How Much Does It Cost to Paint a House?
Paint is one of the best returns on investment for your home... but the labor is what gets you. A full exterior paint job runs $2,000 to $6,000 for most homes, while interior work is $1,500 to $4,000 depending on how many rooms. The prep work is where quality painters earn their money.
Average Cost
$2,000–$6,000
exterior job
What Affects the Price
Square footage
Painters price by square foot or by the room. Exterior painting runs $1.50-$4.00 per square foot. Interior walls are $2-$6 per square foot including prep, primer, and 2 coats.
Prep work required
Scraping peeling paint, sanding, caulking gaps, priming bare wood, and repairing damaged siding all add time and cost. A house in good condition is way cheaper to paint than one that's been neglected.
Number of stories
Second and third story work requires taller ladders or scaffolding and takes longer. Expect a 20-40% premium for 2-story homes and more for 3-story.
Paint quality
Contractor-grade paint runs $25-$35/gallon. Premium paint (Benjamin Moore, Sherwin-Williams Duration) is $50-$80/gallon. Better paint covers in fewer coats and lasts longer, so the labor savings partially offset the higher material cost.
Number of colors
Each additional color means cleaning equipment, taping, and careful cutting in. A 3-color exterior (body, trim, accent) costs 15-25% more than a single color job.
Common Jobs & Costs
When to Hire a Pro
Hire a pro for exterior work (ladders and heights), lead paint situations (pre-1978 homes require special handling), kitchen cabinets (spray finishing looks dramatically better than brush work), and any time you need the job done fast and right. A pro crew can paint a whole house interior in 2-3 days... it would take you 2-3 weekends.
When to DIY Instead
Interior painting is the most doable DIY home improvement project there is. A single room with good prep, quality paint, and a little patience will look professional. Invest in good brushes, a quality roller frame, and painter's tape. The ceiling is the hardest part... if you're not up for that, paint the walls yourself and pay a pro just for the ceiling and trim.
How to Save Money
- ✓Do the prep work yourself (moving furniture, removing outlet covers, taping, cleaning walls) and have the painter just do the painting.
- ✓Buy the paint yourself. Painters mark up materials 20-50%. Buying directly from the paint store saves that markup.
- ✓Schedule in the off-season. Late fall and winter are slow months for exterior painters and many offer 10-20% discounts.
- ✓Paint fewer colors. A single body color with white trim is the cheapest exterior option and looks clean.
- ✓Get 3 quotes and ask each painter to break out labor vs. materials so you can compare apples to apples.
Red Flags to Watch For
- ⚠They skip prep work or rush through it. Prep is 60-70% of a quality paint job. If they're not scraping, sanding, and priming... the paint won't last.
- ⚠Only planning 1 coat. Almost every reputable paint job requires 2 coats (primer + paint or 2 coats of paint). 1 coat is cutting corners.
- ⚠Vague estimates with no scope of work written down. The estimate should specify number of coats, paint brand and product, what prep is included, and a timeline.
- ⚠They can't provide references or photos of recent work. Painting quality is visual... you should be able to see their work.
- ⚠Dramatically lower price than other quotes. They're either using cheap paint, skipping prep, or planning to subcontract to uninsured labor.
Related Replacement Guides
Costs vary by location, complexity, and market conditions. Get at least 3 quotes before hiring.