How Much Does It Cost to Paint a House in 2023?
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A new coat of paint can go a long way to update and refresh your home. While painting is something that many homeowners can do themselves, you may choose to hire a professional instead.
According to Angi, you can generally expect to pay between $967 and $3,041 to have the interior of your house painted, with the average homeowner spending $1,985. It costs an average of $2.75 to $4.70 per square foot, depending on if walls, trim and ceilings are included in the project.
If you choose to take on an interior painting project yourself, your main expenses will be primer, paint and equipment. A gallon can of primer is typically between $20 and $75, while paint usually costs $15 to $60 per gallon. Lowe’s estimates that one gallon of paint will generally cover 350 to 400 square feet of interior space, while you’ll need one gallon of primer per 200 to 300 square feet of space. As far as materials go, it will depend on your needs — some brushes and rollers only cost a few dollars, while a ladder can cost over $100.
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Interior cost estimates
You can typically expect to spend between $1,000 and $7,000 per 1,000 square feet of interior space. According to Angi, the average homeowner spends $1,986 to paint their home’s interior.
Here are some estimates of the cost to have a professional paint the interior of your home based on its size in square feet.
Home size | Interior painting cost |
|---|---|
1,000 square feet | $1,000 to $7,000 |
1,500 square feet | $1,500 to $10,500 |
2,000 square feet | $2,000 to $14,000 |
2,500 square feet | $2,500 to $17,500 |
3,000 square feet | $3,000 to $21,000 |
Exterior cost estimates
You can typically expect to spend between $1,000 and $4,000 per 1,000 square feet of exterior space. According to Angi, the average homeowner spends $3,141 to paint their home’s exterior.
Here are some estimates of the costs to have a professional paint the exterior of your home based on its size in square feet.
Home size | Exterior painting cost |
|---|---|
1,000 square feet | $1,000 to $4,000 |
1,500 square feet | $1,500 to $6,000 |
2,000 square feet | $2,000 to $8,000 |
2,500 square feet | $2,500 to $10,000 |
Breaking down the cost to paint a house
Most expenses fall into two main categories:
Labor costs
The biggest cost is labor. Most of the painter’s time is spent preparing the surface so paint will adhere well and the job will last. Your biggest potential savings come from controlling or reducing how much time a professional painter has to spend on the cleaning, patching, sanding, caulking and painting.
Cost of paint and materials
Paint will be your next-biggest cost, at anywhere from $15 to $60 or more per gallon, depending on the sheen, the grade you’ve chosen and any special features. Some paints, for instance, are mold resistant. Others suppress smells or require fewer coats. Some have a lifetime warranty. Paints with warranties, however, may not be worth a higher price. In Consumer Reports tests approximating nine years of wear, only a few exterior paints and stains with lifetime warranties held up well.
Your painter is likely to recommend paints she or he knows and trusts. According to a 2022 survey by the trade organization Painting Contractors Association, members were most likely to purchase paint from Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore.
Other materials — including tarps, tape, brushes, rollers and other equipment and supplies — will be included in a bid but aren’t typically broken out individually by cost.
Tips for saving on house-painting costs
With labor your biggest expense, you can save the most by containing how many hours a painter spends on the job. And there are other ways to pare back costs, too. Follow these pro tips for maximizing your savings:
1. Do all or some of the work yourself
You can save a bundle by doing the labor yourself. The biggest DIY expense is paint. Other expenses include buying or renting supplies and equipment, like caulk, primer, brushes, rollers, tarps and ladders or scaffolding.
2. Consider premium paints
High-quality paints may be more expensive by the gallon, but you may get more coverage and durability out of it than you would with a paint of inferior quality. This means that the you can use less paint and finish the job faster, saving money on the project overall.
3. Prep the space yourself
If you do go with a professional and the painter has to do a lot of prep work before painting, this can inflate the cost of the project. If you’re hiring a painter, ask if you can reduce the cost of labor by doing some tasks yourself. For example:
Trimming shrubs
Moving furniture and clearing a perimeter for painters to work
Removing and reinstalling the outlet covers, switch plates and doorknobs
Prep work like patching, sanding and scraping, if you have the skills
4. Get competing bids
Before hiring a painter, getting multiple estimates can help you find the best deal. Find recommended painters from friends, or search online for painters near you who are licensed, where required, and insured. You could use digital review platforms like Yelp or Angi, or you could even visit your local paint store and ask for recommendations.
Ask a painter to specify how many hours will be spent on preparation and on painting, names of products to be used, how many coats will be applied and the cost for any additional coats. Once you’ve made your choice, solidify the deal in writing with a contract.
5. Trim the scope of the job
Before signing the contract, look through it for ways to trim aspects of the job that aren’t important to you. For example, you might forgo repainting ceilings or closet interiors, to save on paint and labor.
6. Time your project
You may get the best deal by hiring professionals outside of the peak season in your area. However, you should also consider if hiring during inclement periods — say, the dead of winter in the Midwest — will add to labor expenses.
