What Does It Cost to Paint 1,500 sq ft?
The figure below includes the parts of the job that do not shrink when the job does — the permit, the delivery, the crew's morning. That is why a smaller job costs more per sq ft than a bigger one.
Adjust for your state
Fixed costs of $300 are included in every figure on this page, so the per-square-foot price falls as the job gets bigger.
What the number is made of
Every figure on this page follows the same arithmetic: a fixed portion for permits, delivery and getting a crew to your address, plus a per-sq ft rate for material and labor. The fixed part is why the per-sq ft price on this page is not the same as on a larger job.
| Component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed costs (permits, delivery, setup) | $300 | $300 |
| Materials | $1,680 | $3,518 |
| Labor | $3,120 | $6,532 |
| Total | $4,800 | $10,050 |
The same size, five different states
Material prices do not change at the state line. Labor does. These five states sit at different points of the federal wage distribution for this trade.
| State | Labor factor | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | ×0.79 | $4,129 | $8,646 |
| Arizona | ×0.85 | $4,335 | $9,077 |
| West Virginia | ×0.92 | $4,550 | $9,527 |
| New Hampshire | ×1.08 | $5,037 | $10,546 |
| Illinois | ×1.40 | $6,051 | $12,670 |
Only the labor line moves between states. That is a deliberate limitation, not an oversight: state-level material pricing is not something we have reliable data for, so we do not pretend to.
By material
| Material | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Interior walls, two coats | $4,800 | $10,050 |
| Exterior siding, two coats | $4,050 | $8,550 |
| Interior walls plus trim and doors | $6,300 | $12,300 |
Other sizes
| Size | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| 600 sq ft | $2,100 | $4,200 |
| 1,000 sq ft | $3,300 | $6,800 |
| 1,500 sq ft ← | $4,800 | $10,050 |
| 2,000 sq ft | $6,300 | $13,300 |
| 2,500 sq ft | $7,800 | $16,550 |
| 3,000 sq ft | $9,300 | $19,800 |
| 4,000 sq ft | $12,300 | $26,300 |
How much of the price is labor?
About 65%. Painting is the most labor-heavy trade on this site, which is why the state adjustment moves the number so much.
Does two coats really matter?
Yes, and it is the cheapest quality decision available. The second coat adds roughly a third to material and far less to labor.
What does prep add?
Filling, sanding and masking are usually 30% to 50% of the job on older walls. Skipping prep is why cheap quotes fail.