When you first thought of painting your home, you expected a simple, light-hearted home improvement project. Now, you’re stuck in the preparation phase, asking questions about trim and paint quality while trying to calculate the price per square foot and the ceiling height.
Whether you are working on your interior or exterior, painting your home doesn’t have to be so complicated.
While ditching low-cost, low-quality shortcuts, this home painting cost guide walks you through house painting costs for all kinds of projects, including what factors into the price and how to budget accordingly for a space you love.
How Much Does It Cost to Paint a House?
A typical interior whole house painting cost ranges from $5,000 to upwards of $15,000, with $3 to $8 per square foot. Exterior painting costs start at $4,000 and reach upwards of $12,000, with $2 to $6 spent per square foot.
In Columbus, painting homes in historic neighborhoods typically has a higher cost due to features like crown molding and settled brick. However, with a painting season running from early spring to late fall, hiring professional painters in Columbus is a cost-effective way to make sure your project is completed correctly.
Average Interior House Painting Costs
Interior house painting projects vary in intensity, but knowing the general scope of your project can help to predict its cost.
Painting Cost Per Square Foot
- Basic interior repainting costs $1.75 to $2.50 per square foot.
- Mid-range painting, typically involving color changes, costs $2.50 to $3.75 per square foot.
- Premium finishes involving higher-end paints, trim, and molding cost $4.00 to $6.00 per square foot.
Whole Home Interior Cost Ranges
- Whole-home painting for smaller homes, including prep and multiple coats of paint, ranges from $5,000 to $8,000.
- Painting for mid-size homes usually costs between $7,500 and $12,000.
- Larger homes range from $12,000 to $18,000 or more for whole-home painting.
Average Exterior House Painting Costs
Exterior house painting costs depend on the amount of prep work, the house’s material, and the home’s style.
What Impacts Exterior Painting Costs
The material of your exterior walls directly impacts the cost of your project. Wood siding, for example, absorbs paint quicker and is more expensive to paint than cement walls, which require less paint.
Contractor adjustments also affect costs, as there will be more or less prep work depending on differences in materials and accessibility. Additionally, contractors have to adjust their processes to accommodate accessibility and the number of stories in your home.
Exterior Cost Ranges
- Ranch or single-story homes have easier accessibility and less surface area, leading to lower costs of about $4,500 to $8,000.
- With added time spent painting, two-story homes cost about $6,000 to $15,000.
- Exterior paint for homes with wood siding costs about $4,000. Vinyl siding, which requires more cleaning and preparation, costs $3,000 to $9,000.
- Brick homes require special stucco and sanding, meaning costs are between $4,500 and $12,000.
7 House Painting Cost Factors
Naturally, there are little things that affect the cost of painting a house, but knowing the cost of these big-ticket items will help you accurately estimate your overall price.
#1: Surface Preparation
From sanding and repairs to base coats and priming, surface preparation adds additional material and labor costs that affect the project price.
#2: Ceiling Height
Higher ceilings mean more surface area and ladder work, which require a longer timeline and specialized equipment, driving up costs.
#3: Trim and Detail Work
Especially in older Columbus homes, details like crown molding, intricate trim, wainscoting, and textured walls call for more detailed work, rework, and finishing.
#4: Drywall Repairs
Adding around $800 to your budget, drywall repairs require additional labor, drying time, and extra resources to ensure a proper repair.
#5: Paint Quality
Generally, exterior paints, formulated to resist UV rays and weather, are more expensive than interior paints. For indoor projects, choosing high-quality paints will cost more upfront, but they will likely offer better durability, saving money on touch-ups later on.
#6: Number of Colors
Including a multitude of colors or complex patterns in your home often results in a greater overall price, but they are a great way to add character and style to your space.
#7: Accessibility and Layout
Open concept homes are cost-effective and less labor-intensive to paint. Homes with intricate layouts, including lots of doorways, arches, and nooks, are often more expensive, requiring additional paint and a longer timeline.
What Does Professional House Painting Include?
