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Interior Painting Cost Calculator

What it costs to have a room painted.

Your measurementsEvery assumption editable01

$1.50–4 per square foot of wall area is typical for interior work.

Patching, sanding, caulking and masking beyond the basics.

Estimated costCalculated live02

Result

$1357–2262estimated

Midpoint $1810 — about $3.35 per sq ft of wall

Wall area
540 sq ft of wall
Materials
$180
Labour74% of the subtotal
$1215
Prep and repairs
$250
Subtotal
$1645
Contingency10%
$164.5
Midpoint estimate
$1809.5
Likely range±25%, the usual concept-stage spread
$1357 – $2262
Cost per sq ft of wall
$3.35

This is a budgeting figure, not a quote. Regional labour rates vary by a factor of two or more across the country, and the same job priced in a busy season and a quiet one can differ by a third. Get three local quotes before committing to anything.

The range matters more than the midpoint. Construction estimating works to roughly ±25% until a scope is drawn and priced, and a single confident number would be pretending to a precision that does not exist at this stage.

Labour is usually the larger half and the more variable half. If the figure looks wrong, the labour rate is almost always the input to revisit first — material prices are far more consistent between regions than crews are.

The striking thing about painting is how little of it is paint. On a typical room, materials are around ten per cent of the job and labour is nearly three quarters — which is why prep quality is what you are actually paying for.

Why use this tool?What it does differently03

Why use this tool?

Shows the real split

Paint is roughly a tenth of the cost. Labour is around three quarters.

Prep priced separately

Patching, sanding and caulking is where a good job separates from a bad one.

Paint quantity derived

From wall area, coats and coverage — whole gallons, since that is how you buy it.

Ceilings excluded

Walls only. Add ceilings and trim as separate lines.

How this worksThe method04

How this interior painting cost calculator works

Wall area is perimeter times height. Paint quantity comes from that area times the number of coats divided by coverage, rounded up to whole gallons because that is how it is sold.

Labour is rated per square foot of wall area, which is how painters actually price interior work. It typically comes out around three quarters of the total, and prep is a separate line on top of that.

That ratio is the useful insight. Cheap paint saves very little on a job where materials are a tenth of the cost, while poor prep ruins a result you paid mostly for labour to achieve.

How to use itStep by step05

How to use it

  1. Step 1: Measure the room

    Perimeter and wall height. The paint calculator handles door and window deductions.

  2. Step 2: Set the coats

    Two is standard. Three for a strong colour change.

  3. Step 3: Price the paint

    Per gallon, for the grade you actually want.

  4. Step 4: Budget the prep

    This is what separates a good job from a bad one, and it is a real line item.

Example usageWorked figures06

Example usage

A 60 ft perimeter room at 9 ft
540 sq ft of wall, two coats: 4 gallons at $45 is $180 of paint against $1,215 of labour and $250 of prep — about $1,810 midpoint, or $1,357 to $2,262.
The paint is not the cost
Doubling to premium $90 paint adds just $180 to that job — about ten per cent. Buying cheap paint saves almost nothing and costs coverage.
Heavy prep
An older room needing $800 of patching and sanding takes the same job to about $2,415. Prep is the variable that moves painting estimates.
Frequently asked questionsCommon questions07

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to paint a room?

Typically $1,200 to $2,500 for an average room with two coats, professionally done. Most of that is labour rather than paint.

How much of painting cost is materials?

Usually around ten per cent. Labour and prep make up the rest, which is why upgrading to premium paint barely moves the total.

Should I buy expensive paint?

Generally yes, precisely because it is such a small share of the cost. Better paint covers in fewer coats and wears longer, and the labour saving alone often justifies it.

Does this include ceilings and trim?

No, walls only. Ceilings are priced on floor area and trim by the linear foot, both as separate lines.

Why is prep a separate figure?

Because it varies more than anything else. A new wall needs almost none; an old one with cracks, holes and failing caulk can need more prep hours than painting hours.

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