Quick answer: Interior painting costs about $2–$6 per square foot of floor area, or $300–$800 per room; exterior runs $1.50–$4 per square foot of wall. Enter your size below for an estimate.
Estimate what it costs to paint a room or whole house — DIY materials only, or fully professional labor and materials.
Professional painters price by square foot of wall area, not by room or by gallon. Wall area is roughly room perimeter × wall height (minus large openings), and most quotes assume two coats since one coat rarely gives even, opaque coverage — especially over a darker existing color. Going from one coat to two roughly doubles paint usage but doesn't double labor cost, since setup, taping, and cut-in work happens once regardless of coat count.
| Service Level | Cost / Sq Ft | What's Included |
|---|---|---|
| DIY — Materials Only | $0.50 – $1.00 | Paint, primer, tape, rollers, and brushes. You provide all labor and time. |
| Professional — Standard | $2.50 – $4.50 | Standard-grade paint, basic prep (light patching, taping), 2-coat application. |
| Professional — Premium | $4.00 – $6.00 | Premium paint, full surface prep (sanding, caulking, priming stains), 2-coat finish. |
Ceilings, trim, and doors are typically quoted separately and can add 20–40% to a whole-room project total.
A standard 10×12 bedroom (about 280 sq ft of wall area) typically costs $150–$280 in DIY materials, or $700–$1,260 for professional labor and materials at standard quality.
For an average 2,000 sq ft home (roughly 2,400–3,000 sq ft of interior wall area), professional interior painting typically runs $6,000–$13,500 depending on quality level and prep needed.
Measure your room's perimeter (sum of all wall lengths) and multiply by wall height, then subtract roughly 20 sq ft per standard door and 15 sq ft per standard window. Use our Paint & Primer Calculator for the exact gallon count once you know your area.
DIY materials cost roughly 60-80% less than hiring a professional, but professional painters typically finish 3-5x faster and include surface prep, which is the step most DIYers underestimate and rush.
Two coats. DIY covers materials and supplies only; professional figures include labour, prep and materials.
| Wall area | DIY materials | Professional standard | Premium paint & prep |
|---|---|---|---|
| 200 sq ft | $100 – $200 | $500 – $900 | $800 – $1,200 |
| 400 sq ft | $200 – $400 | $1,000 – $1,800 | $1,600 – $2,400 |
| 600 sq ft | $300 – $600 | $1,500 – $2,700 | $2,400 – $3,600 |
| 800 sq ft | $400 – $800 | $2,000 – $3,600 | $3,200 – $4,800 |
| 1,000 sq ft | $500 – $1,000 | $2,500 – $4,500 | $4,000 – $6,000 |
| 1,500 sq ft | $750 – $1,500 | $3,750 – $6,750 | $6,000 – $9,000 |
| 2,000 sq ft | $1,000 – $2,000 | $5,000 – $9,000 | $8,000 – $12,000 |
| 3,000 sq ft | $1,500 – $3,000 | $7,500 – $13,500 | $12,000 – $18,000 |
One coat costs about 65% of two, not half — setup, masking and cleanup do not halve. A 12 x 15 ft room with 9 ft ceilings is roughly 486 sq ft of wall before deductions.
Every constant this calculator uses and where it comes from, so you can check it rather than take our word for it.
Local codes amend the model IRC and adopt different cycles — your building department governs. Manufacturers revise yields; where your product's data sheet disagrees with a default here, use the product's number. See our full methodology.