Working with a professional for your home painting project means a thorough, complete project that starts with surface prep, patching, and sanding. From there, paint application and trim and detail work are completed, followed by a thoughtful cleanup so you can enjoy your newly painted space.
Interior vs Exterior Painting: What’s More Expensive?
Generally, exterior home painting is more expensive. This is due to more intensive labor with in-depth prep work and painting on multiple floors. In addition, the use of weather-safe paints, specific preparation materials, and weather-dependent timelines add costs.
With that said, the cost of painting interior walls can also be high due to intricate layouts, details, and repairs.
What You Get at Different Budget Levels
Different home painting projects have different budgets. Deciding on your budget depends on the depth of the project you are hoping for.
Budget-Friendly Painting Projects
Painting projects with a lower budget often involve repainting existing colors and addressing minimal, small-scale repairs.
Mid-Range Painting Projects
Projects with a slightly larger budget, aimed at home improvement, allow room to use higher-quality paints, add decorative features like accent walls, and update trim.
Premium Painting Projects
Premium paint projects that change the feel of your home include extensive, thorough prep followed by high-end finishes. These projects can also often include cabinet painting and the addition of specialty details.
Is Painting a House Worth the Cost?
When calculating your paint project cost, it’s not uncommon to question if the project is worth it. However, considering both style and home value improvements, the answer is often a resounding yes.
ROI and Resale Value
For interiors and exteriors alike, fresh coats of paint improve buyers’ perception of a home’s value. Interior paint updates modernize dated spaces and often deliver an ROI that exceeds 100%. Exterior paint projects greatly improve curb appeal and, depending on the home’s condition and market, provide a 50% to 150% ROI.
5 Common House Painting Mistakes to Avoid
In the excitement of picking paint colors, there are some common and easily avoidable mistakes that homeowners make.
Mistake #1: Choosing Paint Based Only on Price
Choosing paint as a way to save money usually backfires, requiring more coats and frequent touch-ups after the initial project is finished.
Mistake #2: Skipping Prep Work
Without proper prep work, both interior and exterior paint will not apply as well, leaving you with a patchy and unsatisfactory final product.
Mistake #3: Ignoring Moisture or Damage
When moisture or damage is simply painted over, it usually causes more intense issues and costly home repairs later on.
Mistake #4: Using the Wrong Finish
Accidentally using the incorrect finish can leave you with areas of the home that scuff easily and may highlight surface flaws instead of concealing them.
Mistake #5: Choosing Trendy Colors Without Considering Resale
If your project is intended to boost resale value, choosing trending colors can unintentionally leave your home feeling dated when it actually comes time to sell.
How Long Does House Painting Take?
Interior Timelines
Interior painting projects can take 1 day for a single room, 2 to 3 days for a focused living or kitchen area, and 3 to 5 days for a whole-home interior painting.
Exterior Timelines
The timeline for a small, single-story exterior painting ranges from 3 to 5 days; a two-story home usually takes 4 to 7 days, and a large, multi-story home can take up to two weeks.
What Delays Projects
Typical exterior project delays are weather conditions and scheduling with contractors. Interior delays are typically due to improper prep work and unexpected wall repairs.
House Painting Costs: Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to paint a 2,000-sq-ft house?
Depending on the project’s depth, it costs between $4,000 and $12,000 to paint the interior or exterior of a 2,000 sq ft house.
What is included in professional painting?
Professional house painting includes preparation, patching, sanding, paint application, finishes, detail work, and clean-up.
Is exterior painting more expensive than interior?
Generally, due to the use of specific materials and higher labor costs, exterior home painting is more expensive.
How often should you repaint a home?
Exterior home painting is refreshed around every 10 years, and interior repainting is done between 5 and 15 years depending on the wear.
Does painting increase home value?
Yes! Painting the interior or exterior of your home increases both resale and buyer perception of home value.
Work With Premier Remodeling On Your Home Refresh
Whether you want to recolor your home or just repaint for general maintenance, Premier Remodeling offers thorough, thoughtful painting services. We treat each home as our own, dedicated to services that guarantee a beautiful finished product. Ready to paint?