“How much will it cost to paint the inside of my house?” is a common question we receive as a painting contractor. Many homeowners teeter between taking on the task themselves versus hiring professional painters – and for many, cost is a big determining factor. Unfortunately, it’s a question without a straight answer. Not every room is the same, after all, and how long it takes depends on a number of additional things– which is why we send estimators on-site to give you a personalized, detailed quote. Below we will dive into the different factors that affect cost and give you a general idea of what you can expect to pay for an average room, taking into account some of these things. 

Is the room to be painted occupied or unoccupied? 

Moving and covering furniture is typically the first step of an interior painting project, and it is often a time-consuming task. Allowing your interior painters to work in an unoccupied room will generally save you 10% off your project price. Sometimes, spraying the paint on versus brushing and rolling it on can save you money as well; this is only done if the area is unoccupied. If you are moving in or out of a home, having painters coming in while the home is unoccupied is something to keep in mind while you plan your home improvement project schedules. 

Preparation quality for your paint job

Are you staying in your house, or are you just looking to throw a coat of paint on your walls to freshen up for your next tenant or new owners? At All American Painting Plus, we take pride in careful preparation of all surfaces – and our cost reflects that. Before we even pull out a paintbrush, we carefully perform drywall patching on all ceilings and walls, as well as caulking for any gaps in trim. Then, we sand all surfaces to get them ready for paint. The state of your surfaces affects how much preparation is needed – brand new walls require almost no prep, whereas badly damaged walls with lots of nail pops, for example, will require extensive prep.

Ceilings, walls, and/or trim

Rooms are generally broken down into three surface types: ceilings, walls, and trim. Your cost will be affected by which surfaces you choose to paint – ceilings only, walls only, trim only, or all three? However, savings comes with the more surfaces you choose to paint. This is because moving furniture and prepping the room is only done once – regardless of the number of surfaces being painted – so that prep time is saved with painting additional surfaces at once.

Paint colors and number of coats

The colors you choose for your interior painting project actually have a big impact on the interior painting costs. If you want to re-paint a surface with the same color that’s currently on the surface, we generally only need to apply one coat of paint. However, if you are making a color change, we’ll need to apply two coats of paint – possibly even three, depending on the color choice. The second and third coat also cost less because, again, room and surface preparation are only done once, regardless of the number of coats.

What size and how many rooms to be painted?

Generally, the bigger the room, the more it will cost to paint. However, rooms such as bathrooms don’t follow this rule; the level of preparation is higher in a bathroom due to the finishes used and there is much more to disassemble, cut around, protect and is harder to work in. Rooms with high heights will also add to your cost. Keep in mind that counting the “number of rooms” in your home can be tricky. Be sure to understand that a two-story foyer, for example, may consist of an upper hallway, upper stairway, and the foyer, and thus be considered three rooms. A primary bedroom with a sitting room would be considered two rooms.

Below we give you a price breakdown based on an average 12 ft x 12 ft x 8 ft room below (one that is occupied with furniture and without any extensive drywall damage; excludes closets):

Average 12 x 12 x 8 Room – Determining Costs for Interior Painting (Includes Materials)

1 Coat (Same Color)

Ceilings, Walls and Trim: $660

Ceilings Only: $185

Walls Only: $320

Trim Only: $265

 

2 Coats (Color Change)

Ceilings, Walls and Trim: $1,095

Ceilings Only: $275

Walls Only: $495

Trim Only: $440

As you can see, there is savings in combining ceilings, walls and trim instead of painting them independently ($660 together vs $770 separately for one coat of paint; $1,095 vs $1,210 for two coats of paint).

DIY or should I hire professional painters?

Experience really does make a difference when it comes to painting a room quickly but carefully. The pros at All American Painting Plus work meticulously and don’t cut corners (figuratively), but we also do our best to honor your needs and time constraints. Our experience allows us to do this naturally, so you don’t have to spend hours doing it yourself or deal with workers in your home for longer than expected. Let All American Painting Plus help you paint your home in a timely fashion. To learn more about all that we do, give us a call at (703) 620-5563!