House Painting Cost (2026): Interior & Exterior
Interior and exterior painting are priced differently. Pick which one you are doing, then set the area.
Estimate calculator
Interior area means paintable wall area, not floor area — a 1,500 sq ft home usually has 3,000–4,500 sq ft of wall surface. Base rates assume two coats; the adjustment for other coat counts is our own assumption, not a sourced figure.
Interior vs exterior pricing
Interior painting runs about $3.00 to $6.50 per square foot of wall surface for two coats, walls only. Exterior siding is often cheaper per square foot — $2.50 to $5.50 — because there is less cutting around furniture and floors, but it can swing much higher once you add scraping, priming and repairs.
The single biggest surprise for homeowners is that interior area is not floor area. A 1,500 sq ft house typically has 3,000 to 4,500 sq ft of paintable wall and ceiling surface. Quoting off floor area understates the job by half or more.
What prep work adds
Painting is mostly preparation. Patching nail holes, caulking gaps, sanding, masking trim and covering floors can be a third of the labor. Old oil-based paint, chalking siding, or peeling exterior paint adds days.
Lead paint is its own category. Pre-1978 homes require certified contractors and containment, which can double the cost of trim and exterior work.
Gallons, not guesses
One gallon covers roughly 350–400 square feet per coat on smooth surfaces, less on textured or unpainted surfaces. Buy paint by the calculated gallon count and keep one spare for touch-ups — color matching later is never exact.
How to compare bids
Ask for a line-item breakdown: surface prep, primer, number of coats, paint brand and sheen, trim included or not, and whether furniture moving and cleanup are in the price. Two coats of a mid-grade paint applied properly beats three coats of a cheap one.
By material or finish level
Per-sq ft installed rates, and what they come to for a 2,000 sq ft job.
| Option | Per sq ft | At 2,000 sq ft | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interior walls, two coats | $3.00 – $6.50 | $6,300 | $13,300 |
| Exterior siding, two coats | $2.50 – $5.50 | $5,300 | $11,300 |
| Interior walls plus trim and doors | $4.00 – $8.00 | $8,300 | $16,300 |
By size
Fixed costs are included in every figure, so the per-sq ft price falls as the job grows. Each row links to its own page.
| Size | Low | High | Per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| 600 sq ft | $2,100 | $4,200 | $4 – $7 |
| 1,000 sq ft | $3,300 | $6,800 | $3 – $7 |
| 1,500 sq ft | $4,800 | $10,050 | $3 – $7 |
| 2,000 sq ft | $6,300 | $13,300 | $3 – $7 |
| 2,500 sq ft | $7,800 | $16,550 | $3 – $7 |
| 3,000 sq ft | $9,300 | $19,800 | $3 – $7 |
| 4,000 sq ft | $12,300 | $26,300 | $3 – $7 |
The same numbers as a curve. The line falls because the fixed cost is spread thinner, not because the work gets cheaper.
Where the money goes
| Component | Low | High | Share of variable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed costs (permit, delivery, setup) | $300 | $300 | — |
| Materials | $2,100 | $4,550 | 35% |
| Labor | $3,900 | $8,450 | 65% |
| Total | $6,300 | $13,300 |
Frequently asked
How much does it cost to paint a 1,500 sq ft house interior?
Walls and ceilings only, two coats, typically $9,000 to $19,500 depending on prep and local rates. Adding trim, doors and ceilings with height or texture pushes the top of that range.
Is it cheaper to paint the exterior myself?
Materials for a typical exterior run $800–$1,500. The trade-off is 40–80 hours of work, ladder safety, and that most two-story exteriors need equipment you do not own.
How often should a house exterior be repainted?
Every 5–10 years for wood siding, 10–15 for fibre cement, longer for vinyl. Peeling, chalking and fading are the triggers, not a fixed schedule.