How much should you charge to paint a room?
Room painting is usually priced by the room or by square footage of wall. Here are the typical ranges, plus what pushes the price up or down.
Painters often quote a flat price per room, or roughly $2 to $6 per square foot of wall area including labor and paint. Prep work, ceilings and trim add to the total.
Typical prices
| Room / scope | Typical total (labor + paint) |
|---|---|
| Small room / bedroom | $300 – $600 |
| Average room | $400 – $800 |
| Large room / living room | $600 – $1,200 |
| Per square foot of wall | $2 – $6 |
| Ceiling and trim | Add 25% – 50% |
These are general ranges reported across the US, not a quote. Your prices depend on your market, your costs and the specific job. Always price to cover your own numbers.
What affects the price
- Room size and ceiling height
- Amount of prep, patching and priming
- Number of coats and paint quality
- Trim, doors and ceilings
- Whether you supply the paint
How to set your own price
Ranges are a starting point, but the only price that matters is one that covers your pay, your costs and a profit. Use the free hourly rate calculator to work out what you actually need to charge, then save your rates so every quote uses them automatically.
Quote it in seconds. Build a professional quote with the free invoice generator, or open a free KSV Backoffice account to save your prices and send quotes and invoices from your phone.