That's our range to have the interior of a house professionally painted, per square foot of floor area, with a typical price of about $4.25. For a 2,000 sq ft home that's about $6,000 – $10,500, typically $8,500. One 12×12 ft bedroom, with walls, ceiling and trim, typically runs about $950.
Estimate Our range, based on sources [1][2]. Planning numbers, not quotes. Walls-only jobs sit at the low end; ceilings, trim and doors push toward the high end.
Interior painting cost by home size
Painters quote whole houses by the job, but per square foot of floor is the easiest way to compare. Our range pools both walls-only and full-scope figures, so place your job by what's included: walls only toward the low end, walls plus ceilings, trim and doors toward the high end.
| Home size | Our range Estimate | Typical Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 sq ft home | $3,000 – $5,300 | $4,300 |
| 1,500 sq ft home | $4,500 – $7,900 | $6,400 |
| 2,000 sq ft home | $6,000 – $10,500 | $8,500 |
| 2,500 sq ft home | $7,500 – $13,100 | $10,600 |
| 3,000 sq ft home | $9,000 – $15,800 | $12,800 |
Estimate Our range, based on sources [1][2]. For each tier we pooled the low, midpoint and high figure each source publishes for a comparable scope (a single benchmark figure counts once), then used the median as Typical and the middle half of the pooled figures as Low–High. We pooled HomeGuide's $3–$7 per sq ft of floor, Angi's $2–$6 range by home size, and Angi's two single figures, $2.75 for walls only and $4.70 with walls, trim and ceilings. See How we build our ranges.
By room Estimate
For single rooms we price each surface: walls at our blended $1.50 per sq ft, ceilings at $1.75 per sq ft and trim at $2.25 per linear foot, all typical, with 8 ft ceilings.[1][2] Room geometry is ours: net wall area subtracts 21 sq ft per door and 15 per window, and trim counts baseboard plus door and window casings.
| Room | Walls, ceiling and trim Estimate | Typical Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Bathroom, 5×8 ft 187 sq ft wall, 40 sq ft ceiling, 43 ft trim | $310 – $560 | $450 |
| Bedroom, 10×12 ft 316 sq ft wall, 120 sq ft ceiling, 75 ft trim | $600 – $1,060 | $850 |
| Bedroom, 12×12 ft 348 sq ft wall, 144 sq ft ceiling, 79 ft trim | $660 – $1,180 | $950 |
| Primary bedroom, 14×16 ft 408 sq ft wall, 224 sq ft ceiling, 122 ft trim | $880 – $1,580 | $1,280 |
| Living room, 16×20 ft 489 sq ft wall, 320 sq ft ceiling, 148 ft trim | $1,120 – $2,000 | $1,630 |
Walls only costs less: for the 12×12 ft bedroom, about $520 typical. Many painters also have a minimum charge; HomeGuide puts it at $250–$500.[1] Sourced
What the sources say Sourced
HomeGuide puts whole-house interior painting at $3,500 – $10,000 and a 2,000 sq ft house at $6,000 – $8,000, with prices toward the high end when ceilings, trim, doors and baseboards are included.[1] Angi's average interior painting job is $2,022, with most between $965 – $3,089, a figure that includes many single rooms.[2] HomeGuide puts a 12×12 ft room at $400 – $950.[1]
Line-item breakdown: one 12×12 ft bedroom Estimate
Painting is mostly labor: HomeGuide puts labor at 70% to 85% of the price and Angi at 75% to 95%.[1][2] Sourced Here's how we'd price one bedroom, walls, ceiling and trim, two coats, with light prep.
| Line item | How we priced it | Amount Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Prep: move furniture, cover floors, patch nail holes, caulk, tape Labor | 2.5 hrs × $23.75/hr median wage for painters[4] × 1.7 labor burden | $100 |
| Walls, two coats, 348 sq ft Labor | 5 hrs × $23.75/hr median wage for painters[4] × 1.7 labor burden | $200 |
| Ceiling, two coats, 144 sq ft Labor | 2 hrs × $23.75/hr median wage for painters[4] × 1.7 labor burden | $80 |
| Baseboard, door and window trim, 79 ft Labor | 3 hrs × $23.75/hr median wage for painters[4] × 1.7 labor burden | $120 |
| Paint and primer, 5 gallons Materials | Walls, ceiling, trim and spot primer at $32.5/gal, the midpoint of HomeGuide's $15–$50 per gallon[1] | $160 |
| Tape, plastic, caulk, patch and roller covers Materials | Our allowance | $60 |
| Overhead & profit Our assumption | 20% on the labor and materials lines above. Installed prices, supplier prices and fees already include the seller's margin, so we don't mark them up again. | $150 |
| Line-item total | Before contingency and regional adjustment | $900 |
Estimate Our line-item build comes to $900, about 8% below our blended typical of $950 for the same room at our per-surface rates. The hours assume an empty-ish room and light patching. Dark-to-light color changes, heavy patching, high ceilings and lots of trim add time; a painter doing several rooms at once usually charges less per room. Method: How we build our ranges.
