Ever wonder how we come up with our prices? It’s all about consistency and precision. At Pearl Painters, we use a method called Production Rate Quoting. This process relies on our Best Known Methods (BKMs), which are step-by-step procedures everyone on our team follows. By trusting our thoroughly documented processes, we can accurately track how long tasks take and apply those recorded production rates to your project. We measure all your surfaces, enter them into our estimating software, and it calculates everything—from labor hours to the exact amount of paint needed. This ensures accuracy and consistency every time.
Jump to examples of real interior painting costs: View the projects and their costs.
Examples of pricing for finished painting projects are all well and good, but your home is unique and sometimes you need more of an itemized breakdown of individual costs to arrive at an estimate. With this in mind, here are some sample interior painting costs with more specific costs given for items like walls, trim, doors, and ceilings. With the sample room sizes given, it only takes a little math to apply the given figures to your own home. These estimates include all labor and materials. This includes setup, basic prep, materials, supplies, and cleanup.
Looking for some real numbers to put on homes we’ve painted in the past? No problem! Here are some interior house painting projects we’ve actually worked on, plus an up-to-date 2024 price tag to deliver the same results today:
Square footage is a major factor in determining the price, but there’s more to it than just size. For example, traditional floor plans with more rooms and walls cost more to paint than open-concept homes, even if they’re the same square footage. More rooms mean more trim, doors, and detailed work where rooms meet. It’s also common for open-concept homes to stick to a uniform color scheme, so there’s less time spent switching colors between rooms.
Ceilings higher than the standard 8 feet increase the amount of wall space to be painted and require extra equipment, such as scaffolding, ladder, or extension poles, which adds to labor and material costs. Homes with tall ceilings are usually more expensive to paint, particularly if they are 10 feet or higher.
Are you painting just the walls, or does your project include ceilings, trim, doors, stair railings, or cabinets? The more surfaces you include, the higher the cost.
Painting one room often costs more per room than painting multiple rooms in one project. This is because setup, cleanup, and travel time are the same regardless of project size, making smaller jobs less cost-effective.
Proper dry time is essential for a high-quality finish, and rushing this process can lead to problems like peeling or uneven coverage. On larger projects, we can work in other areas while paint dries, helping to reduce downtime and keep labor costs in check.
The number of colors and coats also plays a role in the cost. More colors mean more materials and labor to switch between them. If your walls have dark or bold colors, extra coats may be required for full coverage, increasing both labor and paint costs.
Consider scheduling your project during the winter when contractors are less busy. Many companies, including us here at Pearl Painters, offer lower rates for work done during the off-season.
There is a big difference between painting a previously well-painted surface vs one in need of repair. Does the surface have old brush marks, roller stipple, drips, sags, or inconsistent texture? If you want these to be removed/fixed, that increases labor time and cost. Of course, if more significant repairs are needed, that adds time and cost as well.
It’s common for us to get requests regarding specific aspects of the project that increase labor time, and we are always upfront about this increase in cost when discussing the project in detail. For example, if you require color transitions to be razor straight, we use a method of back sealing tape to achieve this, which takes longer than cutting in by hand.
How much furniture are we working around? Are you moving the furniture or is our team moving it?
How a coating is applied can affect the cost. Every home and project scope is different. In some cases, it might be more affordable to hand paint while in others spraying could be the preferable choice. We’ve covered this in more detail in regard to interior trim: Is it better to hand paint or spray interior trim, doors, and cabinets?
When estimating the cost of an interior painting project, relying on square footage alone is misleading. Many factors beyond the floor area play a critical role in pricing. Ceiling height, the actual surface to be painted, the number of doors and windows, and intricate details like crown molding or wainscoting all add complexity to the job. Additional prep work such as sanding or caulking, the number of paint coats, and the type of paint also affect the cost. A detailed assessment ensures every element is considered for accurate pricing.
All of these questions and specifics are important to determine before you decide who to trust with your painting project! We at Pearl Painters are thorough when it comes to giving you the final project price. We provide the final cost that includes everything and will not change unless you make an adjustment to the scope of work with an approved work order.
When it comes to painting cost, our goal is to have no surprises. You deserve that in a trustworthy contractor!
