How Much Does Interior House Painting Cost?

Painting a bedroom typically costs $450 to $1,050, and a kitchen runs $400 to $1,225, including walls, trim, and ceiling. Whole-house interior projects vary with size, prep work, and detail work. We are professional painting contractors who coach and train other painting contractors, and thousands of contractors around the country use the same standardized formulas for estimating interior painting. Estimating costs is a science, not an art.

How Much Does Interior Painting Cost by Room?

Below are base prices for painting each room in a typical house. The factors covered later in this article move these prices up or down.

How much does it cost to paint a bedroom?

A bedroom costs $450 to $1,050 to paint, depending on size. Walls are the biggest line item; trim and ceiling add roughly $75 to $200 each.

• Small bedroom (12x12): walls $300–$400, trim $75–$100, ceiling $75–$100. Total: $450–$600
• Medium bedroom (12x18): walls $450–$500, trim $100–$125, ceiling $100–$125. Total: $650–$750
• Large bedroom (15x20): walls $550–$650, trim $150–$200, ceiling $150–$200. Total: $850–$1,050

How much does it cost to paint a bathroom?

Bathrooms price similarly to bedrooms despite having less wall space, because they are dense with detail work: cutting around the toilet, mirror, tile, and tub or shower takes time. One material note: bathroom ceilings should be painted in eggshell rather than flat because of the moisture.

How much does it cost to paint a kitchen?

A kitchen costs $400 to $1,225 to paint, and prices vary significantly with the amount of cabinetry, granite, and tile, since some kitchens have very little painted surface. Cabinet painting is priced separately; see our guide to the cost of painting kitchen cabinets.

• Small kitchen (10x10): walls $225–$375, trim $75–$125, ceiling $100–$125. Total: $400–$625
• Medium kitchen (12x12): walls $350–$500, trim $125–$175, ceiling $125–$150. Total: $600–$825
• Large kitchen (12x18): walls $500–$750, trim $200–$250, ceiling $200–$225. Total: $900–$1,225

How much does it cost to paint a living room?

Painting a living room prices out much like a bedroom of the same size; use the bedroom ranges above and adjust for square footage and ceiling height.

How much does it cost to paint a whole house interior?

Whole-house pricing varies dramatically with all of the factors in the next section, and the larger the job, the more the costs vary. The most reliable approach is to price each room with the ranges above, then apply the adjustments below.

What Changes the Cost of an Interior Painting Project?

Eight factors move an interior estimate up or down: color choices, doors and shelving, detail work, wall condition, ceiling height, finished wood, popcorn ceilings, and lead-based paint.

Colors and color scheme

Color affects price two ways. Covering a dark color with a much lighter one can require extra coats, which means more time and more paint; ask your contractor which colors need an additional coat and get a firm price up front. Adding colors also adds cost: an accent wall means more line cutting, taping, and masking, which is the most time-consuming part of interior painting.

Doors, closets, and shelving

Base room prices include walls, trim, and ceiling, but not doors, closets, or shelving. Doors run about $50 per door. Shelving runs $10 to $25 per shelf depending on size, and shelves painted a different color from the wall cost more because of the added detail work.

Detail work

Most of an interior paint job's time goes into cutting clean lines and edges; rolling the open wall goes quickly. More trim and more colors mean more cutting. Bathrooms are the classic example: little wall area, but lots of careful work around fixtures, so the price stays high.

Condition of walls and trim

Nicks, dents, nail holes, and drywall damage add to the scope and the price. Hire a contractor experienced in patching and retexturing; a poorly patched wall sticks out, and it is worth paying to fix it properly.

Ceiling height

Ceilings above the standard 8 feet cost more, and vaulted ceilings often require scaffolding, which adds $500 to $600 for rental, setup, and takedown.

Stained or finished wood

Finished wood (usually railings or trim) needs sanding, a primer coat, and a top coat before it can be painted, which significantly increases the price.

Popcorn ceilings

Popcorn ceiling removal runs $1,000 to $2,000 or more, often with additional drywall work after removal. Left in place, the heavy texture makes painting slower and more expensive, and many contractors avoid popcorn ceilings altogether.

Lead-based paint

The EPA strictly regulates work on homes with lead-based paint, and a home that requires full lead-safe practices can cost about 3x as much to paint. Depending on the prep required and the home's condition, some guidelines can be legitimately avoided without danger or extra cost, so talk it through with your contractor, and make sure anyone you hire is lead-certified.

What Type of Paint Should You Use for Interior Painting?

Among the contractors in our network, two products stand out: Sherwin-Williams SuperPaint, a top pick for value because it delivers high quality without a premium price, and Benjamin Moore Aura, one of the best paints available at a higher price point.

Sheen matters as much as brand. Higher gloss reflects more light and shows more imperfections, but it is easier to clean.

• Walls: eggshell. Easier to clean than flat without being shiny enough to show imperfections.
• Trim and doors: semi-gloss. These get touched and dirtied the most and need frequent cleaning.
• Ceilings: flat. Ceilings rarely get dirty, and gloss would change the lighting in the room.
• Bathroom ceilings: eggshell, because of the moisture.

How Do You Get an Exact Price for Your Project?

Every interior is different, so this article can only give you a ballpark. Two ways to get an accurate number: first, get estimates from multiple painting contractors and compare price, professionalism, and reviews rather than simply taking the cheapest bid (compare quotes from local painting contractors here). Second, download the free estimating guides we use to train thousands of painting contractors.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to paint a 12x12 bedroom?

A small 12x12 bedroom costs $450 to $600 to paint, including walls ($300–$400), trim ($75–$100), and ceiling ($75–$100).

Why does a small bathroom cost as much as a bedroom to paint?

Because of detail work. Cutting lines around the toilet, mirror, tile, and shower takes far more time per square foot than rolling open walls, so the smaller wall area does not lower the price.

Does paint color affect the cost of interior painting?

Yes. Covering a dark color with a lighter one can require an extra coat, and each added color or accent wall adds line cutting, taping, and masking time.

How much does popcorn ceiling removal add to a paint job?

Popcorn ceiling removal typically adds $1,000 to $2,000, sometimes more if drywall repairs are needed after removal.