Q & A

Answers to commonly asked questions from the experts on Thumbtack.

How much do painters cost?

The national average cost for an interior painter ranges between $450 and $900. Interior painters can tackle everything from complete color makeovers in each of your rooms to touching up an accent wall to painting pieces of furniture. The square footage and complexity of the project, along with the materials needed, are the main factors that will affect cost. Other factors include whether you supply the paint yourself or want the painter to do so, whether you move the furniture and do the prep work or ask them to do it, and whether any repair work is needed on the walls. Painting the ceiling and the trim will also have an effect on cost. The type of paint you choose can also raise or lower your house painting cost. A gallon of paint may range from $20 to over $100, depending on quality and brand. Ask your painter if they charge per hour or per square foot, and how much you can save by doing prep work (moving furniture, etc.) yourself.

How much does it cost to paint the interior of a house?

Interior house painting costs are calculated on a few key factors. Nationally, interior house painting projects range from $200 to $2,500. The wide price range indicates how much square footage, paint selection and labor can affect cost. One pro uses a laser to measure each room, subtracting the size of the doors and windows, and then bases the quote on the square footage of the actual surfaces to be painted. Painters may provide you with savings if you opt to paint your entire home rather than just having one room or an accent wall painted. For example, the average house painting cost for an 8x12 room with 8-foot ceilings is roughly $200, when contractor-grade paint is used. Painting ceilings, baseboards and frames can also affect cost. Pros may charge per linear foot to smooth and paint baseboards. In one area pros might charge 50 cents per linear foot to paint baseboards, while pros in another part of the country could charge $1.50 per linear foot for the same task. Painters may charge flat rates for painting door and window frames, with one charging $20-$25 and another $60 per door. Geography and regional costs to do business play a major role in the cost of interior painting. The same painter in a rural region has less to pay in taxes, transportation, insurance and overhead than they would in a major city like New York.

How much does a painter charge per room?

The cost to paint a room will vary based on the size of the room, the type of paint you select, any ceiling or trim work needed, and any repairs needed. If no repairs or other additional work is needed, painting a room with contractor-grade paint could range from $1 to $2 per square foot, including materials. Selecting a luxury paint (some cost more than $100 per gallon) will certainly increase your house painting costs. Here are some additional examples of average house painting costs, per room:

12x12 room with a 9-foot ceiling: about $125
12x12 room with an 8-foot ceiling: about $100
14x16 master bedroom with a 9-foot ceiling: about $150
14x16 master bedroom with an 8-foot ceiling: about $125
16x16 living room with a 9-foot ceiling: about $175
16x16 living room with a 20-foot ceiling: starting at $225

Christine W.

Verified review

I was very pleased with the work Stephen and his team had done for my house. There were some broken roof tiles, and water was leaking in the garage. Stephen explained replacing the tiles would not prevent from water leaking again, because he found there were thick layers of debris from the pine tree. Without cleaning the valleys, the water will not run down the roof. Also, some windows needed to be sealed correctly. Bottom line, I feel he was really looking out for me to make sure the repair was not temporary. His price was very reasonable. He ended up doing a lot more work such as trimming the tree, pressured washing the roof, painting one corner of the wall near the window. Plus, he did not charge me more than he originally quoted. The other quotes I obtained from other contractors for just replacing the broken tiles were not much less. I highly recommend Mr. Fixit. I will hire him again for future repair/maintenance in a heartbeat.

Scotty F.

I recieved a free estimate from Michael for some interior painting and he was able to complete the job on the same day. He showed up on time, was extremely professional and is a Master of his craft. I would recommend Michael to others that are looking for a reliable, professional painter. I will be hiring him again in the near future.

Melanie A.

Brian painted the interior of my home and did a fantastic job! I needed 3 rooms and 2 bathrooms painted, all with varying colors. He was an extremely clean and fast painter. I highly recommend him.

Lauren W.

I had Robert with Elite Installers replace 7 of the interior doors in my home (including the custom fitting and prep of the doors, hardware, and start to finish installation). He did a fantastic job! He was very easy to work with, and has great attention to detail. It was a challenging job since I have an older house and some of the door frames were quite uneven. I highly recommend hiring him, we are very happy!

Vickie H.

David was great he came to give quote for painting job. Ended up changing vanities for three baths and refinishing linen closets. Both turned out great i would hire him again for other projects. ☺Thanks again David!

