Paint Cost Calculator
Get an instant estimate for your interior or exterior painting project. Compare costs for walls, ceilings, trim, siding, and cabinet painting based on quality and region.
Scope Price Comparison
Click calculate to update scope price comparison.
How Much Does It Cost to Paint a House in 2026?
A professional painting project averages $1,200 to $6,500 for typical interior or exterior spaces. Most homeowners pay $2,500 to $4,500 to paint the interior walls of a 1,500-square-foot house, or $3,000 to $5,500 for standard exterior home siding painting.
Average Painting Cost by Scope & Type (Material & Labor, Installed)
| Project Type | Average Cost (Per Sq Ft or Door) | Key Details |
|---|---|---|
| Interior Walls | $1.50 - $5.00 / sq ft | Typically 2 coats of paint |
| Interior Ceilings | $1.75 - $6.00 / sq ft | Requires special roller extensions |
| Trim & Doors | $2.00 - $8.00 / sq ft | Detailed baseboards, molding, casings |
| Exterior Siding | $2.00 - $7.00 / sq ft | Includes pressure wash & light scraping |
| Exterior Trim Only | $2.50 - $9.00 / sq ft | Detailed fascia, gutters, windows |
| Cabinet Painting | $75 - $250 / door or drawer | Sanding, spraying, curing |
Major Cost Factors for Paint Projects
Total Surface Area: Painting costs scale with square footage. Note that for walls, you measure the vertical wall square footage, not the room's floor square footage (floor area multiplied by wall height is roughly equal to wall area).
Labor component: Painting is heavily labor-intensive. Up to 70% to 80% of a professional painting bid goes directly toward crew labor, prep work, taping, sanding, and clean-up. Materials (paint and supplies) only account for 20% to 30% of the cost.
Prep Work & Repairs: Smooth walls make beautiful paint jobs. If your walls have drywall cracks, holes, water damage, or wallpaper that needs stripping, contractors will charge $50 to $200 per patch or $1.00 to $4.00 per square foot for scraping and remediation.
Paint Quality: Premium paints like Benjamin Moore Regal or Sherwin-Williams Emerald cost $70 to $100+ per gallon but cover in fewer coats and wash off easily. Economy contractor paint runs $25 to $40 per gallon but may require three coats, leading to higher overall labor costs.
How We Calculate Your Estimate
Our paint cost calculator computes pricing by taking the selected project type's base rate per square foot (or per cabinet door) and multiplying by your volume. We then scale by the paint quality multiplier and regional labor indices. Labor is added as a standard 70% markup on material costs. Optional add-ons like extra primer coats, wallpaper removal, drywall patching, and a drastic color change multiplier are added to construct the final estimate range.