By Norman R.
Painting a typical single-family house runs about $3,000 to $8,500 for the interior and $3,500 to $9,000 for the exterior. Those are wide ranges because the number is driven by paintable surface area, not house size — a 2,000 sq ft home with 9-foot ceilings and heavy trim can cost more to paint inside than a larger home with simple walls.
Quick Reference: House Painting Costs
- Interior, whole house: roughly $3,000 to $8,500 for a 1,500-2,500 sq ft home.
- Exterior, whole house: roughly $3,500 to $9,000 for the same size range.
- Exterior per square foot of paintable wall: about $3.00 to $6.00.
- Biggest swing factors: prep condition, ceiling height, trim detail, and siding material.
Note: these are 2026 regional averages. Every home is different, and a real number comes from an on-site assessment of materials, prep, and surface condition.
Average Cost to Paint a House Interior
Interior cost depends on total paintable surface, wall heights, room count, and trim detail. Estimating guidance from the Paint and Decorating Contractors of America is the professional basis for how that gets measured.
A standard interior scope covers walls, ceilings, baseboards, door casings, and doors. Painting a 1,500 sq ft home interior typically lands between $3,750 and $6,750. Doors and trim are the line item people underestimate: they are slow, detailed work that adds up fast.
Our interior painting service covers that full scope, and our post on how much paint you need explains the material side of the estimate.
Average Cost to Paint a House Exterior
Exterior work runs $3.00 to $6.00 per square foot of paintable wall, moving with siding material, home height, and how much prep the surface needs. Two-story access, heavy scraping, and failed caulk all push toward the top of the range.
Our exterior painting service handles the full system, and our guide on how often to repaint covers the timing that keeps prep costs down.
What Drives the Number
- Prep condition: scraping, patching, and priming are labor, and labor is most of the estimate.
- Ceiling height: 9 and 10-foot walls add surface and require staging.
- Trim detail: crown, chair rail, built-ins, and multi-panel doors are slow work.
- Color change: dark to light needs primer plus extra coats.
- Siding material: stucco and brick take more material than smooth fiber cement.
- Access: second stories, steep grades, and landscaping around the foundation all add time.
If prep turns up damaged walls, that is our drywall repair service, which is usually quoted separately from the paint.
Common Questions About House Painting Costs
How often should a house be repainted?
Interior walls every 5 to 7 years, or 3 to 5 in high-traffic kitchens and hallways. Exterior wood siding every 5 to 7 years, with fiber cement and vinyl going longer.
Is it cheaper to paint the whole house at once?
Usually yes. Mobilization, masking, and setup are fixed costs that get spread across more square footage, so per-room pricing on a whole-house job beats doing one room at a time.
Does paint quality change the estimate much?
Material is a minority of the total; labor dominates. Upgrading to premium paint moves the number modestly and usually extends the repaint interval enough to pay for itself.
Why do estimates vary so much between contractors?
Almost always scope. Number of coats, how much prep is included, whether trim and ceilings are in, and which product is specified. Compare those line by line before comparing totals.
Get a Real Number for Your Home
Ranges are useful for budgeting and useless for deciding. The variables that move the price most are visible in twenty minutes on site.
Contact That 1 Painter to schedule a detailed, obligation-free on-site estimate. Every home is different, so final pricing always comes from an in-person assessment of materials, prep, and surface condition.