How Much Does It Cost To Paint a House (Inside & Outside)

The first thing to know about painting costs is that there’s no standard amount. Just as every paint job uses different colors and paint brands, they also have different price tags tacked on. That's because many different things can affect the cost of painting a home, like:

Each of these factors plays a role in the cost, and the other thing to keep in mind is that every professional painter charges differently. While one painter might charge $2000 for a particular job, another might only charge $1600 for the same job.

When it comes down to how much to paint a house, there are many different things you’ll have to pay for, like brushes, paint rollers, painter’s tape, drop cloths, and don’t forget about the paint itself. Even though there is a long list of things you’ll need for the job, there are actually just two categories for all the expenses: 

The paint itself is probably the second biggest cost behind the cost of labor. Depending on the brand and type of paint, each can could cost anywhere from $20 to $70 per gallon (the number of gallons needed depends on the square footage). At the higher-end price, you’ll typically get a higher-grade paint that has unique properties like mold-resistance.

Aside from the actual paint, there are some other materials you’ll need, including:

If you choose to hire a professional, all this will usually be included within the quote given to you by the painter. To get a better idea of what everything is costing you, you’ll be given a breakdown of all the expenses before you agree to the price.

The biggest cost for painting a house is definitely for the labor involved. This is probably the #1 reason why many homeowners choose to paint themselves instead of hiring the job out to a professional. However, not everyone has the time, patience, resources, or steady hands needed to get the job done.

Rather than charge an hourly rate, most painters charge based on square footage (more on that later). So the larger the area you plan to paint, the higher the labor cost will be to paint the house. That’s no surprise since the larger the house, the more time it will take to paint.

One important thing to note is that a good portion of a painter’s time is spent preparing the surface and not actually painting. It takes time to clean walls, scrape off old flaking paint, and smooth out imperfections, so one of the best ways to save some cash is to do some of the preparation beforehand. That way, the painter can spend more time painting and less time cleaning, patching, sanding, and caulking.

Before hiring someone to paint your house, it's important that you take an estimate of how much you expect it to be beforehand. That way, you'll know that you're getting an honest quote for the job.

There are 5 steps involved for getting a reasonable estimation of your upcoming painting job:

When you take home measurements, be sure to subtract any areas that won't be painted, like doors and windows. A general rule of thumb is to subtract 20 square feet for the door and 30 for the window, but this can vary.

For the amount of paint needed, most 1-gallon paint cans can cover an area of 250 square feet. Just be sure to factor in the cost of adding a second coat. Lastly, be sure to get quotes from several professionals to compare prices before hiring someone.

According to HomeAdvisor, “the average cost to paint a house interior ranges from $2 to $6 per square foot with an average of $3.30 per square foot. Painting trim, baseboards, and ceilings will fall on the higher end of the cost range. Prepping the space by repairing drywall or plaster walls will increase project costs.”

As of 2021, the national average interior painting cost for a 2,300 square foot home is between $1,900 and $7,800. The difference in those price ranges depends on the painter’s rate, the region, the quality of paint being used, and the amount of preparation needed to get the walls fresh paint-ready.

To give you a better idea of how much does it cost to have your house painted, here’s a quick breakdown of expected price ranges based on a home’s square footage:

These costs represent interior paint jobs, so now let’s move on to how much to paint the exterior of a house. For calculating the cost to paint a home exterior, HomeAdvisor says that “painting an average home between 1,500 and 2,500 square feet can cost between $1,000 and $6,000.”.

This is based on the average square footage cost for exterior painting, which is between $0.50 and $3.50 per square foot.

Another common way to figure out how much is it to paint a house is to calculate costs by the number of rooms. This makes more sense if you’re not painting the entire house and just plan to paint the master bedroom, guest bathroom, etc.

Just like before, the cost to paint a room comes down to the area’s square footage. For an average 10x12 ft room (120 square feet), you could pay a professional anywhere between $200 and $800. If you chose to do it DIY instead, the cost of material would fall anywhere between $100 and $300.

To get a better estimate on how much it will cost to paint a room, follow these steps:

According to Nelson Greer Painting Contractors, here’s the formula for calculating square footage:

“Painters calculate the square footage by multiplying the length of each room in your home by their corresponding width to determine the total amount of square footage in a particular space. You can use this same formula to calculate the square footage inside of your home to ensure that you’re receiving accurate pricing.”

For the interior of the house, it depends on the amount of traffic in that room/area. In higher-traffic areas, painting should be done every 3 to 4 years, but low-traffic rooms of the home can be painted every 5 to 7 years.

For the exterior, it depends on factors like climate, weather, and the quality of the previous paint job. Depending on those things, you can plan to paint your home’s exterior every 5 to 10 years.

Many sources say that sprayers use about 33% more paint than rollers do. However, don’t let that one drawback stop you from using a paint sprayer; these tools are great for getting an even coat and maximum coverage.

For painting a house, the cost can be all over the board. That’s why it’s really important to do some estimates beforehand so that you know you’re getting a fair price.

Whether you’re wondering how much to paint a house interior or how much does it cost to paint a house exterior, the best way to get an accurate estimate is to shop around.

By that, we mean to get a few different quotes from a few reputable painters in your area before landing on the one you trust.