Interior Painting Cost Calculator
Estimate the cost to paint your home interior. Calculate paint needed, labor costs, and total project budget for rooms, entire floors, or whole-house painting projects.
Formula & Reference
| Variable | Formula | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Interior Painting Cost Calculator | Painting Cost = Prep + Paint + Labor | $ estimate |
Step-by-Step Examples
1,500 sq ft of walls, professional full service.
- Paint: 8.6 gal x $45 = $386
- Labor: 1,500 x $2.75 = $4,125
- Total: $4,561
12x15 ft bedroom = 540 sq ft walls (9-ft ceiling), DIY.
- Paint: 3.09 gal x $40 = $124
- DIY supplies: $80
- Total: $204 DIY
2,400 sq ft of walls, basic professional.
- Paint: 13.7 gal x $45 = $617
- Labor: 2,400 x $1.75 = $4,200
- Total: $4,817
Real-World Applications
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Calculate paintable wall area = (room perimeter) x (ceiling height) - door and window openings. Don't use floor area to estimate paint; a 100 sq ft room has about 320 sq ft of wall area.
Quality paint (Sherwin-Williams, Benjamin Moore, Behr Premium) covers in 2 coats instead of 3, cleans better, and lasts longer. The higher cost per gallon is usually offset by using fewer gallons and getting better results.
Professional painting prep (filling holes, sanding, caulking, masking) can be 30-40% of the total labor cost. Get a quote that explicitly includes prep work, not just painting.