How Much Does It Cost To Paint Rooms?

Interior painting average costs

The typical cost for residential interior painting ranges between $950 and $2,700. Interior painting cost will increase if drywall or plaster walls needs to be repaired prior to painting. Find out how much your painting project might average based on your location with our painting cost calculator. This painting cost estimate often includes:

• Costs for material and equipment delivery to and from your home
• Costs to take extra measures to protect existing structures, materials, and finishes to prevent damage to your home
• Labor setup and cleanup time required to complete the entire project

Labor costs to paint a room

In addition to the paint cost for materials, it’s important to factor in the cost of labor when you’re budgeting for your painting project. The national average for interior painting is $1 to $3 per square foot for labor. The cost to paint a 20x20-foot room ranges anywhere from $800 and $2,400, including materials and labor. For a one-room painting project, you can expect to pay between $175 and $675 for materials and labor, but if your project is smaller, your painter may charge you by the hour. For hourly rates, expect anywhere from $20 to $55 per hour. 

The price ranges above are explained by a few main factors:

• Type of paint: High-end paint will increase your overall cost.
• Paint finish: Different paint finishes require a more careful application or more coats to achieve that perfectly smooth finish.
• Ceiling height: Painters quote, in part, based on the square footage of your walls. Higher ceilings will add more surface area to paint. 
• Actual coverage area: A 12x12-foot room with six windows will require more painting than the same size room with one window. 

How much is it to paint a room by size?

When planning your painting project, square footage is the most important factor. When you ask painters, “How much does it cost to paint a 12x12 room?” they’ll also want to know the ceiling height and the number and size of any windows in the room. These factors impact the actual space to be painted. One gallon of paint will normally cover about 400 square feet, so if you’re planning on painting as a DIY project, this should give you a good idea of how much paint you’ll need.

Cost to paint a room by location

Professional interior painters will often get questions like “How much does it cost to paint a room?” To a homeowner, this sounds like a reasonable query, but a pro has to consider a lot of different factors before giving an estimate. Here are some of the main considerations:

Bedroom

Bedrooms are simple rooms to paint. The average cost to paint a secondary bedroom is between $375 and $875, with a master bedroom averaging $675 to $1,425. The price range accounts for the room's size and the painting of any trim, ceilings, or baseboards.

Bathroom

Bathrooms are complex to paint, requiring painters to take extra time for prep work and cutting around tiles, showers, bathtubs, and cabinetry. On average, a standard-size bathroom will cost you between $175 to $425, while you can expect a more spacious master bathroom to cost $275 to $675.

Kitchen

When researching the cost to paint a room, you might notice that kitchens tend to be on the lower end of the spectrum. This is for a few reasons: while kitchens are often some of the larger rooms in our homes, they also have many areas that don’t need to be painted, like cabinets, appliances, and backsplashes. The average cost to paint a kitchen is $175 to $275. 

Living room

Living rooms can be on the higher end for interior painting costs. Living rooms are often one of the largest rooms in a home and sometimes have higher ceilings. These two factors bring the average cost of painting a living room to $650 to $2,000. If you want to add an attached hallway or dining area, plan for an additional $175 to $275.

Whole house

The paint cost for a home's interior can range from $1,000 to over $10,000. Below is an example of the average cost to paint the interior of a home based on square footage:

Painting texture walls

Due to the added surface area, textured walls may increase the average cost to paint a room by up to 50%. While a gallon of paint generally covers 400 square feet of surface area, you may only get around 225 - 250 square feet of surface area on a textured wall.

How much does paint cost?

Choosing the right type of paint finish will dramatically determine how your room looks once it's painted. Here's a breakdown of the average cost of paint per gallon, based on paint type:

DIY vs. hire a pro

Factor in the value of your time when researching how much to paint a room. Painting can be a great DIY project, but there’s no doubt it’s time-consuming. Some people find painting soothing and satisfying; others shiver with dread over the thought of it. Painting a room yourself will definitely cost less, but paying a pro might be a better overall value to you if you loathe the task of painting. You can always start on your own, and if you find you just don’t have the time or painting isn’t your thing, a pro will be happy to take over for you.