Pricing painting jobs is one of the fastest ways to either make money or lose it. Quote too high and the customer calls the next guy. Quote too low and you work all day for nothing. This guide gives you real 2026 numbers so you can land jobs and still walk away with a profit.

The Quick Answer

Here's what painting typically costs in 2026:

Interior walls only: $2.00-$4.00 per sq ft
Interior (walls + trim + ceiling): $4.79-$9.04 per sq ft
Exterior siding: $1.50-$4.50 per sq ft
Painter hourly rate: $25-$100/hr (varies by region)
Average exterior house repaint: $3,800-$9,200 for a 2,000-2,500 sq ft home
Average interior whole-house job: $2,000-$6,000

These ranges look wide because region, prep work, paint quality, and building height all move the number. Keep reading for how to build a price that actually covers your costs.

Interior Painting Rates

Interior work averages $3.75 per sq ft for walls only. Add trim and ceilings and that number climbs to around $6.75 per sq ft. The typical interior job nationally runs $2,000-$3,000 for a standard home.

Here's how interior pricing breaks down by surface:

Walls only: $2.00-$4.00 per sq ft
Ceilings: add $1.00-$2.00 per sq ft
Trim and baseboards: add $1.00-$2.00 per linear foot
Walls taller than 10 feet: add $0.75-$1.25 per sq ft
Walls taller than 14 feet: add $1.50-$2.25 per sq ft

Most painters charge by the room on residential jobs, not by total wall square footage. It's easier to explain and faster to quote.

Per-Room Interior Pricing

Bedroom (10x12): $200-$500
Living room (12x16): $350-$750
Kitchen: $300-$600
Bathroom: $150-$400
Whole house interior (2,000 sq ft home): $2,000-$6,000

Light prep is usually included in these numbers. Heavy patching, wallpaper removal, or priming over dark colors should be separate line items on your quote.

Exterior Painting Rates

Exterior painting varies more than interior because of surface type, height, and how much prep the house needs. The national average runs $1.50-$4.50 per sq ft of paintable surface. For a typical 2,000-2,500 sq ft home, expect a full exterior repaint to land between $3,800 and $9,200.

Rates by siding type in 2026:

Wood siding: $1.00-$3.00 per sq ft (more coats, more prep)
Vinyl siding: $1.50-$2.50 per sq ft (less prep needed)
Stucco: $1.50-$3.50 per sq ft (absorbs more paint)
Brick: $1.50-$4.50 per sq ft (specialty primer, heavy prep)
Fiber cement (Hardie board): $2.00-$4.00 per sq ft

Add 50% for each additional story. Two-story homes take longer to stage, require taller ladders or scaffolding, and carry more liability. Build that in from the start -- don't apologize for it.

How to Calculate Your Price

Here's the formula experienced painters use. It's not complicated. You just have to actually do the math before you give a number.

Step 1: Measure the Surface

For exteriors, calculate the sq ft of paintable surface, not the floor plan. Multiply the perimeter of the house by the wall height. Subtract large windows and doors (roughly 15 sq ft each). Add sq footage of trim, fascia, and soffits if you're painting those.

Step 2: Estimate Materials

A gallon of paint covers 350-400 sq ft per coat on smooth surfaces, 200-300 sq ft on rough or textured surfaces. Budget for 2 coats minimum, 3 if you're going from dark to light. Mid-grade exterior paint runs $40-$55 per gallon in 2026.

Example: 1,500 sq ft exterior surface, 2 coats = 3,000 sq ft total coverage. At 350 sq ft/gallon, that's 9 gallons. At $50/gallon = $450 in paint. Add brushes, tape, drop cloths, primer -- budget $150-$200 more. Total materials: roughly $600-$650.

Step 3: Calculate Labor

Labor makes up 70-85% of your total job cost. Figure out how many hours the job takes, then multiply by your loaded hourly rate -- that means wages plus taxes, insurance, and overhead.

A solo painter working at a good pace covers 150-200 sq ft of exterior siding per hour. For that 1,500 sq ft job, figure 8-10 hours per coat. Two coats = 20 hours. At $50/hr fully loaded = $1,000 in labor.

Step 4: Add Overhead and Profit

Target 40-50% gross margins on residential work, and 15-25% net after overhead. On a $1,650 job ($1,000 labor + $650 materials), a 40% gross margin means charging around $2,750.

Round to clean numbers. Customers expect $2,700 or $2,800. Quoting $2,743 makes it look like you're guessing.

Pricing by Job Type

Not every painting job is a full repaint. Here are common job types and what to charge:

Single room: $200-$500 (set a minimum of $250)
Whole house interior: $2,000-$6,000
Exterior 1-story (1,500 sq ft): $1,800-$3,500
Exterior 2-story (2,500 sq ft): $3,500-$7,500
Garage door (single): $100-$200
Deck staining: $0.80-$2.00 per sq ft
Fence (per linear foot): $2.00-$4.00

Common Pricing Mistakes

Not charging for prep. Prep is 30-40% of a painting job. Scraping, caulking, sanding, and priming are labor. If you don't bill it, you're working for free during the hardest part of the job.
Quoting without seeing the property. Fresh paint over smooth walls is totally different from peeling paint over cracked stucco. Always see the job first, or at least get clear photos before you give a number.
No minimum charge. A one-wall touch-up still costs you drive time and setup. Set a floor at $250-$350 and hold it.
Underpricing to beat the competition. The customers who grind hardest on price are usually the most difficult to work for. Price your value and work with clients who get it.
Forgetting consumables. Rollers, brushes, tape, drop cloths, primer, and cleanup supplies add $75-$200 per job. Budget them in every time.

Bottom Line

Interior painting runs $2-$6 per sq ft. Exterior runs $1.50-$4.50 per sq ft. Labor is 70-85% of your cost, so the fastest way to protect your margins is to estimate hours accurately and price them right. If you're consistently losing money, the problem is almost always that prep time isn't getting billed.

If you want to give customers instant painting quotes right from your website, try QuoteSnap for free. You set your rates, they pick the job type and size, and they get a price in 30 seconds -- before you've even answered the phone.

How to Price Painting Jobs: Interior and Exterior Rates (2026)