Remodel Budget Starter
A free one-page budget sheet with a contingency row. List each room, what's included (walls, ceilings, trim, doors) and the quote, so every painter bids the same scope.
Get it freeWhat drives the cost up or down
Wall condition and prep
Angi lists extra prep at $0.50–$0.75 per sq ft and puts the average drywall repair at about $600.[2] Sourced Cracks, water stains and patched holes all need priming before the finish coat.
Ceiling height and access
Stairwells, vaulted ceilings and two-story foyers need ladders or scaffolding. Angi lists hard-to-reach areas at about $6 per sq ft.[2] Sourced
Older homes
In homes built before 1978, painters who disturb old paint must follow the EPA's lead-safe work rules,[5] which adds setup and cleanup time. See our local cost pages for each metro's housing age.
Regional cost differences
Because painting is mostly labor, local wages move the price more than for most projects. Our interior cost index is applied here to our typical 2,000 sq ft whole-house job.
| Region (Census division) | Our cost index Estimate | Typical 2,000 sq ft home Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| New England CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT | 1.04 4% above U.S. | $8,800 |
| Middle Atlantic NJ, NY, PA | 1.13 13% above U.S. | $9,600 |
| South Atlantic DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV | 0.98 2% below U.S. | $8,300 |
| U.S. average | 1.00 | $8,500 |
| East North Central IL, IN, MI, OH, WI | 0.96 4% below U.S. | $8,200 |
| East South Central AL, KY, MS, TN | 0.90 10% below U.S. | $7,700 |
| West North Central IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD | 1.02 2% above U.S. | $8,700 |
| West South Central AR, LA, OK, TX | 0.89 11% below U.S. | $7,600 |
| Mountain AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY | 0.96 4% below U.S. | $8,200 |
| Pacific AK, CA, HI, OR, WA | 1.07 7% above U.S. | $9,100 |
Estimate Derived, not published. Our interior index divides each division's 2025 Cost vs. Value average for four interior projects (three bathroom remodels and a basement remodel) by the national average and averages the four ratios.[3] The typical column multiplies our national typical by the index. See How we build our ranges.
Want more local detail? On our local cost pages, the same 2,000 sq ft repaint runs from about $7,500 in Oklahoma City, OK to about $9,900 in New York, NY, typical.
Costs in your city
Our local cost pages adjust these national ranges for 25 metro areas using local construction wages, and add each area's housing age, climate zone and permit office: Atlanta, Birmingham, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Hartford, Houston, Kansas City, Louisville, Minneapolis, Nashville, New York, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Tampa, Washington. See all local costs →
Interior painting cost FAQ
How much does it cost to paint a room?
By our per-surface rates, a 12×12 ft bedroom with walls, ceiling and trim runs about $660 – $1,180, typically $950; walls only about $520.[1][2] HomeGuide puts a 12×12 ft room at $400 – $950.[1]
How much does it cost to paint a 2,000 sq ft house interior?
Our range is about $6,000 – $10,500, typically $8,500.[1][2] HomeGuide puts a 2,000 sq ft house at $6,000 – $8,000.[1]
How much paint do I need?
HomeGuide says a gallon covers up to 400 sq ft and recommends two coats.[1] Angi uses 300–400 sq ft per gallon.[2] For walls, multiply the room's perimeter by the ceiling height, subtract doors and windows, double it for two coats and divide by 350.
Is it cheaper to paint walls myself?
The labor is most of the price: 70% to 85% by HomeGuide's estimate and 75% to 95% by Angi's.[1][2] HomeGuide puts the DIY cost of a room at $100 to $300 in paint and supplies.[1] The trade-off is time, ladders and cutting in clean lines.
Do painters charge by the hour or by the room?
Both. HomeGuide lists $20–$50 an hour for small jobs and $1–$3 per sq ft of painted surface for rooms.[1] Whole houses are usually quoted as one price, so compare quotes against the same list of rooms and surfaces.
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Related cost guides
Sources
- HomeGuide, “How much does it cost to paint the interior of a house?” (updated Aug 28, 2023). homeguide.com/costs/cost-to-paint-interior-of-house (accessed Oct 8, 2026).
- Angi, interior house painting cost guide (updated Jul 9, 2026). angi.com/articles/how-much-does-it-cost-paint-interior-house.htm (accessed Oct 8, 2026).
- Zonda / Journal of Light Construction, 2025 Cost vs. Value Report: national averages and regional pages (New England, Middle Atlantic, South Atlantic, East North Central, East South Central, West North Central, West South Central, Mountain, Pacific) (accessed Oct 8, 2026). © 2025 Zonda Media. We quote a few national figures and use the regional figures only to derive our own cost index. States per division from the U.S. Census Bureau, Census Regions and Divisions.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 national median hourly wages by occupation, retrieved through the BLS Public Data API. bls.gov/oes (accessed Oct 8, 2026).
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program. epa.gov/lead/renovation-repair-and-painting-program (accessed Oct 8, 2026).
Quoted figures are labeled Sourced. Everything labeled Estimate is our own arithmetic on these sources, explained in How we build our ranges. Planning numbers only, not quotes. Get itemized local bids before you commit.