Painting a house in the United States typically costs $2,000-$8,000 for a professional interior repaint and $3,000-$12,000 for exterior work, with larger or repair-heavy projects costing more. The paint my house cost depends mainly on square footage, surface condition, number of coats, paint quality, labor rates, and whether trim, ceilings, or siding are included.
| Item | Low | Average | High | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interior repaint | $1,200 | $4,500 | $10,000 | Typical lived-in home; walls, with scope varying by trim and ceilings |
| Exterior repaint | $2,000 | $6,500 | $15,000 | One- or two-story home; siding condition and access affect labor |
| Interior painting rate | $2 | $4 | $7 per sq ft | Paintable floor area; prep and trim can raise the rate |
| Exterior painting rate | $1.50 | $3.50 | $6 per sq ft | Approximate exterior wall area, not the home’s floor area |
Assumptions: U.S. contractor pricing, standard paint, ordinary access, and no major carpentry or water-damage repair.
What a typical house repaint costs by project size
For a professional interior repaint, homeowners commonly pay about $2-$7 per square foot of floor area, or roughly $1,200-$10,000 overall. A 1,500-square-foot home often lands near $3,000-$6,000 when walls are in reasonable condition and the job includes standard prep and two finish coats. Prices can exceed $10,000 when ceilings, trim, closets, extensive patching, or premium coatings are added.
Exterior painting is usually quoted against paintable wall area, not the property’s listed square footage. A modest one-story home may cost $2,000-$5,000; a larger two-story house with multiple materials can reach $8,000-$15,000 or more. The painter may measure siding, trim, doors, and other surfaces separately, so quotes for similar-size homes can differ substantially.
For a routine, whole-house repaint, budget about $3,000-$7,000 for interiors or $4,000-$9,000 for exteriors before unusual repairs. Those planning ranges assume mid-grade materials and typical labor rates; actual estimates depend on location, condition, access, and exact scope.
How paint, labor, and prep appear on the quote
A painting estimate may show one combined project price or separate charges for labor, materials, and preparation. The table below gives common U.S. ranges for typical professional work. These components are not always added as separate line items, and a contractor’s overhead and profit may be built into the labor or total price.
| Quote component | Typical price | Pricing basis | What it covers | Cost note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interior labor | $25-$75 per hour | Per painter-hour | Masking, rolling, brushing, cleanup | Often bundled into a room or project rate |
| Interior paint | $25-$80 per gallon | Per gallon | Standard to premium wall paint | Two coats may require 1 gallon per 250-400 sq ft |
| Exterior paint | $35-$100 per gallon | Per gallon | Exterior-grade coating | Coverage changes with surface texture and porosity |
| Prep and repairs | $200-$2,000 | Per project | Scraping, sanding, caulking, patching | Severe peeling or rot can cost more |
| Equipment and access | $100-$1,000 | Per project | Ladders, lifts, or scaffolding | Two-story heights and difficult access raise charges |
| Removal and disposal | $100-$600 | Per project | Protection and cleanup of job waste | May be included in a full-service quote |
Labor estimate example: 40-80 painter-hours at $35-$65 per hour equals $1,400-$5,200 before materials and overhead.
Prep labor is often the swing item: a clean surface may need only light sanding, while failing paint can require hours of scraping and repair. Ask whether the quote includes primer, two finish coats, moving furniture, masking, cleanup, and disposal.
Which wall area, paint grade, and repairs raise the estimate
Paintable area and project scope drive the total more than the home’s bedroom count alone. An open-plan 1,500-square-foot house may have fewer wall surfaces than a smaller home with many rooms, hallways, and closets. High ceilings, intricate trim, built-ins, and many doors increase cutting-in and brushwork, which takes longer than rolling broad, unobstructed walls.
On exteriors, siding material and condition matter. Smooth, sound siding is faster to coat than rough wood or stucco, which can absorb more paint. Peeling paint, mildew, cracked caulk, and exposed wood require additional preparation. Local rules may require lead-safe procedures for paint disturbed in pre-1978 homes; this can add time and cost, especially where substantial scraping or sanding is needed.
Paint grade changes material expense but does not automatically determine the whole quote. Standard interior paint often costs $25-$50 per gallon, while premium or specialty products may run $50-$80 or more. A color change from dark to light, or a porous surface that needs primer, can mean extra coats. Confirm the brand, product line, sheen, and number of coats in writing rather than comparing only the total.
Two thresholds that often change labor are ceilings above 9 feet and exterior homes taller than one story. High ceilings may add roughly 10%-25% to affected interior work; two-story exteriors can add 15%-30% compared with accessible one-story surfaces, depending on ladder or lift needs.
How interior room counts change the painting bill
Room pricing can help estimate a partial repaint, but room size and included surfaces must be specified. A small bedroom with walls only may cost $300-$800; a larger bedroom can run $600-$1,500. A living room with high ceilings or a stairwell may cost $700-$2,000. Kitchens may be more expensive per square foot because of cabinets, fixtures, grease cleaning, and masking, even when the wall area is limited.
Ceilings commonly add $1-$2.50 per square foot of ceiling area, while baseboards and door trim may add $1-$4 per linear foot. Painting doors often costs $75-$200 each, depending on whether they remain installed and require sanding. Cabinet refinishing is a different, more labor-intensive service and may cost $3,000-$8,000 for a typical kitchen, rather than being included in a standard wall-painting quote.
For a whole interior, a painter may price by room, by labor hours, or by total floor area. Each method can be reasonable, but the estimate should list what is included. If one bid includes walls and ceilings while another covers walls only, the apparent difference is not a fair price comparison.
Room totals are most useful when the surface list is identical. Ask the contractor to state the number of rooms, ceiling height, wall condition, coat count, and whether closets, trim, doors, and ceilings are included.
