Interior Painting Cost Calculator
Interior painting costs about $2–$6 per square foot of floor space in 2026 — roughly $300–$800 for a 10×12 room. Pick a mode below: estimate by floor area, by room count, or compare DIY vs hiring a pro, and get a low-to-high price range.
Wall area runs about 3.5× the floor area — that is the rule pros use to turn room size into paintable surface. Ceiling height above 8 ft and heavy prep work push costs toward the high end.
Estimates only — not contractor quotes. This calculator gives approximate planning figures for interior painting in 2026. Actual prices vary by region, labor rates, paint brand, and job conditions — get a written quote from a local painter before committing.
How the interior painting cost calculator works
Pros price interior painting by the square foot of floor space — not wall space — because floor area is what customers know. A 10×12 bedroom has 120 sq ft of floor but about 430 sq ft of paintable wall with 8-ft ceilings, which is where the 3.5× rule comes from.
Five things move the needle: room size and ceiling height, wall condition (patching and sanding add labor), paint quality ($25–$70 per gallon), the number of coats (two coats cover dark colors and last longer), and detail work — ceilings, trim, and doors are slower, fiddlier work than flat walls.
Hiring a pro bundles labor, paint, and cleanup at $2–$6 per floor sq ft. DIY strips it to paint and supplies at $0.50–$1.50 per sq ft — your weekend is the labor. Either way, ceilings and trim add the same premium because the work is slower per square foot.
wall area ≈ floor sq ft × 3.5 · pro = floor sq ft × ($2 … $6) · DIY = floor sq ft × ($0.50 … $1.50) · paint ≈ 1 gal per 350–400 sq ft per coat
Related tools
Keep exploring: figure out how many gallons to buy with the Paint Calculator, or measure your space first with the Lawn Square Footage Calculator — the same length-times-width math works for rooms.
Interior painting cost calculator FAQ
How much does interior painting cost per square foot?
About $2–$6 per square foot of floor space when you hire a pro in 2026 — that equals roughly $6–$12 per square foot of wall area, since walls run about 3.5× the floor area. DIY paint and supplies cost about $0.50–$1.50 per square foot of floor space.
How much does it cost to paint a room?
A standard 10×12 bedroom costs roughly $300–$800 professionally painted. Small rooms (up to ~120 sq ft) run $250–$500, medium rooms $400–$750, and large rooms $650–$1,200 — ceilings, trim, and extra coats push toward the high end.
How much does it cost to paint a whole house interior?
A 2,000 sq ft home typically costs $4,000–$12,000 professionally in 2026, depending on rooms, ceiling height, trim work, and coats. DIY for the same home costs roughly $1,000–$3,000 in paint and supplies.
Is it cheaper to paint it yourself?
Yes — DIY painting costs about 60–75% less than hiring a pro, since labor is most of the price. The tradeoff is time: a single room usually takes a full weekend, and cutting clean lines takes practice.
How much paint do I need for a room?
One gallon covers about 350–400 sq ft per coat. A 10×12 room with 8-ft ceilings has roughly 430 sq ft of wall area, so plan on 2 gallons per coat — 3–4 gallons total for two coats, plus ceiling paint.
How long does interior painting take?
A pro crew paints a standard room in 1–2 days. A full 2,000 sq ft home takes about 3–5 days. DIY typically takes 2–3× longer once you count prep, drying time between coats, and cleanup.
Does painting the ceiling cost extra?
Yes — ceilings usually add $0.50–$1.00 per square foot of floor space, because they need a separate flat-white coat and slower overhead work. Trim and doors add another $100–$300 per room.