Melinda D.

Randy Green, sales/project management of Five Star Painting, impressed me as an articulate detailed expert at painting that cares about quality work. Although they don't currently have a drywall expert which I need right now, he still spent quite a bit of time interested in my project and gave me ideas which when tried, really did improve the look of my home. I would not hesitate to hire Five Star Painting of Temecula for interior painting when I don't need entire walls textured from smooth to knockdown.

Cesar B.

After getting several different estimates John's professional expertise on exterior painting was far above all the others. Aside from getting a good price he was able to explain in detail the entire process about painting my home. I was able to witness the quality of work his team did on my house everyday until the job was completed. They detailed my house until I was 100% satisfied. I highly recommend Southland Painting Co.

Nichole F.

Matthew has taken great care to ensure my interior wall repair and paint job is done right. I'm very impressed with his work and would recommend his company to anyone in need of interior paint services.

L. M. B.

We had water damage, a bizarre whole-ceiling light fixture a la 70s, damaged linoleum flooring, 1/4-1/2” brown grout lines. & more. Jason fixed it all beautifully, demoing, drywalling, painting, tiling, cleaning, & painting more. His work is impeccable, he is very neat, & he did it all in about 5 days. He was helpful when we ran into plumbing issues, & when asked to add on random details like replacing damaged casing, painting the grout (eco-friendly), & helping with the ceiling fan, he was obliging.

Lorri H.

I am very thrilled with my interior paint job. Darren and his crew were very polite, competent, punctual and precise. He was very good about notifying me if they were running late. They came in and got the job done.

Paul W.

Jeff the Painter did a wonderful job painting the exterior of my house. Of the three quotes I got for the job, his was the lowest. Jeff has a contractor's license for painting. The other companies had licenses but the people who held them lived in Northern California or another state. Jeff assigned a crew to paint my house but Jeff inspected daily and worked with his crew so they knew what to do and in what order. The crew was led by Jeremy and all the crew were polite, efficient, fast, and cleaned up as they went along. Jeff was very easy to do business with. If anything he was too relaxed. Where the other painters provided detailed quotes about what they would or would not do, Jeff's quote merely stipulated the number of colors, that he would paint the house, and the price. That doesn't mean he cut any corners. I had forgotten to ask Jeff to paint the frame of my house numbers (address number) a different color from my house. I mentioned it to Jeremy and he offered to repaint it which he did. Overall I couldn't be happier with the way the job was done and the price I paid. I was thinking about repainting part of the inside of my house myself, but seeing what Jeff can do and how quickly has me thinking of hiring him for the job. I definitely recommend that you hire Jeff The Painter for your painting project.

Laura L.

Daniel did an awesome job painting my bathroom, changing out outlet/switches, replacing doorknob and installing towel racks. He kept in touch with me and let me know when he was coming. I so appreciate Daniel completing the job so quickly and leaving the bathroom cleaner than he found it.

Diane S.

I initially hired DuraCon about a year ago to move some interior walls and build some closets in the house I had just purchased. I later also hired DuraCon to paint the interior of my house. DuraCon got the work done on a tight deadline and was able to coordinate schedules with the company installing hardwood floors in the house. The owner of DuraCon, Chris Farkas, was easy to work with and actively involved in the work being done at my house. I recently had DuraCon build replacement stairs on my front landing. I plan to use DuraCon again for future projects. I highly recommend Chris Farkas and DuraCon.

Joel M.

Terry did a fantastic job installing crown moulding, window and door casings, and painting the interior of our home. He was courteous, professional, and hard working. I would recommend him to any of my friends or family, and will be using him again for future home improvements. Thanks again Terry!!

Michele S.

Steve did an amazing job on painting a room and bathroom for us. He was prompt to give us a fair bid, was able to do the work in a timely manner and is very professional. His work is top notch, he paints with clean lines and he cleans everything up nicely. I am planning to hire him again for additional interior painting jobs. Loved working with him.

Rene S.

Only good things to say about Devon. He was able to make it over on a weekend and deliver outstanding service on time and on budget. I would definitely hire DB Painting and Remodeling again.

Vista, CA1086 Interior Painters near you

Answer a few questions

Get quotes

Hire the right pro

Vista Interior Painters