Cost engine
How much does interior painting cost?
National price ranges for interior painting, the unit pricing contractors quote from, and what the same job costs across local markets.
Model reviewed August 2026
Interior Painting cost
$1,500 – $9,500
Most homeowners pay around $3,800 for interior painting, or $1.80–$5 per sq ft of floor area. Permit fees add $0–$0.
Estimate your job
Run your own numbers before scrolling — the same engine behind the ranges below.
Paint needed
2.3 gallons
2 coats
- Paintable area
- 396 sq ft
- Buy
- 3 gallons
- Primer (1 coat)
- 1.2 gallons
- Paint cost estimate
- $114 – $234
Estimates only. Local pricing, site conditions and code requirements change the real number.
What homeowners reported paying
Invoice amounts submitted by homeowners nationwide, shown beside the model.
Price breakdown
| Budget scope | $1,500 |
|---|---|
| Typical project | $3,800 |
| Premium / complex | $9,500 |
| per sq ft of floor area | $1.80 – $5 |
| Permit fees | $0 – $0 |
| Timeline | 2-5 days of work |
What drives the price
- Wall square footage and ceiling height
- Number of coats and color changes
- Trim, doors and ceilings included
- Drywall patching and prep
- Paint grade
Cost by state
The same scope priced through each state's labor, material and code load.
Most expensive states
Least expensive states
Interior Painting runs about 103% more in Hawaii than in Oklahoma for an identical scope — almost entirely a labor and code-load difference.
State benchmark table
Low, typical and high interior painting pricing in every state, from the same model as the ranges above.
| State | Low | Typical | High | vs US |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $2,600 | $6,500 | $16,300 | +72% |
| Alaska | $2,100 | $5,300 | $13,200 | +39% |
| California | $2,100 | $5,200 | $13,000 | +37% |
| New York | $2,000 | $5,100 | $12,600 | +33% |
| Massachusetts | $2,000 | $5,000 | $12,400 | +31% |
| District of Columbia | $1,900 | $4,900 | $12,200 | +28% |
| Connecticut | $1,800 | $4,700 | $11,600 | +23% |
| New Jersey | $1,900 | $4,700 | $11,900 | +25% |
| Rhode Island | $1,800 | $4,600 | $11,400 | +20% |
| Washington | $1,800 | $4,500 | $11,300 | +19% |
| Oregon | $1,800 | $4,400 | $11,100 | +17% |
| Maryland | $1,700 | $4,300 | $10,900 | +14% |
| Colorado | $1,600 | $4,200 | $10,400 | +10% |
| Illinois | $1,700 | $4,200 | $10,500 | +11% |
| New Hampshire | $1,700 | $4,200 | $10,600 | +12% |
| Vermont | $1,600 | $4,200 | $10,400 | +9% |
| Maine | $1,600 | $4,100 | $10,200 | +7% |
| Nevada | $1,600 | $4,100 | $10,200 | +7% |
| Delaware | $1,600 | $4,000 | $10,100 | +6% |
| Florida | $1,600 | $4,000 | $10,000 | +5% |
| Minnesota | $1,600 | $4,000 | $10,100 | +6% |
| Pennsylvania | $1,600 | $4,000 | $10,100 | +6% |
| Virginia | $1,600 | $4,000 | $9,900 | +4% |
| Arizona | $1,500 | $3,800 | $9,500 | 0% |
| Montana | $1,500 | $3,800 | $9,500 | 0% |
| Michigan | $1,500 | $3,700 | $9,200 | -3% |
| North Dakota | $1,500 | $3,700 | $9,300 | -2% |
| Utah | $1,500 | $3,700 | $9,200 | -3% |
| Wisconsin | $1,500 | $3,700 | $9,300 | -2% |
| Wyoming | $1,500 | $3,700 | $9,300 | -2% |
| Georgia | $1,400 | $3,600 | $8,900 | -6% |
| Idaho | $1,400 | $3,600 | $9,100 | -4% |
| Louisiana | $1,400 | $3,600 | $9,000 | -5% |
| New Mexico | $1,400 | $3,600 | $8,900 | -6% |
| Texas | $1,400 | $3,600 | $9,000 | -5% |
| Indiana | $1,400 | $3,500 | $8,700 | -9% |
| North Carolina | $1,400 | $3,500 | $8,800 | -7% |
| Ohio | $1,400 | $3,500 | $8,800 | -8% |
| South Carolina | $1,400 | $3,500 | $8,700 | -9% |
| Alabama | $1,300 | $3,400 | $8,500 | -11% |
| Iowa | $1,300 | $3,400 | $8,400 | -11% |
| Missouri | $1,300 | $3,400 | $8,500 | -11% |
| South Dakota | $1,300 | $3,400 | $8,400 | -11% |
| Tennessee | $1,300 | $3,400 | $8,500 | -11% |
| Kansas | $1,300 | $3,300 | $8,200 | -13% |
| Kentucky | $1,300 | $3,300 | $8,300 | -12% |
| Nebraska | $1,300 | $3,300 | $8,300 | -12% |
| West Virginia | $1,300 | $3,300 | $8,200 | -13% |
| Arkansas | $1,300 | $3,200 | $8,100 | -15% |
| Mississippi | $1,200 | $3,200 | $7,900 | -17% |
| Oklahoma | $1,300 | $3,200 | $8,100 | -15% |
Cost by city
Same scope, adjusted for local labor, material and permit pricing. Each city also has a permit page.
Frequently asked questions
How much paint do I need for a room?
One gallon covers roughly 350 to 400 square feet per coat. Multiply wall length by ceiling height, subtract openings, then double it for two coats.
How long does interior painting take?
2-5 days of work. Permit review and inspection scheduling are usually the largest source of variation.
What changes the price the most?
The largest cost drivers are wall square footage and ceiling height; number of coats and color changes; trim, doors and ceilings included.
Sources
Sources & verification
Model vintage August 2026. The links above are the issuing agencies' own pages — we publish them so you can confirm the current rule yourself, not as evidence that each fact on this page was re-checked with them today. Cost figures are modeled estimates based on national baselines adjusted for local labor and material pricing, not quotes. Permit rules change; confirm with the building department before starting work.