Why labor hours and crew size affect house painting
A small interior job may take one or two painters one to three days; a whole-home repaint often takes a two- or three-person crew about three to seven working days. An exterior repaint may take three to ten days, with weather, drying time, washing, repairs, and access influencing the schedule. These are broad planning ranges, not guarantees: a detailed color scheme or extensive prep can extend the job.
At labor rates of roughly $25-$75 per painter-hour, a two-person crew working eight hours produces 16 labor-hours per day. For example, 64 labor-hours at $45 per hour represent $2,880 in direct labor before paint, equipment, overhead, and profit. Contractor estimates may not disclose the hourly calculation, but the formula helps explain why added prep or extra coats increase the bill.
Minimum charges can make a single-room job relatively expensive per square foot. A painter may charge $300-$700 to mobilize for a small project, even when the actual paintable area is limited. Moving furniture, protecting floors, and cleaning afterward still require setup time. Combining several rooms can spread those fixed tasks across a larger job.
Schedule estimates should include prep and drying, not only the hours spent applying paint. Ask whether the crew will work consecutive days and whether furniture, pets, or household access will affect the work plan.
How regional labor rates shift U.S. painting prices
Labor and operating costs tend to push painting quotes higher in expensive coastal metros and dense urban areas than in many rural markets. For otherwise comparable work, a large Northeast or West Coast city may price 15%-35% above a lower-cost Midwestern or Southern market. A suburban project near a major city may fall between urban and rural rates, while limited contractor availability can narrow or reverse the difference in a specific town.
Exterior work also reflects local weather and building styles. In humid regions, washing and mildew treatment may be more common; in areas with harsh sun, suitable exterior coatings and more frequent repainting can matter. Older housing stock can involve extra trim work or lead-safe preparation. These conditions affect the scope, so a national average should be treated as a starting point rather than a local quote.
Travel, parking, and access can add charges within the same metro area. A contractor may include a $50-$200 trip or parking fee for a difficult site, or quote a larger minimum for work outside the normal service area. These fees should be disclosed before scheduling.
Use local quotes for budgeting and national ranges only to check whether an estimate is broadly plausible. Compare at least three bids from contractors pricing the same surfaces, paint quality, prep, and number of coats.
Three house painting quotes with different scopes
The examples below show how scope changes a realistic total. They assume ordinary access, standard colors, and professional labor, and are illustrative rather than fixed market prices. Paintable area is more useful than floor area when comparing exterior quotes.
| Project | Scope and rate | Labor assumption | Estimated total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small interior refresh | 900 sq ft floor area at $2.50-$4 per sq ft | 30-45 painter-hours | $2,250-$3,600 |
| Mid-size interior repaint | 1,800 sq ft floor area at $3-$5 per sq ft | 55-85 painter-hours | $5,400-$9,000 |
| Two-story exterior | 2,200 sq ft paintable wall area at $2.50-$4.50 per sq ft | 65-100 painter-hours, plus access setup | $5,500-$9,900 |
In the first example, the lower price assumes walls in good condition and limited room complexity; ceilings and trim would be additional. The mid-size interior range allows for standard prep and a fuller room count, but major drywall repairs could push it above $9,000. The exterior example assumes siding and trim are paintable without substantial rot replacement. A lift, extensive scraping, or several coats may add $500-$3,000 or more.
Quote totals are meaningful only when their measured area and included tasks match. Request line items for repair, primer, paint, trim, and equipment when bids differ by more than about 15%.
When exterior washing, scraping, or repairs add fees
Exterior estimates may include pressure washing or low-pressure cleaning at approximately $150-$500, depending on home size and contamination. Scraping and sanding can add $1-$3 per square foot of affected surface, while caulking may cost $1-$3 per linear foot. Small wood repairs can cost $200-$1,000; replacing extensive damaged siding is usually a separate carpentry project and can exceed several thousand dollars.
Interior preparation is typically less costly when limited to nail holes and minor sanding. Larger drywall patches may add $75-$300 each, while widespread wall repair or skim coating can cost $1-$3 per square foot. Water stains, smoke residue, or strong color changes may require stain-blocking primer, commonly adding $20-$60 per gallon plus application labor.
Disposal and protection charges are sometimes included in the project price, but not always. Ask whether the painter supplies floor coverings, removes switch plates, protects landscaping, moves furniture, and hauls away waste. A separate charge is not necessarily unreasonable if it is clear and proportionate to the work.
Get any concealed damage written up as a change order before extra work begins. The change order should specify the repair area, materials, added labor, and revised completion date.
Which choices cut the repaint price without skimping
Limit the scope to surfaces that need attention. If ceilings and trim remain in good condition, painting only the walls can save hundreds or several thousand dollars. Keep the existing color family where practical to avoid extra coats, and choose a durable standard product rather than paying for specialty features that the room does not need.
Handle simple preparation when appropriate, such as clearing small items and moving lightweight furniture, but agree on responsibilities first. Contractors may prefer to remove wall fixtures or handle delicate masking themselves. Avoid DIY sanding or scraping on older paint until lead risks have been assessed; unsafe prep can create health hazards and costly cleanup.
Compare three written estimates with matching paint lines, coat counts, room lists, repair allowances, and cleanup terms. Ask whether a less expensive repair is suitable before replacing sound siding or repainting every surface. Scheduling flexible work during a contractor’s less busy period may improve availability, but weather-sensitive exterior jobs should not be rushed into poor conditions.
The safest savings usually come from controlling scope and avoiding unnecessary upgrades, not from skipping essential surface preparation. A low bid that omits primer, repairs, or a second coat can lead to early peeling or uneven coverage and a more expensive repaint.