20 to $30 per gallon, while designer, high-end paints made with natural coloring can cost as much as $100 per gallon.

Materials Needed

Besides equipment like ladders and sprayers, most of the supplies needed to paint your home need to be purchased new for each job. The cost of paint brushes, drop cloths, paint pans, rollers, tape and more will be included in the quote. If you think you can get these supplies at a cheaper cost, ask your painter if you can purchase them separately.

Labor

While painting companies don’t usually disclose their actual per-hour rate and instead provide a total project cost, you can expect a painter to cost between $20 and $50 per hour. Painters most often charge by the wall or floor square footage.

Moving Furniture

Moving your furniture out of or to the center of the room yourself is a great way to save money. Otherwise, the painters will move it for you, resulting in additional labor costs.

Wall Repairs

If your walls have seen better days, your painter might recommend wall repairs to fix any dents, scratches, water stains or other damage to ensure a smooth application. While this will up your cost, there is no better time to take care of these repairs of than before a pro applies a fresh coat of paint.

Geographic Location

Where you live can impact labor costs. In general, professional painters charge more per hour or square foot in areas with a higher cost of living, like urban and coastal areas. Suburban and rural areas usually have lower labor rates for painting, but if you live in a remote location that’s a farther drive for painters, expect to pay more, especially for multi-day projects.

The factors above apply to almost every interior painting application. In some cases, you should also think about the following costs and considerations:

Drywall Texture

If your home has textured walls, whether “orange peel,” popcorn or swirled patterns, they will cost more to paint—up to 50% more. A gallon of paint does not go as far on a textured wall as on a smooth wall. For example, if a gallon of paint covers 400 square feet of a smooth wall, it might only cover 250 square feet of a textured wall.

Accent Walls

If you dream of including accent walls in your interior paint job, make sure you also budget for them. An accent wall will cost 20% to 30% more than the rest of your walls due to the extra materials and labor needed.

Ceiling Height

The average ceiling height is 9 feet tall. If you are estimating the cost to paint the interior of your home with cost-per-square-foot pricing, be sure to consider your ceiling height. Walls much higher than nine feet, especially those with vaulted ceilings, will be more costly to paint.

Painting is a great way to add color and style to your home, but it can also be daunting for those who aren’t accustomed to it. So when deciding between DIY and hiring a professional painter, assessing your skills, available time and budget is essential.

DIY painting allows you to have complete control over the project, from selecting the paint colors to working at your own pace. However, it’s important to consider factors such as the project size, the amount of preparation work needed and the time and effort required to achieve professional-looking results. DIY painting may be a suitable option if you have previous painting experience, enjoy DIY projects and have ample time to dedicate to the project.

Painting your home is a big job, and it can be intimidating to tackle on your own. Luckily, professional painters have the expertise, experience and specialized tools to deliver high-quality and consistent results. Professionals can efficiently manage the entire painting process, from preparing the surfaces to applying the final coats of paint. Hiring professionals may involve additional costs compared to doing it yourself, but the convenience and expertise they provide is often well worth it.

Painting your home’s interior can be a huge investment, especially if you decide to hire a professional instead of doing it yourself. However, it is possible to save some money with the right preparation. Learn how to save money while painting a home’s interior:

• Receive multiple quotes for interior painting projects to ensure you are getting the best price.
• Preparing to paint your home can be a big job for your painters, usually costing more money for you. Prepare your rooms by tarping off furniture yourself. You can even assist by taping the trim and outlets.
• Painting is a task that takes time and effort, but one way to reduce the time painters spend on the task is by fixing holes or scratches in the walls before they arrive.

When searching for a painter for a project, it can be tempting to choose the first company you find. But don’t be afraid to do your due diligence by following these steps:

• Online search: If you’re looking for an interior house painter near you, it’s easy to find one with a simple online search. This will give you a list of local companies that offer this service.
• Local directories: Online directories like Yelp and Angi can provide comprehensive listings of professional painters in your area. You can also check out local directories for contact information for local painting companies.
• Referrals and recommendations: Getting a recommendation for an interior house painter from a friend, family member or neighbor can be a great way to find someone reliable and skilled.
• Reviews and ratings: Reading reviews and ratings can help you find a painter who will do a great job for your home. Research different painters, get tips from previous customers and learn more about how they operate.

To arrive at the average costs in this article, editorial team members surveyed a range of providers on national and local levels. All averaged figures were correct at the time of publicationh and may be subject to change.