Home Painting Cost Estimator

Home Painting Cost depends on whether you are painting interior or exterior, the total area, paint quality, and whether you hire professionals or DIY.

Two different “per square foot” numbers, and mixing them up is the classic estimating error. A painter’s quote of “$3 a square foot” almost always means per square foot of floor area, the size of the house. This calculator works in paintable area, the actual wall and ceiling surface you are covering. A 1,500 sq ft house has somewhere around 4,000 to 5,000 sq ft of interior wall surface, so the two numbers differ by roughly a factor of three. Feed a floor-area rate into a wall-area field and the estimate comes out three times too high.

Rules of thumb for each:

• Per sq ft of paintable wall area: roughly $1-3 labor for interior work
• Per sq ft of floor area (how contractors quote): roughly $2-6 interior
• If you have a quote in the second form, divide the total by your wall area to get the first

Interior painting costs:

DIY costs:

• Paint: $25-50 per gallon (covers 350-400 sq ft per coat)
• Primer: $15-30 per gallon (if needed)
• Supplies (tape, rollers, brushes, drop cloths): $50-100 per room
• Paint alone usually lands around $0.15-0.35 per sq ft of wall area; add supplies and it is closer to $0.30-0.60

Professional costs:

• Paint included: some painters include paint, others charge separately
• Typical room (12×12, 8ft ceiling): $300-800 professional, $80-150 DIY
• Whole house interior (1,500 sq ft of floor): $3,000-8,000 professional, $500-1,500 DIY

Exterior painting costs:

DIY costs:

• Exterior paint: $30-70 per gallon (covers 250-400 sq ft per coat)
• Primer, caulk, supplies: $100-300
• Paint alone runs higher than interior, roughly $0.25-0.55 per sq ft of surface

Professional costs:

• Labor plus materials: commonly $1.50-4 per sq ft of exterior wall surface
• Typical 1,500 sq ft home exterior: $3,000-8,000 all in
• Two-story homes cost 20-50% more due to ladder and scaffolding needs

Factors that increase cost:

• High ceilings (above 9 feet) add 20-30%
• Extensive trim and detail work adds 15-25%
• Dark-to-light color changes may need extra coats
• Lead paint abatement (pre-1978 homes) adds significant cost
• Wallpaper removal before painting adds $1-3 per square foot

Paint quality tiers:

• Economy ($20-30/gallon): fewer solids, less coverage, shorter lifespan
• Mid-range ($30-50/gallon): good coverage, 5-7 year lifespan
• Premium ($50-80/gallon): excellent coverage, 10-15 year lifespan, better washability

These price ranges are rough national figures that shift with brand, region, and year. Enter your own paint price (and a labor rate if hiring out) in the calculator for a number that matches your quotes.

Number of coats: Most jobs need 2 coats of paint. Add a primer coat if painting over dark colors, new drywall, or stained surfaces.

Coverage formula: Gallons = (Wall Area × Number of Coats) / Coverage per Gallon