Interior
Interior painting cost
Painting the interior of a 2,000 square foot home costs roughly $2,150 to $3,200 in labour and materials at the national average painter wage. About 63% of that is labour. Prep condition, ceiling height and colour change are what move the figure inside the range.
By home size
| Home size | Surface sq ft | Labour | Materials | Typical range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 sq ft | 2,750 | $846 | $495 | $1,050 to $1,600 |
| 1,500 sq ft | 4,125 | $1,268 | $743 | $1,600 to $2,400 |
| 2,000 sq ft | 5,500 | $1,691 | $990 | $2,150 to $3,200 |
| 2,500 sq ft | 6,875 | $2,114 | $1,238 | $2,700 to $4,000 |
| 3,000 sq ft | 8,250 | $2,537 | $1,485 | $3,200 to $4,850 |
| 4,000 sq ft | 11,000 | $3,382 | $1,980 | $4,300 to $6,450 |
At the national mean wage of $24.46/hr. Change job type or home size in the calculator.
What pushes you to the top of the range
Going lighter over a dark colour. Covering a deep red or navy can take three coats instead of two, which is close to a 50 percent increase in the painting hours.
Ceiling height. Anything above eight feet means staging or taller ladders and slower movement. A two storey entry or a stairwell is disproportionately expensive for its area.
Prep condition. Filling, sanding and caulking is where painting hours quietly disappear. Walls that need real repair rather than a quick fill can add more than the painting itself.
Trim, doors and built-ins. Trim is slow, detailed work measured in linear feet. A house with heavy millwork and six panel doors throughout costs meaningfully more than the wall area suggests.
Occupied versus empty. Working around furniture, floors and a family is slower than an empty house, and most contractors price it accordingly.
Interior cost by metro
| Metro | Mean wage | Labour | Typical range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $29.71 | $2,054 | $2,450 to $3,650 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $33.62 | $2,325 | $2,650 to $4,000 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | $24.33 | $1,682 | $2,150 to $3,200 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $34.00 | $2,351 | $2,650 to $4,000 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $33.91 | $2,345 | $2,650 to $4,000 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | $30.00 | $2,074 | $2,450 to $3,700 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $22.63 | $1,565 | $2,050 to $3,050 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $22.47 | $1,554 | $2,050 to $3,050 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | $26.73 | $1,848 | $2,250 to $3,400 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $28.76 | $1,989 | $2,400 to $3,550 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | $25.98 | $1,796 | $2,250 to $3,350 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $27.35 | $1,891 | $2,300 to $3,450 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro | $27.08 | $1,872 | $2,300 to $3,450 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $27.79 | $1,921 | $2,350 to $3,500 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton | $31.21 | $2,158 | $2,500 to $3,800 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | $23.16 | $1,601 | $2,050 to $3,100 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas | $29.38 | $2,031 | $2,400 to $3,650 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford | $22.11 | $1,529 | $2,000 to $3,000 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | $29.01 | $2,006 | $2,400 to $3,600 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $30.24 | $2,091 | $2,450 to $3,700 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $33.30 | $2,302 | $2,650 to $3,950 |
| St. Louis | $30.15 | $2,085 | $2,450 to $3,700 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $28.48 | $1,969 | $2,350 to $3,550 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $22.59 | $1,562 | $2,050 to $3,050 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $28.70 | $1,984 | $2,400 to $3,550 |
Ranked by how many painters work in each metro. Metros with their own page are linked.
Where the money actually goes
For a 2,000 square foot interior at the national mean, labour is about $1,691 and materials about $990. That ratio is why quotes differ so much between cities and so little between paint brands. Choosing a cheaper paint saves you very little and usually costs you a coat.
Related: whole house painting cost, exterior painting cost, cabinet painting cost, and cost per square foot.
Common questions
How much to paint the interior of a 2,000 sq ft house?
Roughly $2,150 to $3,200 in labour and materials at the national average painter wage, of which about 63% is labour. Your metro moves this considerably.
How much does it cost to paint one room?
A typical bedroom is around 400 square feet of paintable surface, so at $0.49 per surface square foot the painting itself is modest. Most contractors have a minimum charge that will exceed a single small room.
Does the cost include ceilings and trim?
These figures assume walls and ceilings in two coats. Trim is slower per unit area and heavily trimmed homes sit above the range shown.
How long does interior painting take?
At the coverage rate used here, a 2,000 square foot home is roughly 5,500 square feet of surface, which is several days for a small crew including prep and drying time.
What this page does not tell you
- Assumes two coats over sound, previously painted surfaces.
- Excludes wallpaper removal, plaster repair and lead-safe work in pre-1978 homes.
- Assumes eight foot ceilings. Vaulted ceilings and stairwells cost more.
- A dark to light colour change can add a full third to the painting hours.