Cost guide
How Much Does It Cost to Paint a Room?
A typical 12' × 12' bedroom runs about $870 for two coats on the walls, or about $1,140 with the ceiling, at the example rates below. Your local price depends on the painter's rate, prep work, and paint.
Cost by room size
Two coats, 8-foot ceilings, 1 door and 2 windows, before sales tax.
| Room size | Wall area | Walls only | Walls + ceiling |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10' × 10' | 269 sq ft | $720 | $930 |
| 12' × 12' | 333 sq ft | $870 | $1,140 |
| 12' × 14' | 365 sq ft | $1,000 | $1,310 |
| 14' × 16' | 429 sq ft | $1,140 | $1,590 |
| 16' × 20' | 525 sq ft | $1,360 | $1,950 |
Assumptions behind the chart: labor at $2.25 per sq ft of wall and $1.50 per sq ft of ceiling, paint at $52 a gallon covering 350 sq ft, and supplies at 12% of the paint cost. Rounded to the nearest $10. Change any of these in the estimator to see your own number.
How the price is built
Most painters price interior work by the square foot of wall, then add materials. For the 12' × 12' bedroom:
Homeowner cost guides commonly quote interior painting at roughly $2 to $6 per square foot including materials, so the same room could reasonably cost several hundred dollars more or less depending on where you live.
Why quotes for the same room differ
- Prep. Filling cracks, sanding glossy paint, and removing wallpaper take longer than the painting itself on some jobs.
- Color change. Covering a dark color usually needs primer or a third coat.
- Trim and doors. Many quotes price baseboards, door casings, and doors separately from walls.
- Ceiling height. Rooms with 10-foot or vaulted ceilings need more paint and more ladder work.
- Paint line. Premium paints can cost twice as much per gallon as contractor grades.
- Overhead. Licensed, insured painters carry costs that cash-only crews skip. Those costs protect you if something goes wrong.
Doing it yourself
For the 12' × 12' room, materials alone come to roughly $120: two gallons of wall paint plus tape, plastic, a roller cover, and patching compound. The rest of a professional quote is labor, which for one room is usually a full day for one painter.
Questions to ask before you hire
- Is the quote per room, per square foot, or hourly?
- How many coats, and what paint line and sheen?
- What prep is included, and what is extra?
- Are trim, doors, and closets included?
- How much is the deposit, and when is the balance due?
Are you a painter? Turn these numbers into a client-ready estimate with your own rates.
Create an estimate