What does a painter cost in 2026?
A painter charges $25–75 an hour in 2026, but almost nobody buys painting by the hour. Interior work is priced at $2–6 per square foot of floor area and exteriors at $1.50–4.50 per square foot of siding, both including two coats and standard prep. Paint itself is $35–90 a gallon and is either included or billed at cost — ask which before you compare two numbers.
Updated September 15, 2026
Prep is the price, paint is the finish
Two crews can quote the same room $600 apart and both be honest. The difference is almost always prep: filling nail holes and caulking gaps versus skim-coating a wall that has thirty years of patches, or scraping and priming failing exterior paint versus rolling over it.
Ask any quote to state prep explicitly — how many holes, whether trim is caulked, whether bare wood and drywall repairs get spot primer, and how peeling exterior paint is dealt with. A cheap quote that assumes clean walls becomes an expensive change order once the crew arrives.
The second variable is coats. A color change over a dark wall, or white over a smoker's ceiling, needs primer plus two coats. If a quote says 'one coat as needed' you are buying a gamble.
Typical painting prices
Labor and standard materials, two coats on prepared surfaces.
| Job | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Hourly rate | $25–75 |
| Interior, per sq ft of floor area | $2–6 |
| Bedroom, walls only, 12x12 | $400–900 |
| Whole interior, 2,000 sq ft home | $4,000–11,000 |
| Exterior, per sq ft of siding | $1.50–4.50 |
| Whole exterior, 2,000 sq ft home | $3,500–10,000 |
| Kitchen cabinets, sprayed, 30 doors | $3,000–7,500 |
| Interior door and casing, each | $100–250 |
| Ceiling only, per sq ft | $1–3 |
Lead paint, licensing and insurance
If the home was built before 1978 and the job disturbs painted surfaces, the contractor must be EPA Lead-Safe certified under the RRP rule and must give you the lead pamphlet before starting. This is federal, not optional, and the certificate number is easy to ask for.
Painting licenses are set state by state — some require a contractor license above a low dollar threshold, others don't license painting at all. Either way, ask for a certificate of insurance showing general liability and workers' compensation. A ladder accident on an uninsured crew becomes your homeowner's claim.
Making quotes comparable
Send every painter the same list: rooms and surfaces, whether ceilings and trim are included, the paint line and sheen you want, how many coats, and who moves furniture. Specify the product by name — the gap between a builder-grade and a premium line is $30 a gallon and about five years of washability.
Expect a deposit of 10–30%, never the full amount. Hold final payment until you've walked the job in daylight with the crew and marked touch-ups on painter's tape.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to paint a room?
$400–900 for walls in a typical 12x12 bedroom, and $700–1,400 if ceilings, trim and doors are included. Heavy patching or a dark-to-light color change pushes it higher.
What does it cost to paint a house exterior?
$3,500–10,000 for a 2,000 square foot home, driven mostly by siding type, stories and how much scraping and priming the old paint needs.
Is paint included in the price?
Sometimes. Many painters include mid-grade paint and charge the difference if you upgrade. Always ask for the brand, line and number of coats in writing.
Why do I need a lead-safe certified painter?
Because homes built before 1978 may have lead paint, and disturbing it without containment is a health risk to children. EPA RRP certification is required by federal law for that work.
Describe the job and we'll match you with the right company — free for homeowners.